Kelly Smith — Artist, Filmmaker, Podcaster

Kelly Smith began her artistic journey at seven years old, setting up a makeshift gallery at the end of her driveway in Houston, TX—an endeavor quickly shut down by her mother. Despite pursuing a formal education in science and communication, earning degrees from Harvard (B.A. in Biological Anthropology), Tufts (M.S. in Biology), and Johns Hopkins (M.A. in Communication), she ultimately followed her creative instincts, leaving Rice Business School after a year to focus on her art.

Exhibiting under the pseudonym Ana Kelly, she held her first solo show in 2003 and has since showcased her work in four solo exhibitions and fifteen group shows.

Her film work includes Dotted Lines, a short film exploring themes of separation and motherhood, which was selected for the Three Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh, PA. [Watch Dotted Lines] Her experimental film was also featured in a live performance (31st Chair) with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Attack Theatre.

Kelly’s contributions to film extend beyond directing—she co-produced the BAFTA Award-winning film Control (2007), a biopic about Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis. She also served as assistant editor for the feature documentary Introducing Brian Broome, which chronicles the life of award-winning author Brian Broome (Punch Me Up to the Gods).

Since 2012, she has been a co-host of Geek Girl Soup, a podcast covering film, television, and pop culture. She is also the founder of Podcat Creative Consulting, a podcast strategy firm specializing in B2B content.