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Hey, I'm Maria!
San Francisco, California
I'm a Bolivian filmmaker based out of San Francisco, California. I ventured into movie-making in 2010, telling stories with talented filmmakers and dear friends under the production name "Sad Clown Films". I have since written, produced and directed feature film Women and Cigarettes, a collection of romantic short films titled Business Affairs, web series The Push Hard Inn, and a handful of other stories. I am currently working on my next feature film Bring me an Avocado. I am an active member of Scary Cow, a Bay Area film co-op that allows filmmakers to share their skills to complete passion projects through work-trade, and I am the chapter leader of the SF Cinefemme Director's Collective. My favorite foods are hot dogs and mashed potatoes and I'm of average height.
My Projects
Bring Me an Avocado
San Francisco, California• Film Feature
Drama
When a violent encounter leaves Robin in a coma, her family ventures to maintain normalcy for her children while managing their own grief.
This project got the green light!
LUZ de la Luna
San Jose, California• Film Short
Drama, Romance
Luz de la Luna is the date night for three different generations of Latino couples living in the shadows of the tech towers in San Jose.
This project got the green light!
Projects I'm Supporting
LUZ de la Luna
San Jose, California• Film Short
Drama, Romance
Luz de la Luna is the date night for three different generations of Latino couples living in the shadows of the tech towers in San Jose.
This project got the green light!
Deconstruction
San Francisco, California• Art & Photography
Documentary, Transmedia
After a 25 year cancer odyssey, Joyce Mallonee decides to channel her experiences into an art show with the help of her son Alex.
This project got the green light!
Women Who Ride
Oakland, California• Film Short
Documentary
WOMEN WHO RIDE is a short character-driven verité documentary about Oakland’s first Black all-women motorcycle club, D’Vious Wayz.
This project got the green light!
LOLA
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
When a young woman is blamed for her ailing health due to her size, a life-threatening medical emergency pushes her to advocate for her life
This project got the green light!
Stay With Me
Conway, Arkansas• Film Feature
Drama, LGBTQ
When a young woman begins to struggle with an undiagnosed mental illness, her best friend and boyfriend struggle to help her survive.
This project got the green light!
18 1/2 - A Feature Film
Los Angeles, California• Film Feature
Comedy, Thriller
A Nixon staffer tries to leak the 18 1/2-minute tape in this kick-ass 70s-era Watergate conspiracy thriller/dark comedy.
This project got the green light!
The Alternate
Oakland, California• Film Feature
Sci-Fi, Thriller
Upon unlocking a portal to an alternate dimension where his dreams have come true, struggling filmmaker Jake must confront his ideal self.
This project got the green light!
Jus Soli
Oakland, California• Film Short
Sci-Fi, Thriller
Lisa is called into a seemingly routine government interview but things spiral out of control when an old family secret comes to light.
This project got the green light!
My Own Mecca
Oakland, California• Film Short
Drama
Dre, an Oakland native, drops his friend off at a hotel. From there, he forced to contort his personality through different interactions.
This project got the green light!
Más Latina
Los Angeles, California• Series
Comedy, Satire
A Latina YouTuber has a shot at success, but only if she embraces her pushy Hispanic family and becomes Más Latina!
This project got the green light!
Drought
Wilmington, North Carolina• Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
The summer after high school, Sam searches for a better life for herself and younger brother with Autism.
This project got the green light!
Allegiance
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
After an attempted terrorist attack, a journalist must choose between his family and standing up for what he believes in.
This project got the green light!
Ashley's Story
Watsonville, California• Film Short
Documentary, Teen
Set in the strawberry farming community of Watsonville, CA, Ashley Solis–Mexican-American teenager, strawberry picker, and
This project got the green light!
Bridges: Solstice
Oakland, California• Film Feature
Drama, LGBTQ
A triptych of stories invite us into the interweaving worlds of Yara, Ilhan, Quina and Luciana, who embody water, air, earth, and fire.
This project got the green light!
Miles Underwater
San Antonio, Texas• Film Feature
Drama, Family
13-year-old Miles is struggling to find where he belongs when an unusual event forces him to face his biggest fear and take a leap of faith.
This project got the green light!
The NEW FREEDOM
Denver, Colorado• Film Feature
Horror, Thriller
It's not just about survival. It's about a community.
This project got the green light!
Romance Analyst
New York City, New York• Film Feature
Comedy
A platonic love triangle between a woman, her best friend, and her therapist.
This project got the green light!
Looking for Leia
San Francisco, California• Series
Documentary, Sci-Fi
A joyous gender justice project about the women of Star Wars fandom
This project got the green light!
Snaggletooth
San Francisco, California• Film Short
Comedy, Horror
An unusual girl needs to get her teeth fixed at midnight.
This project got the green light!
Wise Gals
Boston, Massachusetts• Film Short
Crime, Drama
In an alternate 1980s underground, organized crime is ruled by women. Up-and-coming mobster Sophia is ready to take the throne.
This project got the green light!
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The F Word: A Foster-to-Adopt Story
Oakland, California• Series
Comedy, Documentary
The F Word: A Foster-to-Adopt Story
This project got the green light!
Poster Boy
San Francisco, California• Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
In this silent comedy film, Stuart sees himself on a poster and has no idea how he got there.
This project got the green light!
Second Assault
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Documentary
Twelve years after being sexually assaulted on her college campus, Jillian embarks on a journey to confront the past.
This project got the green light!
Escaping Freedom
Portland, Oregon• Film Feature
Drama, LGBTQ
A doubting pastor must question everything he believes when his free-spirited sister challenges his view of what being free truly means.
This project got the green light!
Can't See Sh*t
Detroit, Michigan• Film Feature
Documentary
An Artist loses sight and gains vision
This project got the green light!
42 Seconds
Atlanta, Georgia• Film Short
Drama
After two strangers share a connection; one of them questions the encounter after discovering the tragedy that brought them together.
This project got the green light!
Marisol
New York City, New York• Film Short
Drama, Foreign Film
When a young mother takes a risk to provide for her daughter, a stranger turns her transgression into a nightmare.
This project got the green light!
Cranes, Mafiosos and a Polaroid Camera
Kearney, Buffalo County• Film Short
Drama, Experimental
A paranoid late night phone call becomes a reflection on nature and death, in the calm expanse of a crane sanctuary.
This project got the green light!
The Gift
San Francisco, California• Film Short
Fantasy, Drama
In a parallel universe, an isolated girl who is bullied for her uncommonly large ears finds solace in an unusual friendship with a crow.
This project got the green light!
Found in Eagle Rock
Los Angeles, California• Film Feature
Drama, Experimental
In NorthEast Los Angeles, a group of young local residents deal with finding themselves and being part of the neighborhood gentrification.
This project got the green light!
Only Strangers Sleep in my Bed
Middletown, Connecticut• Film Short
Thriller
A young man cons a lonely woman into believing that he might be her long lost son only to find himself out of his depth.
This project got the green light!
Believe Her
New York City, New York• Film Short
Drama
Why can't we just Believe Her?
This project got the green light!
The Alluring Frontier
Phoenix, Arizona• Film Short
Sci-Fi, Western
A small town in the old west gets consumed by a dark force that uses the power of temptation to try and turn everyone into demonic minions.
This project got the green light!
The Mile Ground
Morgantown, West Virginia• Film Feature
Drama, Mystery
The contents of a strange safety deposit box send an opioid addict down a risky road that will lead to her redemption or final destruction
This project got the green light!
The Cold Days of Summer
Utica, New York• Film Feature
Crime, Drama
A boxer battles injury, criminals, and an authoritarian school board to save his scholarship and learn the true cost of the American dream
This project got the green light!
Gleahan and the Knaves of Industry
Duluth, Minnesota• Film Feature
Adventure, Comedy
An opportunistic asshole joins the quest of a delusional man who thinks he’s in a fantasy world.
This project got the green light!
LION KILLER
Houston, Texas• Film Feature
Drama
Fighting Solves Everything
This project got the green light!
Parallel Chords
St. Louis, Missouri• Film Feature
Drama, Music
A young violinist struggles to break free from her pianist father to find her own voice.
This project got the green light!
Project Gaslight
Rochester, Minnesota• Film Feature
Horror, Thriller
New tenants harbor a secret that jeopardizes a young family as the pregnant wife descends into paranoia and delusion.
This project got the green light!
The MisEducation of Bindu
Indianapolis, Indiana• Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
Thrust into American public school by her mother’s new marriage, a wide-eyed Indian teen teams up with a band geek to survive.
This project got the green light!
Lost Bayou
Lafayette, Louisiana• Film Feature
Drama, Family
A struggling addict ventures out into the Louisiana swamp to discover that her estranged faith healer father is hiding a troubling secret.
This project got the green light!
Stormie
Santa Maria, California• Film Feature
Biography, Drama
An adopted Hispanic teenager looks for his birth family in an attempt to find his place of belonging.
This project got the green light!
Bring Me an Avocado
San Francisco, California• Film Feature
Drama
When a violent encounter leaves Robin in a coma, her family ventures to maintain normalcy for her children while managing their own grief.
This project got the green light!
A Room Full of Nothing
Austin, Texas• Film Feature
Adventure, Romance
In this Swiss Army Man meets Eternal Sunshine adventure an artistic couple's life takes a bizarre turn when they wake up alone in the world.
This project got the green light!
The Atavist
Pittsfield, Berkshire County• Film Feature
Adventure, Sci-Fi
A young woman travels to the past, but when the things she leaves alter history, she must get them back to save the future.
This project got the green light!
Big Dog City
San Francisco, California• Film Feature
Drama, Other
Set within Bay Area art/slacker culture, we follow two characters as they weave across a place and identity which doesn't fit them anymore.
This project got the green light!
"SURE-FIRE" - Development Funding Phase II
New York City, New York• Film Feature
Comedy, Crime
SURE-FIRE is a comedy about a NYC con man having a mid-life crisis who stumbles into becoming a movie producer to pay off gangsters.
This project got the green light!
Bedsheet Man
Bradenton, Florida• Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
A middle aged man looses his son to suicide only to find a strange way to cope with his grief. He becomes the superhero that his son always
This project got the green light!
Just Like The Men
Bellingham, Washington• Film Feature
Comedy, History
Two girls find a lost screenplay and decide to give history the middle finger.
This project got the green light!
Minneapolis (the movie)
Minneapolis, Minnesota• Film Feature
Comedy, Family
A cocky news anchor team gets stuck "mentoring" an at-risk teen. Shenanigans and dastardly weather conditions ensue…
This project got the green light!
Fantastic Santa Monaco
Los Angeles, California• Film Feature
Drama, Satire
A film about a group of performance artists who are looking for love, connection and significance in Los Angeles.
This project got the green light!
Coast
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama, Romance
A couple journeys up the California coastline, exploring their history and undeniable connection.
This project got the green light!
Bitter Taste
New York City, New York• Film Short
Drama
A dark drama about a successful Scottish Chef who relives memories of his childhood through cooking.
This project got the green light!
And Breathe
Austin, Texas• Film Short
Drama, Nature
Maya is devastated, lost, and doesn't know who she is... Can she let go of the past and her ego to find healing and inner peace?
This project got the green light!
Clementine
Portland, Oregon• Film Feature
Drama, LGBTQ
A heartbroken woman stows away to her estranged lover's lake house where she becomes entangled with a teenage girl.
This project got the green light!
Petals & Stems
Austin, Texas• Film Short
Romantic Comedy, Shorts Program
The idea that nothing lasts forever rings especially true for a modern florist.
This project got the green light!
Human Telegraphs
New York City, New York• Series
Comedy
Three women form a ‘human messaging’ business in NYC and get tangled in the intimate, unexpected, and hilarious lives of strangers.
This project got the green light!
Road To Bob
Portland, Oregon• Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
Two life-long friends go on a road trip to see Bob Dylan in concert, and end up picking up a mysterious hitchhiker along the way.
This project got the green light!
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Paper Birds, Film Production Fund
Oakland, California• Film Short
Action, Drama
A desperate TV starlet with a rocky career makes an attempt at getting back in the spotlight by joining the circus
This project got the green light!
All American Kids
New York City, New York• Series
Documentary, Family
Celebrating the many ways WE ARE ALL AMERICAN, this documentary/animated kids series transports young audiences across the country.
This project got the green light!
Nonprofit Web Series
Portland, Oregon• Series
Comedy, Drama
A girl on a mission in America's whitest city.
This project got the green light!
Lily 'N' Rose
Denver, Colorado• Film Short
Drama
Lily and Rose are best friends. When Rose abandons her, Lily flees into the wilderness, confronting something even more profound.
This project got the green light!
Jump The Fence
Portland, Oregon• Series
Documentary
Around the world in 7 films - Three best friends travel the world to star in 7 films, in 7 countries, in 7 months.
This project got the green light!
Forbidden Steps
Los Angeles, California• Film Feature
Global Celebration, Family
A Muslim police officer stuck between his dancer daughter & orthodox father must grapple with ties to tradition & his own American dream.
This project got the green light!
Distance
Los Angeles, California• Series
Romantic Comedy
a long distance love story told from two perspectives - HIS (directed by a fella) and HERS (directed by a lady)
This project got the green light!
At The End Of The Day
Lakeland, Florida• Film Feature
Comedy, LGBTQ
A conservative Christian professor finds himself in a gay support group to stop their launch of an LGBT homeless teen shelter.
This project got the green light!
About a Donkey
New York City, New York• Film Feature
Comedy, LGBTQ
A quirky ensemble comedy about growing up, about growing old, and about a donkey.
This project got the green light!
Hard-ish Bodies
Austin, Texas• Film Short
Comedy, Shorts Program
An ensemble comedy featuring the men and women of Stoney’s Rock Hard Palace - a male strip club with dancers of all shapes and sizes.
This project got the green light!
Thirsty Girl
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
A young woman is consumed with her obsession over LA's drought as a means to avoid the fact her mother is dying of cancer.
This project got the green light!
Real Artists
San Francisco, California• Film Short
Sci-Fi, Thriller
In the near future, a young animator is offered what should be her dream job; but then discovers the truth of the modern "creative" process.
This project got the green light!
Cleaner Daze
Santa Cruz, California• Series
Drama, Transmedia
Jasmine, the new counselor at a Juvenile Drug Treatment Center, struggles to mentor a colorful crew of teenage drug addicts.
This project got the green light!
Eudaemonia
New York City, New York• Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A serendipitous mistake leads to a fleeting encounter between a traveller and a reclusive New Yorker. A film about the power of connection.
This project got the green light!
Rich Kids
Houston, Texas• Film Feature
Drama, Teen
A group of Latino teens in a poor community break into Los Ricos, a local mansion, to forget their difficult lives and live a different one.
This project got the green light!
ACID TEST (short film)
Houston, Texas• Film Short
Drama, Family
A short film about dropping acid and going home to your parents! Trip alongside Jenny as her concert night turns into family absurdity.
This project got the green light!
Leche
Brooklyn, New York• Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
Nina, an 8 year-old outcast albino girl, finds herself the target of a jealous classmate's witch hunt.
This project got the green light!
Kinesthesia
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
Frustrated at her inability to accurately remember a particular time of happiness in her life, Minny sets out to find it again.
This project got the green light!
TurtleDove Films
Austin, Texas• Company
Film-related Business
If you're here for a follow back, we'd rather you follow "A Room Full of Nothing" - that is the only campaign we actively update.
This project got the green light!
