Marielle Heller

Marielle Heller is a critically acclaimed director, screenwriter, and actress known for her nuanced storytelling and her contributions to both independent and mainstream cinema. After being selected as a 2012 Sundance Screenwriting Fellow and a 2012 Sundance Directing Fellow, Marielle Heller quickly established herself as a formidable talent in independent cinema. Heller also earned the Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship and The Maryland Film Festival Fellowship, demonstrating early recognition for her craft. Her writing credits include multiple screenplays, theatrical plays, and pilots for major networks such as ABC and 20th Century Fox.

Heller’s directorial debut, the acclaimed 2015 film The Diary of a Teenage Girl, received the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus at the Berlin International Film Festival, followed by the Best First Feature award at the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards. Heller continued her critical and commercial success with the 2018 biographical drama Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which garnered Academy Award nominations for actors Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant. This was followed by the highly anticipated 2019 feature A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks, which earned Hanks an Academy Award nomination for his performance.

Most recently, Heller was honored with a Director Award at the Montclair Film Festival in 2024 for her upcoming feature Nightbitch, and received the Visionary Award at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2024. These accolades underscore her ongoing influence and continued recognition as a leading figure in contemporary cinema, known for her ability to craft powerful and deeply human stories across both directing and acting roles.