Emmylou Diaz, a Lehigh Valley–raised, LA-based TV writer/producer (Jane the Virgin, Charmed, Station 19), is returning home to premiere her directorial debut short film at the Allentown Film Festival on April 11.
The film is a seriocomic exploration of grief from a woman’s perspective, and Emmy’s visit highlights her ongoing connection to the community.
ALLENTOWN FILM FESTIVAL
19th Street Theatre, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104
Saturday, April 11, 2026
6:00 PM
Tickets
“A PECULIAR MORNING” is a short film inspired by a chance encounter, a grieving woman grapples with her agoraphobia to see what lies outside her lonely little world.
A grieving woman lies on her bed in her very beige studio apartment. A dated clock radio wails at her and gives her the inspiration she needs to get up. As she moves through her morning ritual, we discover she’s afraid to leave her house, and has built a community from the inanimate objects in her home. The coffeemaker and the lamp keep her company in an isolated world. Then the doorbell rings. It’s her daily food order, delivered by someone new… A big hug of a man who lights up her whole heart. After he leaves, she is gripped with fear: what if he doesn’t bring her delivery again? She is faced with the choice to let him leave her life forever or walk through her sadness into the real world.
Emmylou Diaz constantly seeks the edge in her storytelling, whether she’s exploring complex relationships, dysfunctional families, or the absurdities of everyday life. She’s a multi-hyphenate talent— director, writer, producer, and actor—who began her career on the smash CW dramedy Jane the Virgin. Starting as a writers’ assistant, she quickly made her mark, co-writing and producing two episodes during the show’s award-winning first season, before being promoted to staff writer for season two. Since then, Emmy has worked as a Co-Executive Producer on acclaimed projects, including an Untitled Thriller for Amazon and The Watchful Eye for Freeform/Hulu. Other credits include Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Charmed, and Station 19. Emmy’s passion for storytelling is rooted in her background as a performer– she holds an MFA in Acting from the American Repertory Theatre Institute at Harvard. In front of the camera, she recently starred in the indie feature California Scenario, an Official Selection of the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Emmy currently serves as Advisor to the Humanitas New Voices Fellowship and is co-chair of the WGA Latinx Writers Committee. Having directed several micro-shorts as an alum of the LA Directors Lab, A Peculiar Morning is Emmy’s short film directorial debut.
