Phyllis Ellis

Film Director

Independent filmmaker Phyllis Ellis is a native of Canada and has worked in Europe, Asia, Africa, India, and the U.S. for the past thirty-five years as a filmmaker, writer, actor, and producer. Her work addresses themes of justice, truth, transformation, and human rights. Her critically acclaimed feature film, Toxic Beauty, had its world premiere as one of the five films chosen for the Hot Docs International Film Festival 2019 Big Ideas, garnering worldwide distribution. About Her won the prestigious Donald Brittain award at the Canadian Screen Awards (CSA’s) for Best Social Political Documentary Film. Phyllis has won 4 CSA’s and has been nominated for best direction for her work in documentary film, series, writing, and performance. She is currently in production on her current feature documentary Born to Run, scheduled for release in October 2020. An Olympian, Phyllis is dedicated to telling stories empowering women’s voices around the world.