From Westwood to the writing room, Adamma Ebo has proven herself to be one to watch.

The alumnus of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television is one of the creative voices behind the Amazon Prime Video series “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” which was nominated for 16 Emmy awards this year including Outstanding Drama Series. The show, adapted from the 2005 film of the same name, follows two spies assigned to appear undercover as a married couple. After receiving a call from fellow TFT alumnus and showrunner Francesca Sloane, Ebo landed a spot in the writer’s room working alongside Donald Glover, who both starred in the series and served as an executive producer.

“It was to this day … probably one of the most creatively stimulating things I’ve ever been on,” Ebo said. “(Glover) didn’t want it to be anything like the movie, but he thought it could be a cool vehicle to have this introspective view of a relationship.”

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Ebo said her journey as a filmmaker began while studying production & directing at UCLA, where she developed student films entitled “Keeton Olson for HOA President: A Mild Inconvenience” and “Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul.” Ebo had written an early script of “Honk for Jesus” in a feature writing course but said she met difficulty in communicating its darkly comedic tone on the page. After meeting the editing and directing team behind the 2014 film “Whiplash” in a class session, Ebo said she was inspired to film the script as a short to better convey the satirical critique of megachurch culture.

The project was further developed and released in 2022 as a feature film starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown after being picked up by actor Daniel Kaluuya’s production company through the Sundance screenwriting lab. Rowan Riley, who met Ebo at a Sundance Institute mixer and later served as a producer on the film, said Ebo’s composed style and unique take on the mockumentary genre was what initially drew her to the project.

“Something that UCLA would be proud of is that she is such a laid back, effective and really caring leader,” Riley said. “She likes to create a diverse community, and there’s a real positive ethos there.”

Ebo’s creative journey has been connected to and shaped by her relationship with her twin sister Adanne, she said, recalling their childhood loves of storytelling, television, film and RPG-style games. Nodding to their 1990s upbringing, Adamma said their artistic inspiration came from Hayao Miyazaki films and anime like “Sailor Moon,” “Pokémon,” and “Tenchi Muyo!.” For Adanne, television series like Daria, King of the Hill and Hey Arnold! offered them more layered and introspective stories than typical children’s programming.

Working as partners through their production company Ejime Productions, the twins’ creative and personal relationships are intertwined and flow simultaneously, Adamma said. Adanne, who produced “Honk for Jesus” and also wrote on “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” began her post-grad career as a lawyer, which empowered her eventual creative partnership with her sister, she said.

“I was working as a business affairs executive and (in) TV and film financing and sales, and that’s directly integrated in what we’re doing now,” Adanne said. “It’s been helpful to have insight into the industry from that perspective.”

Leading up to Emmys season, Adanne said she had noticed “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” was included in shortlists on social media but had forgotten the day nominations were announced. While busy with meetings, the twins’ phones began blowing up, Adanne said, and they found out the show had been nominated for 16 Emmy awards. For Adanne, watching the show grow from a humble concept to a large successful entity was a source of personal pride. While she said awards shows are not always the definitive indicator of a season’s best works, Adamma has always appreciated the celebration and spectacle of the ceremonies.

“To find out that the thing you helped build up from the ground got nominated for 16 Emmys was a cool feeling,” said Adamma. “When I was growing up, I didn’t know that people recognized TV and film as art, so it was nice to see that there are people who celebrate the artistry of making television and movies.”

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In early meetings with the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” creative team, both twins quickly connected with actor and producer Donald Glover, Adamma said. After bonding over hailing from the same area of Atlanta and growing up as niche media enthusiasts, she said they formed a relationship beyond the program’s writing room, leading to directing gigs for her on FX’s “Atlanta” and Amazon Prime Video’s “Swarm.” Adamma found herself quickly initiated into Donald Glover’s creative universe, she said, feeling valued for her unique direction style.

“It was weird and cool and it just kind of happened,” Adamma said. “When you’re actually making the thing, it just feels like indie filmmaking in a way that I really, really love, in a way that I respond to.”