Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Maria studied art history and film at Freie University in Berlin where she directed numerous short films. After she graduated from dffb German Film and Television Academy with a degree in screenwriting, her graduation script JARGO was bought by X Filme Creative Pool. She directed the prize winning feature film of JARGO (starring Udo Kier, Constantin von Jascheroff and Josephine Preuss), which premiered in the Generation section of the Berlinale in 2004. As a screenwriter Maria has worked on scripts for numerous films and tv shows for companies like Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures, Studio Hamburg and Boje Buck Production. Since 2006 Maria has also been a Film & TV Fiction Consultant for the Icelandic Film Centre responsible for projects like Baltasar Kormakur’s THE OATH, Grimur Hakonarsson’s RAMS (winner of Un Certain Regard in Cannes) and the international hit TV series TRAPPED. ADAM, her second feature film, has been developed and produced with her son Magnus Mariuson and together they are in preproduction for her third feature film, MAN IN THE STORE ROOM (where, once again, Magnus will act in the main role).