Maria Giese facts for kids

Maria Giese is an American film director and writer. She is also an activist who works to make sure women directors have equal opportunities in Hollywood. She writes and talks about why there aren't enough women filmmakers in the United States. Maria Giese is a member of the Directors Guild of America.

Early Life and Education

Maria Giese went to college and earned several degrees. She studied film directing at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). While at UCLA, she made a student film called A Dry Heat. This film won a special award called the CINE Golden Eagle Award.

Filmmaking Career

Maria Giese has written and directed several films. In 1996, she directed a British film called When Saturday Comes. This movie starred famous actors like Sean Bean.

She also wrote and directed a film called Hunger in 2001. This film was special because it was the first digital movie based on a classic book. Hunger won several awards for Best Film.

Maria Giese has also directed other short films:

• A Lotta Lambada
• A Dry Heat (which won awards and was a finalist for the Student Academy Awards)
• Take Your Seat (also won a Cine Golden Eagle)

She also directed an episode of a TV show called Solo En America. Maria Giese has taught film and TV production at UCLA Extension. She often gives talks and writes articles about filmmaking. She has been an active member of the Directors Guild of America since 1999.

Working for Change in Hollywood

Maria Giese is a strong activist for women directors. She works to help women get more directing jobs in the film industry. She is part of the Women's Steering Committee at the Directors Guild of America. She helped create a way for ideas from women directors to reach the main board of the DGA.

She is also a member of the Alliance of Women Directors. Maria Giese helped start a website called Women Directors in Hollywood. She writes articles for this website and other magazines like Ms. and Elle. Many news outlets, like The New York Times and Forbes, have written about her work.

In 2011, Maria Giese started looking into why there were so few women directors in the United States. She researched legal ways to fight against unfair treatment. She used a law called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2013, she shared her findings with the ACLU of Southern California. This led to a big investigation into how women directors are treated in Hollywood.

Maria Giese's work for women directors has been featured in documentary films:

• This Changes Everything (2019): This film stars Maria Giese, along with Geena Davis and Meryl Streep.
• Half The Picture (2018): This film features Maria Giese and other directors like Ava DuVernay.

Awards and Recognition

Maria Giese has received many awards for her work:

• 2016 Equity Award from Stanford University
• Two Golden Cine Eagles
• A Kovler Writing Award
• A Spotlight Award
• First Prize at the American International Film Festival
• An MPAA Award of Excellence

She also received an award for Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry for making the film Brainwashed.

Personal Life

Maria Giese lives in Venice, California, and Stonington, Connecticut. She lives with her husband and their two children.

Selected Films

• A Lotta Lambada (1990)
• A Dry Heat (1991)
• Jewish Water (1992)
• North Star (1996)
• When Saturday Comes (1996)
• Hunger (2001)
• Half The Picture (2018)
• This Changes Everything (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Maria Giese para niños