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Maya - Best for Fests


Feature film 1h 44 USA 2023
Maya  written and directed by Julia Verdin is one of Bruno Chatelin Best for Fests curated features and docs.

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Teenage Maya is raised in a household stricken by her father’s abandonment. Her mom, Camila, is an alcoholic, struggling to make ends meet. Camilla’s boyfriend, Diego, is an abuser who takes advantage of both Camila and Maya.

When Maya is followed on social media by an attractive guy named Ray. He responds to her post and seems to genuinely care. Soon Maya begins to chat with him online more about her life and fears. Before long Ray persuades Maya to meet him in person and after a slightly rocky start over him being quite a bit older than his photos, their relationship quickly develops.

Ray takes an interest in her problems and dreams and works hard to make Maya feel special.

When things escalate at home, Ray encourages Maya to run away with him. Initially spoiled by Ray with new outfits, beauty treatments, and art supplies, Maya slowly begins to realize he has another agenda when he starts using her to make money. Ray persuades her to cooperate by holding everything he has done for her over her head and claiming that he loves her. Maya complies and starts being set up for appointments with Ray’s “clients”.

As Ray pimps her out with more clients, Maya finds herself trapped in a sex trafficking ring with no way out. Meanwhile, her mother Camila, falls into despair after losing her daughter. After a near overdose, she agrees to get sober in order to get her daughter back. When Camila gets a call from the police saying that Maya is in their custody, she is overjoyed. However, the trauma that Maya has been through does not make her return as easy as Camila had hoped. Ray is determined not to lose his money-making asset while Camila is intent on not losing her daughter ever again.

Can Camila help Maya get back on her feet, or will Maya be forever lost to the dark world she has fallen prey to?

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Trailer I  Synopsis I Director's statement I Crew I


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Maya wins a very special award at NY Socially Relevant Film Festival

The 11th Edition of the SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival in-person section closed on March 18, at the National Arts Club in New York. The Festival opened at the Maysles Cinema on March 13 and ran at MRHS and Cinema Village. The festival covers social issues totaling 53 films this year. The Official Selection is accessible online through the festival website. The main themes are 100 Years of Armenian Cinema, Black History, BIPOC films, Aging and Disability, Women, LGBTQI+, and more. The films stream online starting today, March 19, and can be accessed here.




The SRFF 2024 film Maya directed by Julia Verdin garnered The Vanya Exerjian Empowering Women and Girls Award, which is an award given by Founder Nora Armani in memory of her cousin who was the victim of a hate crime against a woman.

 

The Narrative Feature Grand Prize went to Valley of Exile directed by Anna Fahr,

The Jury Special Award went to two films I Am Gitmo by Philippe Diaz and From Life to Life by Beka Sikharulidze.

The Documentary Feature Grand Prize was a tie between ORA by Michel Garcia and Blockade by Hakob Melkonyan, a

The Jury Special Award in the documentary feature category went to DEPOT: Reflecting Boijmans by Sonia Herman Dolz.

Awards were given for the best Narrative Short, where the winner was Impasse by Nabil Shahar,

 

The Jury Special Award for Limbo by Alex Ramsey.

In the Documentary Short category, the award went to ByKids: Beekeeper by Keith Griffith III, with Jean Fell In Love by Romain Roellet garnering a Jury Special Award. There were also Best Actor, Willie Rayson in Forbidden Fruit - a short film, and Beka Sikharulidze in From Life to Life a feature film. Best Actress, Ruzan Khachatryan in 250km, a short film, and Maria Hassan in Valley of Exile a feature, the Women Film Critics Circle Award went to 250km by Hasmik Movsisyan.

The IndiePix Unlimited Vision Award went to Bleecker by Edith Hagigi and Phantom Parrot by Kate Stonehill. The Best Screenplay award went to Glams Casino by Darcia Prada, second place to Everybody Knows by Rangeley Wallace, and third place to Joe Goes Courting by Evan Laughlin. The full list of awards and details may be found here.



"We're proud to have the opportunity to present 750 socially relevant films from 40 countries over the past 11 years. This year's selection comprised 53 amazing social issue-oriented films from all over the world. Congratulations to the winners, a hearty applause to all participants, and our deep gratitude to our sponsors and partners." Festival Founding Artistic Director Nora Armani.

SRFF was founded by Actress/ Filmmaker Nora Armani in 2013, following a family tragedy that cost the lives of two of her dearest, cousin Vania, and her uncle Jack Exerjian. Armani founded the festival to commemorate them in a meaningful way. SRFF believes in the power of the film medium in raising awareness of social issues and promoting positive social change. This new edition deals with Climate Change, LGBTQ Rights, Aging and Disability, Incarceration and Freedom, New York City, and BIPOC cultures.

The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant, human-interest stories across a broad range of social issues without resorting to gratuitous violence and violent forms of storytelling.

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About Maya - Best for Fests

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