Nate Thomas

Who is Nate Thomas?

Nathaniel "Nate" Thomas is an American film director/producer and tenured university film professor at California State University, Northridge where he heads the film production program. He is best known for directing and producing the multiple award-winning feature film East of Hope Street which had a limited release in theaters in November 1999. Thomas, who was nominated for a 2000 Imagen Award for the film, is also a television commercial and public service ad director/producer. He produces many of them with close friend/business associate Tim Russ, who played Lieutenant Commander Tuvok on the Star Trek: Voyager television series. In 2010 Thomas received a commendation from FBI Director Robert Mueller for creating "Family Dinner", a 30 second television public service ad on cyber predators. In 2013 the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office released a series of television and radio public service ads, directed/produced by Thomas, highlighting the devastating effects of intellectual property theft and cyber bullying. The television version of these ads garnered him an Emmy Award nomination in 2014. Thomas received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts. He has worked with, among others, Bill Cosby, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Robert Townsend, and Sinbad.