Martha Stephens | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation(s) | Writer, director, filmmaker |
Years active | 2009–present |
Martha Stephens (born March 12, 1984) is an American film writer and director.[1][2]
Stephens was born in West Virginia and raised in eastern Kentucky.[3] She graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking, where she concentrated in directing.[4][5][6]
Stephens' first two feature films, Passenger Pigeons (2010) and Pilgrim Song (2012), premiered at the South by Southwest festival and received several awards.[7][8] Her third film, Land Ho! (2014), which she co-directed with Aaron Katz, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival[9] and was purchased for worldwide distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.[10][11] At the 30th Independent Spirit Awards, Land Ho! was given the John Cassavetes Award for best feature film with a budget under $500,000.[12] Her fourth feature film To the Stars, with Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Malin Åkerman, and Tony Hale starring, premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.[13] It was released on April 24, 2020, by Samuel Goldwyn Films.