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Director

Ashley Maria

Ashley is committed to innovative, immersive storytelling that inspires people to take action.

— IMDb CREDITS — 

BIO

Multi award-winning filmmaker directing high-impact narrative, documentary, and immersive multimedia content.

Director | Writer | Filmmaker

Ashley Maria is an Emmy-nominated and Directors Guild of America (DGA) award-winning filmmaker, director, and writer based in Los Angeles. Known for her strong physical production capability and a proven track record of delivering critically acclaimed, distribution-ready content, Ashley’s diverse portfolio spans commercial, narrative, documentary, and genre filmmaking.

Ashley possesses an instinctive mastery over the tricky balance between terror and humor—a skill honed firsthand while being mentored directly by horror legend Wes Craven. Whether directing superheroes, singing neighbors, or screaming television characters, her work seamlessly juggles suspense, comedy, and deep social impact.

Selected Directing Credits

Friday Night Fright (Comedy-Horror) – Winner of a coveted DGA Award.

Pioneers in Skirts (Social-Impact Documentary) – Exploration of ambition that earned a standing ovation at SXSW EDU, an Emmy nomination, and global digital distribution on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Tubi.

Super Human Anxiety (Dramedy) – A San Diego Comic-Con fan favorite.

Nearly Departed (Drama) – Supported by the prestigious Big Sky Film Grant and in post-production with a scheduled date of early 2027 to enter its festival run.

Current Project: In development on the comedy-horror feature film, The Motel Between (Meta-Horror-Comedy).

Production Sound & Commercial Work

In addition to directing, Ashley brings extensive on-set expertise as a production sound mixer. Her commercial portfolio includes viral and promotional videos for major brands like UGG and BuzzFeed. Her sound credits also include acclaimed feature documentaries and official Sundance selections, including Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton, Night Shift, and Phoenix Rising.

Education & Community Leadership

Ashley earned her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, one of the nation’s premier film programs.

Deeply committed to championing emerging voices and supporting equity in the industry, Ashley serves on the board of the Alliance of Women Directors and teaches an intensive directing course at UCLA.

Affiliations

Television Academy: a nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunication arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunication industry.

Alliance of Women Directors (board member): a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving gender parity by substantially increasing the number of women and gender-expansive directors working in the entertainment industry.

Film Fatales: a non-profit arts organization dedicated to improving the careers of filmmakers of all marginalized genders.

Women of Cinematic Arts (board member): the official women’s alumni organization of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts — focused on creating community and striving for parity in the entertainment industry.