Emma Seligman

Emma Seligman (born May 3, 1995) is a Canadian[1][2] film director and screenwriter, best known for their feature directorial debut Shiva Baby (2020).

Emma Seligman
Seligman speaks to the Boston Jewish Film Festival in 2020
Born (1995-05-03) May 3, 1995
Toronto, Canada

Career

As a teenager, Emma Seligman contributed film reviews to The Huffington Post.[3] They studied film at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in May 2017, and is based in New York City.[1][2] While at NYU they made short films including Lonewoods and 2018's Void and Shiva Baby. Their thesis film, Shiva Baby went to the 2018 South by Southwest film festival. At the same time, they began developing it into a feature film, the 2020 release Shiva Baby. Seligman's films focus on sexual themes, particularly the relationship between women and sex, with the director saying that "women decode sexual messaging from a young age, [and] technology, for example with porn or dating sites, has made the sexual messaging more confusing, and [they're] interested in how women figure it out."[1]

They have discussed their filmmaking process as a very collaborative experience, though they spend a lot of time on writing, and enjoy being able to discuss their work with their actors.[1]

As a screenwriter and director, Seligman has received acclaim for the feature film Shiva Baby. It premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).[4] Critics have commended it as a debut, with Kristy Puchko of The Playlist writing that "it's astounding this is Seligman's first film, [considering] how masterfully she orchestrates the tension and comedy",[5] and Dana Piccoli for Queer Media Matters praising that "while Seligman is still a relative newcomer to the film world, she handles Shiva Baby like an experienced pro".[6]

Seligman reunited with the lead actor from Shiva Baby, Rachel Sennott again in their second feature film, Bottoms, which headlined the SXSW film festival on March 11, 2023.[7]

Personal life

Seligman is bisexual and Jewish,[8] and uses she/they pronouns.[9] They were raised in a Reform Judaism Ashkenazi community in Toronto and had their Bat Mitzvah ceremony on Masada in Israel.[10] They moved to Los Angeles in 2021.[11] Before the success of Shiva Baby, she had interned for producers of numerous critically acclaimed movies at a variety of production studios. Even earlier on, she was thoroughly involved in filmmaking by writing film reviews while in high school for a publication like The Huffington Post. She also served on the Toronto International Film Festival’s select youth committee, where she helped put together film-based events.[12]

Filmography
Year Title Notes Ref(s).
2018 Void Short film [1]
2018 Shiva Baby Short film
2020 Shiva Baby Feature adaptation of 2018 short [4]
2023 Bottoms Feature film

Awards and nominations
See also: List of accolades received by Shiva Baby
Year Association Category Work Result Ref(s).
2018 South by Southwest Best Narrative Short Shiva Baby Nominated [13][14]
2020 Denver Film Festival American Independent Award Shiva Baby Special mention: New Comedic Voice [15]
Filmmaker Magazine 25 New Faces of Indie Film 2020 Listed [16]
Miami International Film Festival Jordan Ressler First Feature Award Nominated [17]
Outfest Best Screenwriting Won [18]
Out on Film Best First Film Runner-up [19]
TIFF Critics Poll Best Screenplay Runner-up [4]
Variety
Presented at the Mill Valley Film Festival		 10 Screenwriters to Watch Listed [20][21]
2021 The Braddies Best Debut Listed [22]
Chicago Film Critics Association Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award Nominated [23]
Detroit Film Critics Society Breakthrough Won[lower-alpha 1] [24]
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Best First Film Nominated [25]
Gotham Independent Film Awards Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award Nominated [26]
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards Best Filmmaker Nominated [27]
Best Screenplay Nominated
IndieWire Critics Poll Best First Feature Fourth [28]
The Jewish Week 36 Under 36 Listed [29][30]
The New York Times Best Directing (Comedy) Won [31]
The ReFrame Stamp Narrative Feature Listed [32][33]
2022 Apolo Awards Best New Director Nominated [34]
Best Adapted Screenplay Won
Austin Film Critics Association Best First Film Nominated [35]
Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films Best Original Screenplay Nominated [36]
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film Nominated [37]
DiscussingFilm Critics Awards Best Debut Feature Nominated [38]
Independent Spirit Awards John Cassavetes Award Won[lower-alpha 2] [39]
Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Debut Feature Nominated [40]
Toronto Film Critics Association Best First Feature Runner-up[lower-alpha 3] [41]

See also

Notes
  1. Shared with Woody Norman for C'mon C'mon.
  2. With Kieran Altmann, Katie Schiller and Lizzie Shapiro for Shiva Baby.
  3. Shared with Passing and Pig.

References
  1. "Interview with Emma Seligman". FEMFILMFANS. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  2. Mikel, Ryan (19 March 2018). "Tisch Alumna Talks Sugar Babies, Shivas and SXSW". Washington Square News. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  3. Seligman, Emma (September 18, 2012). "REVIEW: 'Spring Breakers'". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017.
  4. Blauvelt, Christian; Kohn, Eric (2020-09-21). "TIFF 2020 Report Card: Critics Rank the Best Films and Performances". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  5. Puchko, Kristy (March 25, 2020). "'Shiva Baby' Delivers A Hilarious Symphony Of Tension And Humiliation-Based Comedy [Review]". theplaylist.net. Archived from the original on 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  6. Piccoli, Dana (2020-08-26). "Outfest 2020: A young bisexual woman confronts her past and present in the very funny, "Shiva Baby"". Queer Media Matters. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  7. "2023 SXSW Film Festival Lineup". SXSW. Archived from the original on 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  8. "Meet the Canadian Women Directors of TIFF 2020". Elle Canada. Archived from the original on 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  9. "Emma Seligman, Thank You For Coming Out (While Staying In)". Player FM. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  10. Goi, Leonardo (8 April 2021). "The Current Debate: The Jewishness of "Shiva Baby"". MUBI. Archived from the original on 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  11. Weiss, Keely (2 April 2021). "How Director Emma Seligman Made 'Shiva Baby' an Anxiety-Inducing Trip". Harper's BAZAAR. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  12. "Shiva Baby". tisch.nyu.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  13. "2018 SXSW Film Festival Selections: Narrative Shorts [Video]". SXSW. 2018-11-26. Archived from the original on 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  14. "Shiva Baby". SXSW 2018 Schedule. Archived from the original on 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  15. Awards Watch (November 13, 2020). "The Denver Film Festival (DFF) has announced the Awards Winners of the 43rd edition". Filmfestivals.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  16. Luers, Erik (2021-04-05). ""Fish is Expensive to Keep Purchasing and Replacing": Emma Seligman on Shiva Baby". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  17. Miami Film Festival (2020). "SHIVA BABY". Archived from the original on 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
    Miami Film Festival (2020). "Jordan Ressler First Feature Award". Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  18. Kleinmann, James (2020-09-11). "TIFF 2020 Film Review: Shiva Baby ★★★★★". The Queer Review. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  19. Out on Film (2020-10-08). "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice. Archived from the original on 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  20. MVFF (2020). "BEHIND THE SCREENS – Mill Valley Film Festival". Archived from the original on 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  21. Countryman, Eli (2020-09-24). "Variety Announces 10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2020". Variety. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  22. Bradshaw, Peter (December 16, 2021). "And the 2021 Braddies go to … Peter Bradshaw's film picks of the year". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  23. Tallerico, Brian (December 13, 2021). "West Side Story Leads the 2021 Chicago Critics Nominees". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  24. "The 2021 Detroit Film Critics Society (DFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  25. Neglia, Matt (December 15, 2021). "The 2021 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  26. Kay, Jeremy (November 30, 2021). "'The Lost Daughter' triumphs at 2021 Gotham Awards". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  27. Neglia, Matt (July 1, 2021). "The 2021 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Midseason Awards Winners". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  28. Blauvelt, Christian (2021-12-13). "2021 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 187 Critics from Around the World". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  29. Lapin, Andrew (2021-12-23). "The top Jewish pop culture stories from 2021". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  30. Harris, Ben (July 12, 2021). "36 Under 36 2021". jewishweek.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  31. Zinoman, Jason (2021-12-17). "Best Comedy of 2021". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  32. ReFrame Project (February 18, 2021). "Stamp Feature Film". Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  33. Business Wire (February 17, 2021). "ReFrame and IMDbPro Announce 2020 ReFrame Stamp Recipients Including: Birds of Prey, The Old Guard, Promising Young Woman, Wonder Woman 1984". Archived from the original on 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-18. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  34. Roures, Juan (March 2, 2022a). "Las mejores películas de temática LGTB del 2021: ganadores a los VII Premios Apolo de cine LGTB". Dos Manzanas. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  35. Austin Chronicle (January 4, 2022). "Austin Film Critics Association Announces 2021 Awards Short Lists". Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  36. Chlotrudis Society (2022). "2022, 28th Annual Awards". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  37. Lewis, Hilary (2022-01-27). "Directors Guild Reveals 2022 Feature Film Award Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  38. Rolph, Ben (2022-01-04). "DiscussingFilm Critic Awards 2022: The Winners". DiscussingFilm. Archived from the original on 2022-07-09. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  39. Earl, William; Chapman, Wilson (2022-03-06). "Spirit Awards 2022: The Complete Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  40. Neglia, Matt (January 24, 2022). "The 2021 Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Winners". Next Big Picture. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  41. Curran, Sarah (2022-01-16). "Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Lost Daughter' Wins Big At Toronto Film Critics Association Awards". ET Canada. Archived from the original on 2022-01-17. Retrieved 2022-01-17.

Further reading
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