Ella Janes

Meet writer-director Ella Janes, the driving creative force behind production company ur girlfriend’s favorite films (@urgirlfriendsfavoritefilms), and the heart and soul of award-winning short film “The Thrilling Adventures of Amos Waters”.

Ella (@ellaajanes) was inspired to become a first-time director at the age of 7, and as a big childhood fan of the TV show “H2O”, made a home movie with a mermaid tail and her friends at the beach. After it received 2.8 million views on YouTube, she realized that directing films was her calling. 

In 2021, Ella was named a YoungArts (@youngarts) Finalist in Film, and in 2022, was awarded the ‘Rising Star’ Award at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (@nfftyfilm) and ‘Best Experimental Film’ at the All-American High School Film Festival (@hsfilmfest) for her coming-of-age short “The First 280 Honest Words of My Life.” Since then, Ella has seen her work screen and win awards at various festivals across the country, including at the 2023 Seattle International Film Festival (@siffnews) and 2024 Rhode Island International Film Festival (@flickers.riiff)

A Merit Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California, the city of Los Angeles is where Ella has continued her brand ur girlfriend’s favorite films with fellow student, filmmaker, and frequent collaborator JJ Klein-Wolf (@jkleinw).

A proud local of Oklahoma City, Ella harbors a small-town humanity that shines through her as a director, as an artist, and as an individual. You can now watch her work on “The Thrilling Adventures of Amos Waters” — nominated at NFFTY for the ‘Best Drama’ Jury Award — on the @1716digital YouTube channel!

Learn more about Ella Janes, 1716 Digital, and #AmosWaters at the link in our bio, and stay tuned here on Instagram for future 1716 Artist Spotlights!