For Emily Dillard, creativity has always been rooted in community, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected. A 2017 graduate of Fairfax High School and a 2020 alumna of Savannah College of Art and Design, Emily has transformed her passion for storytelling into a thriving career in entertainment — one that now includes work with Walt Disney Imagineering as a Senior Media Coordinator and the release of her debut feature film, A Mosquito in the Ear.

During her time at Fairfax High School, Emily found a second home in the school’s drama club, the FX Players. Whether performing in musicals or collaborating backstage, she credits those experiences with shaping her creative identity and giving her a strong sense of community.

“I loved participating in the drama club at Fairfax High School (FX Players!),” Emily shared. “It was a great community, and I often think back to our musicals and performances fondly.”

Beyond theater, Emily says FHS helped her develop independence — not only in her daily habits and lifestyle, but also in the way she approaches creativity and problem-solving.

“Every day at work, I’m presented with new challenges and problems that don’t have clear solutions,” she explained. “It’s precisely the skills I developed as a teenager in high school that have enabled me to approach these problems with an open mindset and find out-of-the-box solutions.”

Those skills have carried Emily across the globe and into ambitious creative projects. Her debut feature film, A Mosquito in the Ear, is set for theatrical release this spring through Narrative Distribution. Emily produced the film alongside Jomon Thomas, known for Monkey Man, and Darren Dean, a longtime collaborator of Sean Baker.

Shot in Goa, India, the film stars Jake Lacy and Nazanin Boniadi alongside an Indian cast and crew in collaboration with LaSutra Pictures. Directed by Emily’s creative partner, Nicola Rinciari, the project represents the culmination of years of creative growth and collaboration.

The story follows an American couple who travel to India to meet their newly adopted daughter and bring her home, only to discover that she refuses to leave the orphanage she calls home. For Emily, the film has been both the most challenging and the most rewarding endeavor of her career so far.

Reflecting on her journey, Emily offers simple but meaningful advice to current students and young creatives:

“It’s good to plan for the future, but don’t forget to enjoy the ride along the way. Even detours can lead to the most marvelous and unexpected destinations.”

As A Mosquito in the Ear prepares for release, Emily hopes fellow FCPS alumni and members of the Fairfax community will attend upcoming DC-area screenings or support the film when it becomes available digitally. Her journey from the FX Players stage to international filmmaking is a reminder that the creative passions nurtured in high school can lead to extraordinary places.