Maria is a writer/director based in Northern California. She wrote, directed and produced her first feature, The Wine of Summer, shot in Barcelona with an international cast including Golden Globe nominee Sonia Braga and Academy Award-winner Marcia Gay Harden. The film had its world premiere at the Douro Film Festival in Porto, Portugal where it took home the top prize in its category. The U.S. premiere was in Beverly Hills in October 2015, followed by a theatrical release and a worldwide distribution deal from New Films International. The Wine of Summer is now available on Amazon Prime. Maria is currently in development on her second feature, Lady of the Canyon, based on the life of 19th Century explorer and writer Isabella Bird. Her script for Lady of the Canyon was a Quarterfinalist for the 2017 Academy Nicholl Fellowship. Additionally it was chosen as a Selected Project for the 2017 Stowe Story Labs.