Thada Catalon

THADA CATALON's journey into the world of film ignited in 2008, a pivotal year that marked the inception of her acting career. Since then, her trajectory in both acting and filmmaking has been nothing short of remarkable. Venturing into production, Catalon's debut project, the urban crime drama "Because I Love You," showcased her ability to produce compelling narratives on the big screen. Made on an ultra-low budget, the film not only recovered its production costs but also turned a profit, demonstrating Catalon's talent for both creative storytelling and financial acumen.

Her subsequent feature, "Flashes," not only featured a stellar cast including Donny Boaz, Tom Sizemore, and Christopher Judge but also secured her the inaugural Houston Filmmaker Grant. Additionally, she co-wrote, directed, and produced the short film "Karma: The Tale of a Woman Scorned," which had its television premiere on Revolt TV's Short & Fresh series.

One of her crowning achievements is the critically acclaimed "Created Equal," a cinematic masterpiece directed by the legendary Bill Duke and featuring stellar performances by Aaron Tveit, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Edy Ganem. This magnum opus has garnered over a dozen festival awards, including the coveted Best Feature Film at the BronzeLens Film Festival and the esteemed Best of the Festival at the Lady Filmmakers Film Festival. Notably, the talent's brilliance in the film also earned them nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress at the Imagen Awards.

Catalon's prowess extends beyond producing to her skills as a screenwriter. Her first feature-length screenplay, "Amber's Alert," has been lauded as a finalist, runner-up, and semi-finalist at film festivals and competitions such as UrbanWorld and the Filmmakers International Screenwriting Awards. "Bad Romance," another gem from her creative arsenal, reached the quarterfinals in ScreenCraft's Screenwriting Fellowship and the Atlanta Film Festival Screenwriting competition, as well as the semifinals in The Film Empire's diversity screenplay contest. In 2019, she was recognized in the top 3% of over 11,000 applicants for Imagine Impact's screenwriting community.

Education forms the backbone of Catalon's multifaceted expertise, boasting four academic degrees. Her journey includes a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Master of Digital Marketing from Full Sail University, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Further enhancing her cinematic prowess, Catalon pursued a degree in filmmaking from The Art Institute of Houston, eventually sharing her knowledge by teaching filmmaking and screenwriting classes at the institution.

Beyond her personal achievements, Catalon is the visionary founder of Diversity in Cinema Academy, an online multimedia platform dedicated to creating educational content for aspiring filmmakers. Through social media, the company's website, and online courses, Catalon is shaping the future of diverse voices in the world of cinema. Her compelling journey is not just a story; it's a testament to passion, perseverance, and the transformative power of storytelling in the world of film.