Eric Toms, a talented individual from San Jose, California, embarked on his career in the entertainment industry when his sketch comedy troupe successfully pitched and sold their late-night sketch show to a local television channel. This opportunity prompted Eric to drop out of college and dedicate himself to the project, taking on the roles of head writer, performer, and video producer.
Eric's passion for comedy soon led him to transition into stand-up comedy, and by the age of 25, he had already had the privilege of working with some of his comedy idols, including Kevin Pollak, Norm Macdonald, Lewis Black, Tracy Morgan, and Bobby Slayton.
In 2008, Eric was discovered and hired to host the comedy clip show Reality Binge on Fox. This experience later led to guest appearances on Good Day LA and Last Comic Standing. Shortly after, showrunner and fellow comedian Steve Marmel invited Eric to guest star as Gilroy Smith in Disney's Sonny With a Chance season 1 finale "Sonny: So Far," alongside Demi Lovato.
Eric's writing has garnered recognition from The Academy of Arts and Sciences and The Austin Screenwriting Festival, and he has also starred in independent feature films, including disOrientation, which earned him a nomination for the Jury Award at the New Haven Film Festival. Furthermore, Eric has written commercial campaigns for renowned brands such as 7-11, Netflix, and Cholula Hot Sauce.
In 2017, Eric initiated the Night of Shorts Night, a free short film showcase in Los Angeles. Since then, he has screened hundreds of short films and created a community of filmmakers. This platform is free for filmmakers to showcase their work and free for audience members to attend and enjoy the films. In 2023, Eric released his debut feature film, Bakersfield Noir, a production made on a budget of $1,000, utilizing the talents of his friends and creatives he had met through the Night of Shorts Night.
In 2021, Eric began producing the podcast Making Movies is HARD!!!, hosted by Alrik Bursell and Liz Manashil. The podcast features weekly interviews with indie filmmakers and has partnered with multiple film festivals, including the Austin Film Festival.
