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Emily Barber

2025 Shorts & Features Competition Judge

Emily Barber is a film director with over 15 years of industry experience, including the past seven years behind the camera as a director. Before joining Salesforce, where she currently directs documentary-style customer stories and human-centered trailblazer films, she built a vibrant freelance career directing commercials for major brands such as Gatorade, Tide, Walgreens, Samsung, and Motorola. She also spent several years directing comedy content with the legendary Second City of Chicago, sharpening her instincts for performance and character-driven storytelling.

Her short film Buttress recently completed a global festival run, earning multiple awards and acclaim for its intimate, emotional lens. She’s also the recipient of an Anthem Award for her work at Salesforce, recognizing her commitment to authentic, human storytelling.

This is her fourth year judging the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a concentration in cinematography, she is drawn to stories featuring underrepresented voices—particularly those centered on women, queer characters, and narratives rooted in science and outer space. She is a proud member of Film Independent and finds her greatest joy in working with actors to bring raw emotion to life on screen.

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