Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Brown Thomas
Hi Erin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to Los Angeles to pursue directing (total unicorn, I know) and made strides until 2016 when life threw me an unexpected plot twist—I got very sick. Picture this: I’m young and hungry to take the directing world by storm, when suddenly I’m spending three days a week hooked up to an IV for almost a year fighting Lyme disease. My body couldn’t handle the long hours on set, and for a while, I was literally bedridden. But here’s the twist—when you’re stuck in medical offices surrounded by other sick people, mindset is everything. Beeping machines, antiseptic smells, and endless waiting rooms can easily drain you. I wasn’t about to let my circumstances box me in and had to find an outside-the-box way of growing as a filmmaker while my body was sidelined.
So, with a needle in my forearm and a slow drip of medicine hanging over me, I began to write. Now, don’t get me wrong, writing was never my end goal—I’ve always been and always will be a director at heart—but writing gave me a new perspective. By temporarily losing my body, I discovered my voice.
I also co-founded the Salute Your Shorts Film Festival during that time, because why not? If I couldn’t be on set, I could still surround myself with amazing films. While undergoing long IV treatments, I watched thousands of shorts from around the world. Each year, we select only 50 or so to showcase, which has given me an evolving film education. This process expanded my mental library and helped me spot the gaps where my own voice could bring something new.
Through this process, I discovered the kinds of stories that fascinate me: those that explore human sexuality, boundaries, and identity. My characters often wrestle with the question, “Who am I?” while contending with outside forces trying to define them. I’m also obsessed with tone, creating thrillers and dramas that integrate levity, with my movies sometimes masquerading as comedies until delivering a final emotional gut punch.
Romance, for me, serves as a compelling framework to explore these deeper themes. Eight of my independent projects center on uncertain romantic outcomes, using the genre to delve into mental health struggles, confront past traumas, and navigate questions of identity. My characters yearn for acceptance, both from others and from themselves.
Fast forward to today, and I’m no longer sidelined by illness—I’m healthy enough to hike up mountains and direct overnight shoots in the pouring rain. Those tough years didn’t just test me physically, they sharpened me as a filmmaker. Curation wasn’t just a way to pass the time; it honed my directorial instincts. The Salute Your Shorts Film Festival, which I co-founded, was recently voted “Best in the U.S.” by USA Today and consistently ranks in the top 100 out of over 12,000 festivals on FilmFreeway. Watching so many diverse films from around the world expanded my understanding of what’s possible on screen, and that evolving education continues to shape my vision today.
Along the way, my films have won awards at multiple Oscar-qualifying festivals, and my journey has even taken me to Cannes twice. The experiences—both the setbacks and successes—have deepened my passion and made me a stronger, more well-rounded storyteller.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Haha, refer to previous question 🙂
But seriously… I wear a lot of hats and it’s only possible because I surround myself with wonderful friends and collaborators who make running a film festival while filmmaking full-time possible — and fun!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a diplopic filmmaker, I literally see everything twice. Yep, I have double vision. Between that and the overstimulation I often feel stemming from my neurodivergence, aesthetics are everything to me. I love high-contrast minimalism: bright colors, shallow focus, vignetted images, and intentional negative space. My films are always shot with such precision that the viewer always knows exactly where to look.
Collaborating with incredible DPs (most often Beth Napoli) has helped shape my slick, visually heightened approach to “traumadies”—dramas that masquerade as comedies until an emotional gut punch.
Beyond these narrative genre cocktails, Beth and I are also known for our work with Selkie Hom through our Aerial Arts production company, Versatile Assassins. We tell stories through aerial circus arts and release them on YouTube for the world to enjoy.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I have a bit of an athletic streak. I was an Olympic hopeful as a child gymnast. When I was twelve I ranked 4th in the country on the uneven bars at the junior Olympic level. I wrestled on the boys’ Varsity team in high school. I was the first female in Ohio to pole vault at the Division 1 state level, and I qualified for the state cross country meet all for years. Now, as an adult, I dangle from the air as a hobbyist aerial acrobat.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.erinbrownthomas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinbrownthomas_filmmaker
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@versatileassassins
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@erinbrownthomas_film
Image Credits
The main image was taken by Leonardo Evidente III
The black and white stedicam BTS shot was taken by Leonardo Evidente III
The Cannes photo was taken by Jake Thomas
The landscape image with the camera and blue background was taken by Samara Ehlke
The cordillera image was taken by Amber Shore
The group shot with the Director and VFX team of Everything Everywhere All At Cnce at Salute Your Shorts was taken by Emily Sandifer
The Salute Your Shorts Hat shot was taken by Emily Sandifer
The aerial shot was a screenshot from a video I took myself so no credit is needed
The [subtext] Filmquest red carpet closeup was by Johnny Call
The photo of me in the hospital was a selfie I took myself. No need to credit.
