Meet George Ellzey Jr | Director & Screenwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with George Ellzey Jr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi George, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I didn’t set out to start a production company. It really came from following the momentum of a film that kept opening doors.

After my 2023 MFA thesis film, Cottage Grove, was screened at festivals across the country, people began associating the title with my voice as a filmmaker. That recognition felt meaningful, and instead of letting it live as a single project, I wanted to build on it. As a Chicago-based filmmaker, ownership mattered to me. I didn’t want to wait on industry pipelines to create opportunities.

Cottage Grove Productions gives me the ability to grow stories from short films like Accessories and Closed Mouths into larger projects, including my upcoming feature film Shades (set for production in Fall 2026), all under one creative home rooted in collaboration and long-term vision.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m drawn to the moments people usually overlook and the emotions we don’t always say out loud.

As a director, screenwriter, and founder of Cottage Grove Productions, I focus on simple stories that carry emotional weight. I grew up deeply sensitive, and for a long time, I thought that was something I needed to hide. Over time, I realized that vulnerability is the foundation of my work. Films like Bosom, Cottage Grove, and SWITCHIN', along with my upcoming projects Accessories and Closed Mouths, connect with people because they’re rooted in emotional honesty.

That same approach shapes the company as a whole. In our first year, Cottage Grove Productions became a two-time Telly Gold Award–winning production company and received a regional Emmy nomination, which reinforced my belief that human-centered stories can resonate both emotionally and within the industry. I’m now bringing that same clarity to my feature film, Shades, expanding the scale while maintaining the intimacy intact.

If someone walks away seeing their own life a little differently, then the work has done what it’s meant to do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The South Side, always.

We’d start the day with coffee at Spoke & Bird in the South Loop, then head to Stussy’s Diner in Bridgeport for breakfast and a long hang. For dinner, Ricobene’s is non-negotiable—best burgers, fries, and milkshakes in the city. Dipping the fries in the milkshake is part of the experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mother, without question.

She raised my two siblings and me as a single mother while working multiple jobs and going to school. Watching her move through life showed me what it looks like to create opportunities instead of waiting for them. If she had an idea, she went for it, learned as she went, and kept pushing forward.

She’s been running a girls’ organization on the South Side of Chicago for nearly 20 years and has a rare ability to bring people together. My belief in consistency, self-trust, and betting on yourself comes directly from her example.

Website: www.cottagegroveproductions.com

Instagram: cottagegroveproductions

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cottage-grove-productions/?viewAsMember=true

Facebook: cottagegroveprodcutions

Youtube: cottagegroveproductions

Image Credits
Images from Closed Mouths, an upcoming psychological drama short film from Cottage Grove Productions, starring Patrick Agada and Shariba Rivers. DP: Gary Truex Walker II. Photography by M. Lamourt.