Kaily MORGAN
Smith
Kaily Morgan Smith is a filmmaker, producer, and entrepreneur originally from Denver, Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts, where she trained in directing, writing, and acting. Driven by a deep love of storytelling, Kaily began her career developing original work across film, television, and theater.
Early on, she directed and produced the West Coast premiere of Jonathan Marc Sherman’s Sophistry, which led to the founding of her first production company, Red Ladders Entertainment. At the same time, she continued acting in film and television, with credits including The Office, Gilmore Girls, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
In 2008, Kaily emerged as a pioneer in digital storytelling with MERRIme.com, a sixteen-episode comedy series she created, co-wrote, and produced. The series was exclusively released by Turner Broadcasting’s TheFrisky.com and received wide acclaim, winning Best Comedy at the Independent Television Festival, Best Actress at the New York Television Festival, and landing on TV Guide’s “Hot List” of best new series.
In 2012, Kaily relocated to New York City after being cast as Alicia Silverstone’s understudy in the Broadway production of The Performers. While in New York, she continued her work in theater, directing the one-man show Mentor-ized, which played at TBG Arts Center and the United Solo Theatre Festival, and assisting Tony-nominated director Sheryl Kaller on the development of the musical Pretty Dead Girl.
Kaily went on to star in and produce the independent feature film People You May Know, released by The Orchard in 2017, and to executive produce Burden, the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award–winning feature starring Forest Whitaker and Garrett Hedlund. She later wrote and directed the short film Just Between Us, produced by Elysium Bandini Studios and screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival and Denver Film Festival.
Most recently, Kaily directed the short film General Admission, starring Nina Dobrev, Cedric Yarbrough, and Adam Shapiro. She also directed staged readings of First Comes the Egg by Taryn Fixel at IAMA’s New Works Playfest and as part of IAMA’s ninth season.
In addition to her creative work, Kaily is the co-founder of SeriesFest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to championing artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling. Now entering its twelfth season, SeriesFest produces an annual festival in Denver each spring and offers year-round education and professional development programs, including initiatives supporting women directors and underrepresented voices in partnership with Shondaland and Wondaland Productions.
Kaily is also the founder of Kind Spirit Studios, her current production company focused on developing bold, character-driven stories with a particular emphasis on female-driven narratives across film and television.
