Maria Michael is a screenwriter and director originally from Cyprus. She holds an MA in Film and TV Directing from Met Film School London, where she trained at Ealing Studios, a BA in Acting from the Athens Conservatoire Drama School, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Cyprus. 

 

With a strong interest in evoking emotions within dystopian worlds, Maria specializes in creating stylized and surreal imagery. Over the past six years, she has worked as a director, writer, producer, and actor in films, TV series, commercials, music videos, and theatrical performances across London, New York City, Athens, and Cyprus. 

 

In 2020, Maria wrote and directed the short film THE PULSE WITHIN US, which was filmed in New York City during the global pandemic. The film has received international recognition at various film festivals, including the Topaz Film Festival in Texas, the Female Filmmakers Fuse Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Toronto International Women Film Festival, the Montreal Independent Film Festival, and the Sunset Film Festival in Los Angeles. In 2021, she was awarded Best New Film Director at the Athens Marathon Film Festival. Since 2022, the film has been distributed on Amazon Prime in the USA and the UK. 

 

In 2023, Maria wrote, directed, and produced the short film CATWALK, a sci-fi comedy that examines the exploitation of artists in the fashion industry. The film has received international recognition at prestigious film festivals such as the North East International Film Festival, the Mansfield Town Film Festival, the Fashion Film Festival Chicago, TiSFF - Thess International Shorts, the Women X Film Festival, the Kalakari Film Festival, the Hastings Rocks International Film Festival, the Disappear Here Film Festival, and the Brighton Rocks International Film Festival.