Elmer J. Howard is an award-winning independent filmmaker and Maine native who founded Thrive Productions in 2010. He grew up in central Maine in the late 1980s and early 1990s, an era when LGBTQ+ visibility was virtually nonexistent—an experience that profoundly shapes the stories he tells today. His first exposure to professional filmmaking came as a teenager, when he worked as a craft services assistant on the Disney production of Flubber starring Robin Williams, where he also appeared as an extra. That early taste of the industry ignited a passion for visual storytelling that, after a twelve-year detour, drew him back to filmmaking when he discovered Phoenix’s independent film community.
Since relaunching his career, Elmer has built a track record in mission-driven storytelling with a particular focus on underrepresented voices. His short film Loving Martin, based on a true story of love, loss, and hope, earned 15 festival awards. His follow-up, Kings & Queens—the story of a lesbian who finds solace and self-acceptance within a local drag community—won 44 festival awards and demonstrated his ability to handle LGBTQ+ narratives with authenticity and emotional depth. His additional credits include It Stops Here Now, a suspense drama exploring cycles of abuse. He studied at Southern New Hampshire University and continues to develop his craft through hands-on production and deep engagement with the independent film community.
The Silence Between Us represents the convergence of Elmer’s sixteen-year creative journey, his lived experience growing up invisible in rural Maine, and his proven ability to tell LGBTQ+ stories that resonate with audiences and festival programmers alike. Now based back in Maine, he brings both an insider’s understanding of the landscape and communities portrayed in the film and a filmmaker’s eye sharpened by years of independent production. This is the story he has been building toward—not autobiographical, but deeply personal—exploring what visibility and recognition might look like for young people who’ve been taught to make themselves invisible.
Awards:
2019 3 Southern Shorts Awards
2019 Olympus Film Festival Finalist
2019 Vegas Movie Awards Winner Best Producer
2019 Global Shorts Winner Best Director
2019 Best Shorts Competition Winner
2019 Directors Circle Festival of Shorts Official Selection
2019 Rome Independent Prisma Awards Official Selection
2020 Awesome Film Festival Winner Best LGBT Short
2020 Redwood Shorts & Scripts Winner Best LGBTQIA+ Short
Find his projects here.
Elmer J Howard