Shona Tuckman P’28
Company / School: Kreate Films
Position / Degree: Film Producer, Writer, Director, CEO
Overview
Film Producer, Writer, Director, CEO, Kreate Films
Fort Lauderdale, FL, New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA
- BA, Photography, Film, and Television, Salisbury College of Art & Design, England, and Rochester Institute of Technology
As founder of Kreate Films, writer-director-producer Shona Tuckman (she/her) has built a reputation for crafting emotionally resonant, character-driven stories with global appeal. She launched the company with Finding Joy, a heartfelt romantic comedy-drama that opened in theaters nationwide in 2013. Her follow-up, Fat, a raw and unflinching portrait of food addiction, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to wide digital release. In 2014, Shona produced War Story, a haunting drama set in Sicily starring Catherine Keener and Sir Ben Kingsley. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by IFC Films. Most recently, she produced and adapted the acclaimed young adult novel Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets into a feature film starring Jason Isaacs, Taylor Russell, Lisa Edelstein, David Arquette, Lucas Jade Zumann, Chase Stokes, and Tom Wilkinson. Released globally and streaming on Hulu, the film showcases her continued passion for bold, human stories told with heart and vision. Fun fact: The director, Yaniv Raz, graduated from Vassar in ’98. In 2026, Shona will produce three films as well as execute her directorial debut from her screenplay, The Monster Inside, starring Toni Collette.
Advice to Students:
Filmmaking is a collaborative art, so surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow and care about the work as much as the outcome. Find the people who believe in your potential and genuinely want to build something meaningful with you. When a partnership or project stops serving your creativity, give yourself permission to step away. Letting go is sometimes the most courageous thing you can do. Stay curious. Pay attention. Opportunities in this industry can show up in unexpected conversations, in late-night ideas, in the people sitting next to you in class, or on set. Keep your mind open to recognizing them and brave enough to pursue them. Your career isn’t going to be a straight line. It will be a series of choices, risks, and reinventions along the way! Do the work that excites you. Learn constantly, listen, ask questions, take big swings, and don’t be afraid to fail spectacularly! Every misstep teaches you something, and every step forward—no matter how small—builds a foundation for the filmmaker and person you’re becoming.
