Emily Anderson Brings Her Signature Mix of Humor and Heart to Riverside Entertainment
Riverside Entertainment is excited to welcome director Emily Anderson to its creative roster. Emily is an award-winning filmmaker with an infectious personality and unique view of the world. She captures life with authenticity, absurdity, and style; and she loves finding the curious and quirky, whether with real people or comedy – or the blend of the two.
Before going freelance, Emily was Ogilvy NY’s first female in-house director, Emily spent eight years writing, producing, and directing documentaries and commercials, collaborating with brands that sent her all over the world.
“I didn't have a traditional journey to becoming a director,” Emily explains. “After directing my first documentary in Vietnam for Philips, I realized that all the creative jobs I'd had up to that point – photography, journalism, design – had led up to that moment.”
While at Ogilvy, Emily found a partner in Producer Katie Maguire, who joined Riverside as Executive Producer in 2024. This signing reunites the duo, whose stellar work together includes Absolut, Citizens Bank, Delta, Ford, IBM, Philips, and UPS.
“Traveling the world together for years, we were partners in storytelling,” says Katie. “Working that closely you really get to understand someone – I know Emily’s voice, what she is capable of, and who she is – smart, funny, and bold. I’ve rarely worked with someone who works as hard as Emily and I’m thrilled to be reunited at Riverside.”
“What Katie and I had at Ogilvy, and later at Hogarth, was really special — and that same spark exists at Riverside: camaraderie, community, and wide-ranging creative opportunities,” says Emily. “It feels like a door wide open.”
“It’s amazing to work with someone who knows me not just as a director, but as a person,” she adds. “We share a history — I was an agency creative director, and Katie has been both an agency and line producer — so we know how to listen, translate, and support ideas. I’m excited to see what we create together.”
Her disarming and authentic approach to filmmaking focuses on capturing the human condition. From directing game-show–style spots for brands like Delta and Lyft to crafting numerous short films that explore the rich, quirky landscape of her home in Montauk, Emily brings humor and heart to every project. Among these is the poetic and hilarious documentary short “100 Miles From Montauk,” in which she uncovers both the beauty and the peril of commercial fishing. Her newest short, “Portrait of the Lighthouse,” will have its worldwide premiere this October at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Spanning entertainment and advertising makes Emily a natural fit with Riverside, a company known for high-profile advertising campaigns alongside branded collaborations with networks and longform storytelling.
“In any form or genre, Emily’s work always makes you feel something,” Katie notes. “She embodies the Riverside culture: hard-working, energetic, and imaginative — people who feel like home and are fully invested in collaboration.”
With offices in the entertainment epicenters of Los Angeles, Nashville and New York, Riverside was established to deliver robust and compelling campaigns. At the heart of each collaboration is a deep respect for people - those involved in the creative process and the intended audiences, which has earned the trust of brands, agencies and networks alike. In addition to the noted director roster, Riverside is known for a vast network of talent steeped in design and visual effects to bring projects to vibrant life, from digital campaigns to immersive experiences. For more on Riverside Entertainment visit www.riverside-ent.com.
