★ Multi-Award-Winning Filmmaker · 2024
Maria Salinger
Writer · Director · Producer · Actress
Co-Founder, Craft Films LA · Founder, Salinger Productions
Maria Salinger is a German-born, Los Angeles–based writer, director, producer, and actress whose work spans continents, languages, and genres. Her acclaimed 2024 debut feature-short Bubbles — which she wrote, directed, and starred in as identical twins — has earned honors at a dozen international festivals across North America and Europe.
She is the Co-Founder of Craft Films LA and the Founder of Salinger Productions (Germany) — a transatlantic production practice that develops character-driven narrative work in English and German, serving brands and filmmakers from both markets.
Trained at the National Theatre Mannheim from age 13 and in acting studios across New York, London, Vienna, Berlin, and Los Angeles — under mentors Andrew Eisenman and Steven Ditmyer — Maria holds a background in Anthropology and Cinema Production. Her storytelling thesis: cinema that inspires growth, empathy, and reflection.
★
Multi-Award Winner
12+
Festival Credits
EN / DE
Bilingual Filmmaker
5
Countries Trained In
Selected Filmography
A selection of narrative and dramatic work — with roles as Writer, Director, Producer, and Lead Actress.
Feature-Short Film · 2024
Bubbles
Writer · Director · Lead Actress
A story of identical twins — inspired by her mother and aunt. Multi-award winner across international festivals including the Golden Nugget, Mannheim, Chicago Indie, Albori Soulplace, Indie Short Fest, and more.
Short Film · 2023
Drop In
Writer · Director
A tightly-constructed character study — Maria's directorial lead-up to Bubbles.
Short Film · —
The Powder Room
Lead Actress (as "Celeste")
Directed by Magally Burgess. Showcases Maria's performance range in English-language dramatic work.
Feature Film · In Development
Call from the 80s
Writer · Director · Producer
Romantic comedy set in divided East/West Germany in the late 1980s — the feature expansion of the Bubbles universe. In active development through Salinger Productions.
Also in development: Back to the Nature · Angels' Academy. Full credits on her IMDb page.
Awards & Recognition
International festival honors — twelve credits across writing, directing, acting, and cinematography categories.
Creative Practice & Leadership
As Co-Founder of Craft Films LA and Founder of Salinger Productions, Maria bridges two creative markets: the Los Angeles production ecosystem and the European narrative-film tradition. Her companies collaborate on character-driven work in English and German — from award-winning shorts to feature development.
Under her leadership and creative direction:
- —Wrote, directed, and starred in Bubbles (2024) — a feature-short with 12+ international festival honors, inspired by family stories.
- —Co-founded Craft Films LA to pair Hollywood-grade crew capability with international storytelling perspectives — serving brands, agencies, and independent filmmakers.
- —Founded Salinger Productions (Germany) as a transatlantic development vehicle for narrative work that travels across language and market borders.
- —Advocates publicly for healthy relationships on screen, self-respect and boundaries, and fair pay parity across every film-set department — not just the above-the-line roles.
Training & Background
- National Theatre Mannheim (from age 13)
- Cinema Production — Los Angeles
- Acting — Andrew Eisenman & Steven Ditmyer
- Studios in New York · London · Vienna · Berlin · LA
- Anthropology — Prof. Dr. Bartelt
Press & Features
- VoyageLA — Community Highlights
- ShoutoutLA — Filmmaker & Actress
- Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (Germany)
- WNOZ — Hemsbach
- Weik Medien — Ladenburg
- Indie Short Fest Red Carpet (LA Live)
"To tell stories that inspire growth, empathy, and reflection — and encourage people to become better versions of themselves."
For Professional Inquiries
Work with Maria & Craft Films
Craft Films LA
432 N Ardmore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Email: maria@thecraftfilms.com
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Follow: Instagram · IMDb · Salinger Productions
