Maria Millan is a Venezuelan-British filmmaker based in London. She is now shadowing Series Producer Mat Chaplin and Director Sean James Grant in an Apple TV series. The scheme is run by 60-Forty Productions and Film London.
Millan is also an alumna of the Hessen Lab where 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 in the US.
She was also part of '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 Directing 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).
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 on Amazon.
In October 2023, 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, Seattle Latino, Tokyo Shorts International and it will be part of ’Cine Social, La Imagen del Sur' in Spain this November 2024.
Adding another milestone to her career, Maria recently completed her first feature- length documentary 'Family Pride, Queer Aside’ with a premiere on Pride Day 2024 within the 9th annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival in the US.
’Family Pride, Queer Aside’ also screened at the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival the past July alongside ‘Trans_CCS’ which screened in their short section. In Europe, the documentary premiered at the Queer Film Festival Utrecht in The Netherlands in August 2024. In Spain, is set to premiere this 12th of November 2024 within 'Cine Social, La Imagen del Sur’ at the Film Institute of Andalucia
Millan is currently looking for a producer for ‘The Hollow Women’. 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 Millan is a member of Film Fatales http://www.filmfatales.org/directors/mariamillan and Prime Network https://primetime.network/@mariamillan/
Millan is also an alumna of the Hessen Lab where 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 in the US.
She was also part of '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 Directing 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).
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 on Amazon.
In October 2023, 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, Seattle Latino, Tokyo Shorts International and it will be part of ’Cine Social, La Imagen del Sur' in Spain this November 2024.
Adding another milestone to her career, Maria recently completed her first feature- length documentary 'Family Pride, Queer Aside’ with a premiere on Pride Day 2024 within the 9th annual Feminist Border Arts Film Festival in the US.
’Family Pride, Queer Aside’ also screened at the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival the past July alongside ‘Trans_CCS’ which screened in their short section. In Europe, the documentary premiered at the Queer Film Festival Utrecht in The Netherlands in August 2024. In Spain, is set to premiere this 12th of November 2024 within 'Cine Social, La Imagen del Sur’ at the Film Institute of Andalucia
Millan is currently looking for a producer for ‘The Hollow Women’. 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 Millan is a member of Film Fatales http://www.filmfatales.org/directors/mariamillan and Prime Network https://primetime.network/@mariamillan/
