Kate McCarthy is a writer/director based in Los Angeles, from San Francisco. She graduated from the AFI Conservatory in 2024 with an MFA in Directing. Kate’s AFI thesis film THE HICKS HAPPY HOUR won Best Comedy Series at the 44th College Television Awards—the Student Emmys—and will world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. The film has also been nominated for a student BAFTA, and will screen as part of the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes. Prior to AFI, Kate’s 2022 debut short LOOK, MIRA was described by Vulture as “a stylishly bittersweet coming-of-age comedy in the Todd Solondz–Wes Anderson mold that’s bursting with color and idiosyncrasy.” The film is now streaming on Directors Notes and NoBudge, where it's ranked as one of their “Top 12 Most Viewed of All Time.”  

Before film, Kate earned a a BA in Theater Arts from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. During that time, she also interned at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, CONAN, FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE, and The Second City.