Christina Richardson is an award-winning director, writer, and creator known for building story-driven work across film, television, branded content, and emerging digital formats. Her acclaimed micro-drama Besties led to a partnership with FOX Creator Studios, and her work has earned two Anthem Awards and collaborations with brands including Meta, Walmart, McDonald’s, FX, and Audible. Most recently, Richardson joined FOX Entertainment leadership onstage at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival to discuss the evolving creator economy and the future of storytelling.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What are your responsibilities in your current role and what do you love most about your job?
As a director, writer, and creator, I take ideas from concept through execution, shaping everything from story and performance to the visual language of a project. I also executive produce my own work, which means balancing the creative vision with the realities of actually getting something made. What I love most is taking something that once only existed in my head and watching it become something an audience can see, feel, and connect with.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
I was a 12-year-old actress when I worked on my first McDonald’s commercial, and that set changed everything for me. We were shooting night for day, and I remember watching them bring in the biggest light I had ever seen and suddenly transform nighttime into daylight. I also thought I might not be used because it was a daytime commercial, but the director connected with me and made me feel like I belonged there. I left that experience fascinated by what a director could create and knowing that was what I wanted to do.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Technically, my first job in the industry was that McDonald’s commercial when I was 12, but one of my first professional writing opportunities came years later writing Meek Mill’s “Litty” music video featuring Tory Lanez and the Wins & Losses short film. Those experiences showed me that there wasn’t one prescribed path into filmmaking. I could enter through writing, production, or whatever door opened and continue building toward directing.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
First and foremost, I ask myself: did I feel something? Did the story pull me in, did I care deeply about the characters, and did the filmmaker build enough of an emotional connection that I became invested in what happened to them? Craft and technical execution absolutely matter, but for me, they are secondary to emotional impact. If I’m still thinking about what I watched after it ends, you’ve done something special.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
I’m currently expanding Besties, the micro-drama series I created, wrote, and directed, through a partnership with FOX Creator Studios. What excites me most is exploring the bridge between social-first storytelling and traditional entertainment, including how a story can be designed for vertical viewing while expanding into longer-form experiences. I’m also continuing to develop my film and television slate while advocating for creators to build audiences and intellectual property on their own terms.
Tell us about a moment of recognition that had an effect on you – whether personal or official? What does recognition mean to you and why is it important in our industry?
One of the earliest moments of recognition that really stayed with me was winning the Wavemaker Award at Allen Maldonado’s Everybody Digital Film Festival for Besties. In 2018, I created what I called an “Ultra Mini Series,” a micro-drama made specifically for social media and released through IGTV, at a time when that kind of storytelling was still very new. Having that work screened and recognized by a festival that celebrated digital and short-form storytelling affirmed that there was value in creating outside of traditional formats. Recognition is important because sometimes it gives creators the affirmation to keep going before the rest of the industry has caught up to what they’re building.
What excites you about judging for the Telly Awards?
I’m excited to discover new talent and experience the work of creatives I may not have encountered otherwise. Some of the most exciting storytellers are simply doers, people who are creating with what they have and finding new ways to reach audiences. I’m excited to help recognize and uplift that next generation of creators, especially because I know firsthand what that kind of recognition can mean at the right moment.
