Maria Millan is a Venezuelan/British filmmaker based in London where her creative journey has flourished across various realms of the film and photography industry. An alumna of the Hessen Lab, she showcased her screenplay 'The Hollow Women' at the B3 Biennale in Frankfurt, Germany, in October 2022, which is now a semi-finalist of the Stowe Lab Screenwriting Fellowship.
Maria is now developing 'The Hollow Women' along with Producer Matthias Ehrenberg and Khotan Fernandez from Chibal Entertainment. The project was selected for the Main Strand of the Production Finance Market organised by Film London last October where they established a co-production with Aldea Studios in the Dominican Republic bringing 45% of the funding needed.
Acknowledged for her talent, Maria was chosen for 'Talent Led: Next Gen' by the Independent Film Trust in London for the 2022/2023 term. Her academic foundation includes a BA Honours in Communications and Media, specialising in Audio-Visual Arts from the Catholic University Andres Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. Furthering her skills, she studied Video Editing techniques at the renowned International Film School in San Antonio de Los Baños, Cuba (EICTV).
Maria's journey in film and TV commenced in the art department, crafting sets for TV ads in Caracas. Relocating to London in 2011, she transitioned into photography, capturing stills for esteemed publications such as Vogue Italia, Cosmopolitan, Fruk Magazine, and more. Demonstrating her diverse capabilities, she led the Production Design for Christopher Granier- Deferre's film "Chop Chop" (2016) and produced the TV series ‘Las Aventuras de Sifo Diaz’ for Venezuelan TV
Her directorial prowess shone in the film ‘The Refuge’ featuring actresses Lujza Richter Hugo and Demi Hannah Scott. The film earned a place in the official selection of The Women’s Film Festival in Seattle and L’Etrange Film Festival in Paris, with Maria receiving an exclusive screening and Q&A at David Lynch's Private Members Club: Silencio. 'The Refuge’ is now accessible on Amazon and various SVOD platforms globally.
In October 2022, Maria premiered her 23-minute documentary ‘Trans_CCS' at the 33rd Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The documentary found recognition in various international film festivals, including GRRL HAUS cinema, BANGIFF in Thailand, The Lonely Seal Film Festival in Boston, the Seattle Latino International Film Festival, and the Tokyo International Short Film Festival in Japan in 2023.
Adding another milestone to her career, Maria recently completed her first feature film documentary, 'Family Pride, Queer Aside' had a private educational screening at Lakeside School in Seattle in October 2023 and it premiered on Pride Day 2024 within the 9th annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival this year. ’Family Pride, Queer Aside’ also screened at the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival during June alongside ‘Trans_CCS’ which screened in their short section.
In Europe, the documentary will premiere at the Queer Film Festival Utrecht in The Netherlands at the end of August 2024. Both films premiered in Caracas on October 2023 thanks to the Embassy of the Netherlands in Venezuela.
Maria Millan serves as an inspiring example of resilience and perseverance, using her work to draw attention to the role of women and the LGBTQ+ community within society.
Maria is now developing 'The Hollow Women' along with Producer Matthias Ehrenberg and Khotan Fernandez from Chibal Entertainment. The project was selected for the Main Strand of the Production Finance Market organised by Film London last October where they established a co-production with Aldea Studios in the Dominican Republic bringing 45% of the funding needed.
Acknowledged for her talent, Maria was chosen for 'Talent Led: Next Gen' by the Independent Film Trust in London for the 2022/2023 term. Her academic foundation includes a BA Honours in Communications and Media, specialising in Audio-Visual Arts from the Catholic University Andres Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. Furthering her skills, she studied Video Editing techniques at the renowned International Film School in San Antonio de Los Baños, Cuba (EICTV).
Maria's journey in film and TV commenced in the art department, crafting sets for TV ads in Caracas. Relocating to London in 2011, she transitioned into photography, capturing stills for esteemed publications such as Vogue Italia, Cosmopolitan, Fruk Magazine, and more. Demonstrating her diverse capabilities, she led the Production Design for Christopher Granier- Deferre's film "Chop Chop" (2016) and produced the TV series ‘Las Aventuras de Sifo Diaz’ for Venezuelan TV
Her directorial prowess shone in the film ‘The Refuge’ featuring actresses Lujza Richter Hugo and Demi Hannah Scott. The film earned a place in the official selection of The Women’s Film Festival in Seattle and L’Etrange Film Festival in Paris, with Maria receiving an exclusive screening and Q&A at David Lynch's Private Members Club: Silencio. 'The Refuge’ is now accessible on Amazon and various SVOD platforms globally.
In October 2022, Maria premiered her 23-minute documentary ‘Trans_CCS' at the 33rd Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The documentary found recognition in various international film festivals, including GRRL HAUS cinema, BANGIFF in Thailand, The Lonely Seal Film Festival in Boston, the Seattle Latino International Film Festival, and the Tokyo International Short Film Festival in Japan in 2023.
Adding another milestone to her career, Maria recently completed her first feature film documentary, 'Family Pride, Queer Aside' had a private educational screening at Lakeside School in Seattle in October 2023 and it premiered on Pride Day 2024 within the 9th annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival this year. ’Family Pride, Queer Aside’ also screened at the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival during June alongside ‘Trans_CCS’ which screened in their short section.
In Europe, the documentary will premiere at the Queer Film Festival Utrecht in The Netherlands at the end of August 2024. Both films premiered in Caracas on October 2023 thanks to the Embassy of the Netherlands in Venezuela.
Maria Millan serves as an inspiring example of resilience and perseverance, using her work to draw attention to the role of women and the LGBTQ+ community within society.
