Emily Dean

Emily Dean is a creator, filmmaker, and artist from Australia who resides in Los Angeles. She is an Asian-Australian American. Dean began drawing at age 3, making films at age 12, and working professionally as a storyboard artist for television commercials at age 15. She earned a BA (Honours I) in History and English from the University of Sydney, where she was mentored in Cultural Studies by Professor Richard Waterhouse, Bicentennial Historian of Australia, and Emeritus Professor John Y. Wong in 20th Century Chinese History. After completing her academic studies, she pursued animation at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and trained at Pixar in the Story Department. Dean has worked in both animated and live-action feature films as a Story Artist and Visual Consultant.

Her animated short film *Forget Me Not* was nominated for an Australian Academy Award (AACTA) in 2012, and her live-action science fiction short film *Andromeda* appeared on the festival circuit in 2018 and 2019.

Her feature directorial debut, *Tao*, is described as a female-driven sci-fi adventure story set in China.

Dean writes, directs, and executive produces content for film and television under the production banner Grade 8 Productions.