Eva Thomas
Eva Thomas is a Canadian First Nations (Walpole Island First Nation) filmmaker and screenwriter.
Early life and education[edit]
Thomas attended Arizona State University, where she studied Communication and Broadcasting.[1] She went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London,[2] and Capilano University.[3]
Career[edit]
Thomas was initially interested in acting in Hollywood, but after realizing the limited number of roles available for Indigenous actors, she decided to become a script writer and editor instead. She went on to work at Imaginative Features Lab, doing script editing. While there, she worked with Kaniehtiio Horn as a story editor and executive producer on a project called Seeds.[2]
After completing the Harold Greenberg Fund's Indigenous Story Editing Mentorship, Thomas decided she would aim to create her own short film as a way to break into the feature film industry.[2]
Thomas worked as an associate producer on the 2021 film Night Raiders.[2]
In 2021, Thomas was chosen as one of five Indigenous women to participate in Women in View's Five in Focus: Indigenous program.[4] At the time, she was working with producer Darren Anthony to develop a series called Dwayne has Issues.[4]
In 2023, Thomas debuted her short film, Redlights, at the Toronto International Film Festival.[2][5] The film stars Kaniehtiio Horn and Ellyn Jade, and its story was inspired by the Starlight Tours in Saskatoon and the 1991 film Thelma & Louise.[2][5]
In September 2023, it was announced that Thomas would be co-directing and co-writing her first feature film, Aberdeen, alongside Ryan Cooper. The film, about an indigenous women who relocates to Winnipeg, is set to star Gail Maurice, Billy Merasty, Jennifer Podemski, Liam Stewart-Kanigan (Orphan: First Kill) and Ryan Black (Moccasin Flats).[6]
Thomas has also filmed documentaries for the Walpole Island First Nation, and directed episodes of the CBC docuseries Still Standing,[2][7] for which she won a 2024 Canadian Screen Award.[8] She has also written for CTV's Shelved (2023) and CTV/APTN's Acting Good (2022).[7]
Personal life[edit]
Thomas is a member of the Walpole Island First Nation,[2][5] and is also of Tohono O’odham, Cherokee and Scottish descent.[4] She is based in Toronto and Wallaceburg, Ontario.[7]
She is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Eva Thomas". LA Skins Fest. 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Saito, Stephen (2023-09-07). "TIFF 2023 Interview: Eva Thomas on "Redlights"". The Moveable Fest. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ "Indigenous CapU film students head to Cannes Film Fest". North Shore News. 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b c Townsend, Kelly (2021-01-27). "Women in View unveils participants for Five in Focus: Indigenous". Playback Online. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ a b c Laskaris, Sam (2023-08-29). "First Nations director hopes to raise awareness of Starlight Tours with film premiering at TIFF". Windspeaker.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ Townsend, Kelly (2023-09-26). "Ryan Cooper, Eva Thomas set feature debut with Aberdeen". Playback Online. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b c "'Starlight Tours' fear felt by Indigenous people in Canada explored in TIFF short film". CBC. 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ Thiessen, Connie (2024-05-30). "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle & Reality". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
External links[edit]
- Eva Thomas at IMDb
- Living people
- 21st-century American screenwriters
- 21st-century American women writers
- 21st-century Canadian screenwriters
- 21st-century Canadian women writers
- 21st-century First Nations writers
- 21st-century Native American writers
- 21st-century Native American women
- American documentary filmmakers
- American film directors
- American people of Cherokee descent
- American people of Scottish descent
- American women documentary filmmakers
- American women film directors
- American women screenwriters
- Arizona State University alumni
- Canadian documentary filmmakers
- Canadian people of Cherokee descent
- Canadian people of Scottish descent
- Canadian women documentary filmmakers
- Canadian women film directors
- Canadian women screenwriters
- Film directors from Ontario
- First Nations screenwriters
- First Nations women writers
- Native American screenwriters
- Native American women writers