About Cate Fogarty
Cate Fogarty is an exciting up-and-coming director with an incredibly unique past and perspective, focused on using comedy to explore the dark and difficult aspects of the female experience. Cate never settles for the easiest version of a story, and she pushes for characters to have depth and layers that feel true to life and relatable, in all the not-so-picture-perfect ways that we all--especially women--need to see more of on screen.
Though born in Minnesota, Cate spent a formative chunk of her adolescence living on a sailboat in the Caribbean during the early 90s which instilled a lifelong love of travel and a unique perspective on the world. She began filmmaking from a young age, commandeering her father’s camcorder and forcing everyone around her into dozens of comedic projects, including Family Ties spoofs that she wrote and directed.
Continuing her drive to become a storyteller, Cate studied creative writing at a public arts high school and then attended three different universities, searching for something she couldn’t yet articulate. But it wasn’t until she moved to Norway and took her first screenwriting class, that she considered the possibility of pursuing filmmaking as a career. It wasn’t long before she (re)discovered her life’s passion and moved to Los Angeles.
A former small business owner, Cate is intensely self-motivated and infinitely hardworking, and has continued her training with highly respected teachers like Corey Mandell and Gary Imhoff, film initiatives with BlackMagic Collective, and years of practical on set training as an Assistant Director and Script Supervisor.
Her short films have played at L.A. Shorts, Holly Shorts, and the L.A. Women in Film Festival and cover bold topics like STI shame, mourning a complicated parent, and domestic labor inequality all while finding the innate humor in each situation. Her strong story instincts and deeply collaborative style make her a dream for actors, while her clarity of vision and strong leadership skills build a foundation of trust and respect with the crew.
When not making films Cate loves travelling, sailing, watching stand-up, and hanging out with her husband and two cats.