Eva Thomas

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

Contents

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 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 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 & Madison, a feature-length expansion of Redlights which will be her full-length debut as a solo director. [10]

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]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Eva Thomas". LA Skins Fest. 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 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. 1 2 3 Townsend, Kelly (2021-01-27). "Women in View unveils participants for Five in Focus: Indigenous". Playback Online. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  5. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 "'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.
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