Eva Thomas

Eva Thomas is a Canadian First Nations (Walpole Island First Nation) filmmaker and screenwriter.

Early life and education

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

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 run the imagineNATIVE Features Lab, doing script editing. While there, she worked with Kaniehtiio Horn as a story editor and later 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]

In 2023, Thomas debuted her short film Redlights at the 2023 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, stars Gail Maurice, Billy Merasty, Jennifer Podemski, Liam Stewart-Kanigan and Ryan Rajendra Black.[6] It premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.[7]

Thomas has also filmed documentaries for the Walpole Island First Nation, and directed episodes of the CBC docuseries Still Standing,[2][8] for which she won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a Factual Program or Series at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024.[9] She has also written for CTV's Shelved (2023) and CTV/APTN's Acting Good (2022).[8]

In November 2024, Thomas was announced as entering production on Nika and Madison, a feature-length expansion of Redlights which is her full-length debut as a solo director.[10] It premiered in the Discovery program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.[11]

Personal life

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.[8]

She is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Eva Thomas". LA Skins Fest. 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Indigenous CapU film students head to Cannes Film Fest". North Shore News. 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  4. ^ a b Townsend, Kelly (2021-01-27). "Women in View unveils participants for Five in Focus: Indigenous". Playback Online. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Townsend, Kelly (2023-09-26). "Ryan Cooper, Eva Thomas set feature debut with Aberdeen". Playback Online. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  7. ^ Zac Ntim, "TIFF 2024: Laura Carreira’s ‘On Falling’ & ‘Bonjour Tristesse’ Starring Chloë Sevigny Among Titles Set For Discovery Sidebar". Deadline Hollywood, July 24, 2024.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Thiessen, Connie (2024-05-30). "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle & Reality". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  10. ^ Jamie Casemore, "Eva Thomas directs first solo feature with Nika & Madison". Playback, November 12, 2024.
  11. ^ John Hazelton, "Toronto film festival unveils Discovery selection with 23 world premieres". Screen Daily, July 23, 2025.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.