Maria Alvarez

Born and raised in a suburb outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Maria Alvarez is a 17-year-old internationally recognized filmmaker. The largest crew she has ever had on a short film is 3 people, taking on the role of the director, cinematographer, editor and writer. The largest budget on any of her films has been solely $17 for a goldfish. Maria's films have been official selections and have won awards at numerous international and national film festivals, including the Cleveland International Film Festival, The Los Angeles Film Festival and the International Student Film Festival Hollywood. She also works multiple independent jobs as a cinematographer/editor for companies such as Aquage, Earthfest, Cleveland POPS Orchestra and the Beachwood High School Orchestra. Additionally, she's an independent photographer for senior photos, bar/bat mitzvahs and quinceañeras. Last summer, Maria attended the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles for 4-weeks studying digital cinematography. Through this program, she filmed and worked on the backlots of Universal Studios. Furthermore, she has been selected as a 2014 YoungArts Winner in the Cinematic Arts and spent a week in New York City at a film intensive course for cinematography. Through this, one of her short films was screened at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC. Her current plans are to apply to the top film schools in the country.