Cai Thomas

Cai Thomas is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer based in Chicago telling stories at the intersection of location, self determination, and identity about Black youth and elders. She grew up in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood and is deeply interested in stories rooted in place. Her previous film, Queenie, about a Black lesbian elder in Brooklyn’s Bed Stuy neighborhood premiered at NewFest in 2020 winning the NY Short Grand Jury award and is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel. She is a NeXt Doc alum. Cai is currently developing a film about Black Lesbian family planning.

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  Queenie

  Director

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  Bike Vessel

  Cinematography

• Beneath The Surface

  Director

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  we are two.

  Director

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  Change The Name

  Director

• 2026we are two.Director
• 2023Bike VesselCinematography
• 2023Beneath The SurfaceDirector
• 2021Change The NameDirector
• 2020QueenieDirector