Maris Curran

Last updated
Maris Curran
Born
U.S.
Occupation(s)Director, writer, producer
Years active2015–present

Maris Curran is an American filmmaker. [1] [2] She is best known for directing the films Five Nights in Maine and Jeannette. [3] [4]

Contents

Career

Maris earned her BA from Smith College and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. [5] [6] She participated in the Whitney Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art and won a Fulbright Scholarship to Mexico City. [7] In 2015, she directed her debut feature film, Five Nights in Maine , starring David Oyelowo, Teyonah Parris, Rosie Perez and Dianne Wiest, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically. [8] In 2016, she directed the documentary short, The Man Is the Music, about the artist and musician Lonnie Holley. [9] In 2018, her short documentary film, While I Yet Live, about five quilters and freedom fighters from Gee's Bend, Alabama premiered at the Berlinale. [10]

In 2022, Maris directed the feature documentary, Jeannette, about Jeannette Feliciano, a survivor of the Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre. The film provides an intimate window into the aftermath of trauma. [11] She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023. [12]

Filmography

YearTitleContributionNote
2015 Five Nights in Maine Director, writer and producerFeature film
2016The Man Is the MusicDirector and producerShort Documentary
2018While I yet LiveDirector and producerShort Documentary
2022JeannetteDirector and producerDocumentary

Awards and nominations

YearResultAwardCategoryWorkRef.
2016Nominated Cleveland International Film Festival Best American Independent Feature Film Five Nights in Maine [13]
Nominated Nashville Film Festival Bridgestone Narrative Feature Competition [14]
Nominated Palm Springs International Film Festival New Visions Grand Jury Prize [15]
Nominated Vail Film Festival Narrative Feature [16]
Won Ashland Independent Film Festival Best Ensemble Acting
2017Won Indie Memphis Audience AwardThe Man Is The Music [17]
2018Nominated LA Film Festival Best Documentary ShortWhile I yet Live [18]
Nominated Berlin International Film Festival Best Short Film [19]
Won Nashville Film Festival Special Jury Prize [20]
Won RiverRun International Film Festival Best Documentary Short [21]
Won Frameline Film Festival Frameline Completion FundJeannette [22]
2022Won San Francisco International Film Festival Best Documentary Feature [23]
Won Outfest Best Documentary Feature [24]

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References

  1. ↑ "Biggest Challenge, Best Lesson: Five Nights in Maine Writer/Director Maris Curran". filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  2. ↑ "Maris Curran Talks "Jeannette," Her Portrait of a Pulse Night Club Survivor". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. ↑ "Review: 'Five Nights in Maine' Probes the Pain of Loss". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  4. ↑ "Finding A Way To Heal: Frameline Documentary 'Jeannette' Puts Focus On Survivor Of Pulse Nightclub Massacre". deadline.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  5. ↑ "Smith Club of Cleveland" (PDF). alumnae.smith.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  6. ↑ "Maris Curran". filmindependent.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  7. ↑ "INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAM" (PDF). whitneymedia.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  8. ↑ "Toronto Film Review: 'Five Nights in Maine'". variety.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  9. ↑ "THE MAN IS THE MUSIC". docnyc.net. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  10. ↑ "While I Yet Live". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  11. ↑ "Outfest's 'Jeannette' Celebrates Resilience of Queer Single Mother After Pulse Tragedy". thewrap.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  12. ↑ "Fulbright Alumni Named as 2023 Guggenheim Fellows". fulbrightprogram.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  13. ↑ "FIVE NIGHTS IN MAINE". dev.clevelandfilm.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  14. ↑ "2016 Nashville Film Festival" (PDF). nashvillefilmfestival.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  15. ↑ "2016 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". psfilmfest.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  16. ↑ "Vail Film Festival". vailfilmfestival2016.sched.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  17. ↑ "Indie Memphis: 2017 Film Festival Award Winners". commercialappeal.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  18. ↑ "Get to Know the 2018 LA Film Festival Shorts and Web Series!". filmindependent.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  19. ↑ "While I yet Live". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  20. ↑ "The 2018 Nashville Film Festival Announces 2018 Feature Award Winners". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  21. ↑ "RiverRun International Film Festival". riverrunfilm.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  22. ↑ "The 2018 Frameline Completion Fund Award Winners". frameline.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  23. ↑ "SFFILM announces Audience Awards for 2022 San Francisco International Film Festival". sffilm.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  24. ↑ "Outfest L.A. 2022: Winners Revealed For Event's 40th Anniversary Edition". deadline.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
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