Ted Thomas

Director Writer

Award-winning director and writer Ted Thomas, the son of legendary animator Frank Thomas, was born and raised in Los Angeles. Extended stays in India and Japan, and world travels with a camera, eventually led him to making motion pictures. Following working on films at the Disney Studios for EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland, Thomas gained attention for his work on the National Geographic Society specials, projects with PBS, and independent productions. For three decades he has collaborated on award-winning films with his partner and wife, Kuniko Okubo, such as “Where the Toys Come From”, “Frank and Ollie”, “Walt & El Grupo”, and “Growing Up With Nine Old Men”.

A Fellow of the Sundance Institute and a recipient of a California Arts Council Screenwriting Fellowship, Thomas is also a published still photographer and a musician specializing in traditional jazz. His filmmaking awards include an Emmy, a Writers Guild Award, two more Writers Guild nominations, an International Documentary Association Award nomination, the Golden Gate Award from the San Francisco International Film Festival and the People’s Choice Award from the Houston International Film Festival, the Ambassador Award from the San Joaquin International Film Festival, and distinguished documentary recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.