Biography

Ela Roth Capone is a filmmaker, writer, and researcher whose life and work bridge the personal and political. She was born and raised in East Germany as the Berlin Wall came down, an experience that instilled in her a deep understanding of systemic transformation and human resilience. Since then, she has traveled, lived and worked in over 30 countries across 4 continents.

In 2022, Ela suffered the tragic loss of her husband and creative partner, Joey Capone, in a traffic accident only days before Christmas. Together, they founded the independent film production company TheoFilms. Ela now leads the company while raising their daughter, Matilda, as a single mother.

Ela’s first career was in public health and policy. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Economics from the University of Cologne, where she studied under former German Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach. Her early research work was presented at the German Federal Press Conference (Bundespressekonferenz). Yet, her passion for storytelling ultimately led her back to the arts.

With roots in a musical family and surrounded by friends from the worlds of classical, jazz, and Berlin’s underground electronic scenes, Ela brings a rhythmic sensibility to her creative practice. She began her artistic journey playing piano, drums, and in percussion ensembles, before evolving into a curator, photographer, and filmmaker. Her work has intersected with Greenpeace, Make SMTHNG, Berliner Klimatag, Fairtrade Initiative Saarbrücken, and Catracha Coffee through her Honduras-based women’s empowerment initiative.

The short film Ice Fishing, which she produced and DPed, premiered at the Tacoma Film Festival in 2022. Ela’s documentary Two Mothers (set in Vietnam) premiered at the Ethos Film Awards in Santa Monica in 2023.

She is in post-production with the Italian Caucaso Factory on the second feature documentary, Reverse Caravan, filmed in cooperation with SinFronterasEstudios in Honduras. Ela is also preparing her first narrative feature, Impact Red, co-written with Joey Capone and starring John Savage. The script was recently awarded both the Grand Jury Award for Best Impact Script and Screenwriter of the Year, affirming its emotional depth and social urgency.

Ela is now developing Jeez, a dramatized feature screenplay based on the official police report of her husband’s fatal accident. The film aims to expose the legal and ethical failures surrounding the case, acting as both a cinematic and civic intervention.

Ela’s voice is rooted in lived experience, driven by a commitment to justice, truth, and the healing power of storytelling.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ela Roth Capone