Elma Garcia was born in Yakima, Washington in 1959. Growing up in a family of migrant workers, she loved two things: horses and photography. She attended Brooks Institute of Photography, where she graduated in 1981 and then moved to New York City to establish a studio as a still photographer. Her Americana-based still photography work, “Elma Garcia American Classics”, earned her a photography campaign for CBS and caught the eye of a small commercial agency, who hired her to direct her first commercial, a field she has been working in ever since.
Garcia’s commercial directing portfolio includes collaborations with Jack Daniels, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Volvo, Levi’s, Boeing and many, many more. She’s worked with fellow Directors and Cinematographers Conrad Hall, Haskell Wexler and Robert Richardson, and often holds the dual roles as Director and Cinematographer. Her mastery of these complementary talents allows her to create authentic, beautiful, and cohesive narratives reflecting the spirit of the human condition and the rawness of the American landscape.
Garcia has previously moderated the 2019 DGA Awards MTN Commercial Directing event and has been a member of the Director’s Guild since 1992.