Maria Maggenti

Maria Maggenti (born c. 1962) is an American film director and screenwriter, who has traditionally created independent films. She was the script editor for the American television series Without a Trace and has written many episodes for the show as well, but is perhaps best known for the feature film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995). Her film Puccini for Beginners was in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2006. She was also an activist with ACT UP for many years.

Early life and education Maggenti was raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Her childhood was spent in London, Rome, New York City, and Washington, DC. Maggenti attended Smith College, where she studied Philosophy and Greek and Latin Classics. She then earned her MFA in filmmaking from NYU Graduate School.

Career She moved to New York City and worked in television commercials and the production of gay rights and AIDS activist documentaries. During this time, she put together letters "asking friends and colleagues to support her enrollment at New York University Film School". Maggenti wanted to create films regarding gay and lesbian life that were more realistic and missing from mainstream movies. Her 1995 debut film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love helped Maggenti transition into and make a name for herself within the film community. Maggenti originally developed the script for The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love as a project for NYU's Graduate Film Program.

Films The two movies Maggenti created were low-budget and low-profit. Her movie, Puccini for Beginners (2006), a romantic comedy based on her first big love affair with a man, was filmed in New York City over the span of 18 days, and was released on September 2, 2006. After working on her first few films, Maggenti relocated to Los Angeles, shifting her focus to television writing. In Los Angeles, she wrote for the crime series Without a Trace, which was released in 2002. Maggenti's involvement writing for the Without a Trace was a transition due to the fact that she was working alongside others instead of alone; as she had been doing for ten years. She describes how she, "ultimately came to love it" and "loved her colleagues." Maggenti also wrote an episode of 90210 and ended up co-producing several other episodes as well. In 2007, she was commissioned by Sundance Film Festival to create a movie for a cell phone. In 2010, Maggenti started to co-write the comedy, Monte Carlo, which was released in 2011.

Activism As a core member of ACT UP New York, an activist group working to impact the lives of people with AIDS, Maggenti co-authored some of the group's educational materials, and has been a participant and documentarian of many of the group's direct actions.

Personal life Maggenti is bisexual.

Awards Maggenti received the Best Feature award for her movie Puccini for Beginners at the 2007 Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Puccini for Beginners was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Filmography Doctors, Liars & Women (1988) The Love Monster (1990) Waiting for War (1991) Name Day (1993) La Donna è mobile (1994) The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) The Love Letter (1999) Puccini for Beginners (2006) Monte Carlo (2011) Before I Fall (2017)