Emma Seligman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma Seligman
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Emma Seligman in 2020
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| Born | May 3, 1995 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, Director |
Emma Seligman (born May 3, 1995) is a talented Canadian film director and screenwriter. She is well-known for directing the movies Shiva Baby (2020) and Bottoms (2023).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Emma Seligman grew up in Toronto, Canada. She went to Northern Secondary School there. From a young age, she loved watching film critics talk about movies. She even had a blog called Confessions of a Teenage Film Buff where she wrote about films. She also wrote movie reviews for The Huffington Post.
After high school, Emma studied film at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated in May 2017, ready to start her career in movies.
Her Film Career
While at NYU, Emma Seligman started making short films. Some of these were called Lonewoods and Void. Her final project for school was a short film called Shiva Baby. During this time, she also worked at different movie studios to learn how films are made. She even helped choose films for the Toronto International Film Festival as part of a special youth committee.
Shiva Baby
Emma's short film, Shiva Baby, was chosen for the 2018 South by Southwest film festival. The main actress in the short film, Rachel Sennott, encouraged Emma to turn it into a full-length movie. Emma decided to do it, and Rachel Sennott played the main role again.
The full movie Shiva Baby was supposed to premiere at the 2020 South by Southwest festival. But it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film later premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.
Critics really liked Shiva Baby. People said it was amazing for a first film and praised how well Emma handled the story. In 2022, the movie won the John Cassavetes Award. This award is given to films made with a smaller budget.
Emma believes that making movies is a team effort. She enjoys working closely with her actors and discussing ideas with them.
Bottoms
After the success of Shiva Baby, Emma Seligman directed another feature film called Bottoms in 2023. This movie also stars Rachel Sennott, showing their continued collaboration.
Personal Life
Emma Seligman uses both "she/her" and "they/them" pronouns. She lived in Los Angeles for a short time in 2021. As of 2023, she lives in Bushwick.
Emma has shared that her favorite Jewish movies include Yentl, Keeping the Faith, and Fiddler on the Roof. She feels these films helped shape her own filmmaking style and inspired her work on Shiva Baby.
Filmography
Emma Seligman has directed several films:
| Year | Title | Notes |
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| 2018 | Void | Short film |
| 2018 | Shiva Baby | Short film |
| 2020 | Shiva Baby | Feature adaptation of 2018 short |
| 2023 | Bottoms | Feature film |
Awards and Recognition
Emma Seligman and her film Shiva Baby have received several awards and nominations.
- In 2020, she won the Best Screenwriting award at Outfest for Shiva Baby.
- Filmmaker Magazine named her one of the "25 New Faces of Indie Film" in 2020.
- In 2021, she won the Breakthrough award from the Detroit Film Critics Society.
- The New York Times recognized her for Best Directing (Comedy) in 2021.
- In 2022, Shiva Baby won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Emma Seligman para niños
- List of female film and television directors
- List of LGBT-related films directed by women
