Tom Foley

Part Time Adjunct

Digital Media and Design | Storrs

Email: Website: tomfoley.tv

Education: BS Northwestern University, Communications/English 1988

Areas of Research and Artistic Focus: Commercial and Nonprofit/Altruistic Filmmaking

Tom Foley is an award-winning American filmmaker. A  longtime commercial director and member of the DGA, Tom  has helmed national TV spots for iconic brands like Nike, Harley Davidson, Lowe’s, Walgreens, Timberland, Hyundai, and Burger King. Tom’s storytelling keys on human emotion — from narrative comedy to heartfelt realism. Always with a strong visual point of view, Tom emphasizes the unique humanity of his subjects. Tom began his career in advertising in the 1990s at several prominent ad agencies where he produced some notable work, including an Anheuser-Busch Super Bowl spot which won USA Today’s annual Super Bowl AdMeter. Tom then shifted his focus, signing on as a commercial director at Independent Media in Los Angeles in 2003. Fellow roster directors included Sydney Pollack, Anthony Minghella, Michael Apted, Kathryn Bigelow, and Doug Liman. In recent years, Tom’s area of focus has been with non-profit organizations, including award-winning films for the Alzheimer’s Association, Big Brother Big Sister Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. In 2020, Tom directed a documentary short for Tito’s Vodka, which chronicled the real-time successful rescue of over 100 dogs in Louisiana following Hurricane Barry. In 2022, Tom worked with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and International Medical Corps to create a series of emergency response videos to assist Ukrainians during the war. As part of this project, Tom collaborated with a broad spectrum of renowned medical experts and remotely worked with and directed a live crew and talent in Lviv, Ukraine. These films have been heralded for their mission to save lives. Tom is currently represented by Element Productions in Boston, MA.