Ep 190: Worlds & Tales: Maggie Mahrt's Filmmaking Journey

Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby

Maggie is an award-winning writer/director with a passion for entertaining, witty and deeply human storytelling. Using color and movement to build evocative worlds within the strict geometry of the frame, Maggie has a particular love for stories that dramatize emotional transformation through a crisis in the body.
Her ultimate goal as a director is to create visual narratives that inspire, delight, and provoke thought—transporting audiences to places and perspectives beyond their own lived experience. Maggie loves to balance drama with humor and enjoys working in the genres of historical fiction, fantasy, romantic comedy, children's content, documentary and anything that includes diversity (and animals)!
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Maggie's short film UNBOUND, a fable about a penniless Japanese girl whose fingers sprout priceless silk threads, won multiple awards, including Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy film and an audience award at the HollyShorts Festival. An official selection at numerous Academy Award-qualifying festivals, UNBOUND is a sensitive and visually haunting adaptation of "Reeling in the Empire," a short story by the Pulitzer-Prize-nominated writer Karen Russell.
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​Maggie also just directed her first feature film, O, Brawling Love, a high school Rom-Com with elements of magical realism. Currently in post-production, O, Brawling Love is set to be released into the world in 2023.
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When their high school stages a quirky production of Romeo and Juliet, two lifelong rivals compete for a cash prize that both need but only one can win.
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Maggie's next feature, SAY IT IN GERMAN, takes place during World War II. The film tells the true story of a family's struggle to cope, emotionally and economically, after their father is quarantined with tuberculosis. Starring Sarah Drew (GREY'S ANATOMY, AMBER BROWN) the film will shoot this summer in Illinois.
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In addition to her work in narrative film, Maggie has written, directed, and produced numerous award-winning commercials, web series, mini-documentaries and branded content. Ranging from luxury brands to mission-driven nonprofits, her clients have included Disney Digital, Paramount Studios, Bank of America, Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota, Tongal, and the National Sikh Campaign. She especially enjoys creating compelling content that features real people. Maggie believes that everyone has a story to tell and she finds it an honor and a joy to interview subjects and mine their narrative with delicacy and respect.
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A graduate of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women, the Fox Filmmakers Lab, A&E's Broad Focus, and Ryan Murphy's HALF Initiative for television directors, Maggie also served as executive assistant to showrunner David Greenwalt on NBC's GRIMM.
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When she is not behind the camera, Maggie is busy writing. She is currently developing two TV pilots, both female driven and historical. One centers around the true story of a forgotten feminist icon of the American West. Her screenplay Zero to Sixty, a coming-of-age story about high school wrestling, skater culture, and surviving abuse, recently placed in the top ten at the HollyShorts Screenplay Contest.
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Although a native to Los Angeles, Maggie currently lives in Santa Fe, NM with her husband and her dog, Chester, a Coton De Tulear.
She is represented by The Gersh Agency.
W: https://www.maggiemahrt.com
Join us as we delve into the creative mind of storyteller and filmmaker, Maggie Mahrt. In this riveting episode, Damien Swaby engages with Maggie in a series of probing discussions that explore the intricacies of her creative process, the challenges she’s faced, and the unique narrative techniques that make her films stand out. Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker or simply a fan of powerful storytelling, these insights are bound to captivate and inspire.

• Crises as Catalysts: Discover why Maggie is drawn to depicting emotional transformations through the lens of physical crises in her films.
• Adaptation Artistry: A look into the adaptation of Karen Russell's "UNBOUND", the allure of the story, and the hurdles Maggie overcame in transforming it from page to screen.
• A Glimpse of Magic: Get an exclusive sneak peek into the magical realism of Maggie's upcoming film "O, Brawling Love" and learn about its significance within the storyline.
• Fantastical Worlds & Historical Riches: Maggie discusses her fascination with historical fiction and fantasy genres, and her approach to the art of world-building.
• Stories Untold: The inspiration behind "SAY IT IN GERMAN" and Maggie's personal draw to this poignant World War II story.
• Creative Processes Compared: Maggie describes the differences in her creative approach when handling narrative films versus commercial productions.
• Project Prioritization: Insights on how Maggie selects her projects, prioritizes her endeavors, and the criteria that guide her decision-making process.
• Authenticity in Branded Content: The importance of maintaining authenticity in storytelling, especially when creating narratives for brand clients.
• Mentorship Takeaways: Valuable lessons Maggie learned under prominent industry initiatives and their impact on her directorial style.

Tune in for an enlightening journey through the realm of film and narrative with host Damien Swaby and the incomparably skillful Maggie Mahrt. Don't miss this close-up on the craft of bringing enthralling stories to life!
Also, you can check out my documentary The People of Brixton, on Kwelitv here: The People of Brixton
Damien Swaby Social Media Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker_damien_swaby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FDamienSwaby
Website: https://www.swabyfilms.co.uk
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