After graduating from London Film School, Maaria continued working as a writer/producer for networks such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Fox. Her short films 'Aabida,' and 'Chudala' have been screened and awarded at film festivals around the world and been acquired by Amazon Prime under Indieflix, ShortsTV International and Tata Sky India. Maaria is an Asian Film Academy Fellow (Busan, 2016- recipient of Dongseo Scholarship as director) and attended Fajr Talent Campus in Iran, 2017(recipient of award for Best Short Film Pitch) among other labs. A special program dedicated to her short films was part of Ca Foscari Short Film Festival (2019) in Venice. She won the Mutti award with a grant by Cineteca di Bologna, presented at Venice International Film Festival- 2019 to make her next film in Ballabio (Italy), where she is currently based. Maaria has also been selected as an AFIS fellow(2021) in Korea where she will develop her feature film.
Additionally, she curates film events and conducts workshops for upcoming talents in Asia.
Maaria's narratives explore South Asian Muslim women coming to terms with their crude spiritual and sexual awakening.
Unique traits: Maaria's narratives explore South Asian Muslim women coming to terms with their crude spiritual and sexual awakening. Languages: English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and Italian
Wai Guo Ren
(
Film
Director
Chudala
(
Film
Producer
Aabida
(
Film
(Short, Drama, Family and News)
Director A political yet intimate drama about a Muslim woman dealing with life on different levels after she loses her husband, a police inspector in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. The events unfurl themselves in a day and Aabida finds her present life free of the influence of her chauvinist husband while she recalls her past through a press interview with journalists. But will society ever allow her this sense of freedom? Written by Anonymous
The Things I See
(
Film
(Short, Drama and Family)
Production designer 11-year-old Matou pretends she needs glasses to be 'seen'.
Hunting Bears
(
Film
(Short, Drama, Thriller and Western)
Sound department Haley and her younger brother Jacob live alone in an isolated cabin. One evening two men, one injured, arrive unexpectedly seeking refuge.
Kyoto Rain
(
Film
(Short and Comedy)
Camera and Electrical Department Kyoto Rain is a semi sweet comedy short that takes place in a Kyoto hotel in Japan on a rainy night. Three strangers Masahito, Kurt and Shoko meet in a pod hotel in Kyoto during a storm. Their prejudices about one another will get them into ridiculous situations. In the midst of all the calamities they fail to realise that the source of their misjudgments have been in fact their own miseries... Written by Anonymous
Insights: A Cine-poem on Vision
(
Film
(Documentary, Short and Music)
Producer A cine-poem dedicated to the abstract study of vision. Following the avant-garde cinematic tradition, it breaks linearity and repositions its meaning to another level of interpretation. Through the interviews of a blind man, a 6-year old and a 80-year old woman, the film picks up moods and emotions resulting in a rare audiovisual experience, suggesting new ways of seeing, reaching the meditation state. The three people never reveal their themselves, but unravel their thoughts and private stories about love, time, end and loneliness. Written by Anonymous
And the Kid
(
Film
(Short, Drama and Family)
Cinematographer A film with sensitivity and vivid imagery depicts a young adult's unsuccessful attempt to adapt in her new reality. She engages in writing to her mother, however her words are far away from truthful.
London Film School
(2010-2013)