Viewers will be taken on a roller coaster ride to find out if Maya (Isabella Feliciana) will be forever lost to the dark world she has fallen prey to. This film highlights the cycle of abuse and is a mother-daughter story at its core. To find the strength needed to get her daughter back and conquer her addictions, Camila (Patricia Velasquez) will have to find the determination to stand up to her abuser and get into recovery.
Maya's cast includes known actors and some up-and-comers. Supporting lead actress Isabella Feliciana (Killer Grades) is Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy Returns, Arrested Development), Rumer Willis (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Billy Budinich (Frank and Penelope), Rena Owen (The Orville, Siren), Anthony Montgomery (General Hospital, Star Trek: Enterprise), Atiana De La Hoya (The Kardashians, Meet the Barkers), Cherie Jiminez (Angie: Lost Girls, Nova Vita), Basilio Cerdan Jr., (Tiktok influencer), Gian Franco Rodriquez (Halston) and more.
Trailer for Maya. Click on video or visit:
Writer/Director Julia Verdin states : "I am very passionate about the power of film to raise awareness on key social issues. My hope is that this film will encourage teenagers to be careful with what they engage with on online platforms and help the public to recognize signs of domestic abuse happening. I was very honored to get a social impact award for the film at Raindance and thrilled by the audience response to the film.”
The DVD will be available March 12, 2024. Maya is being released by Freestyle Digital Media. MAYA will be released on 1/26 on the following platforms: AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV, Dish Network, Sling TV. iN DEMAND (including Spectrum, Comcast), Vubiquity, Verizon Fios, Amazon. Apple TV, Vudu, Xbox, Google Play and YouTube Movies.The DVD will be available March 12, 2024. Maya was produced by non-profit Artists for Change in association with Fibonacci Films and Rough Diamond Productions. For updated information visit https://www.artists4change.org/filmprojects/maya/
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| Isabella Feliciana and Rumer Willis in Maya. Photo by Sasha Dylan Bell |
Synopsis
Maya showcases the dangers of online grooming and sexual exploitation as well as the role of addiction and abuse in a family. In the film, Maya, whilst doing well both socially and at school, is struggling with her mother’s worsening addictions and the uneasy presence of her mother’s boyfriend, Diego. Stuck in an environment that feels inescapably futile and loveless, Maya falls victim to the edgy charms of Ray, whom she meets online. When Maya and Ray meet in real life, he is immediately established as her ‘protector’ and the two enjoy a brief honeymoon period – which gradually darkens as Maya is coerced by Ray into the world of organized sex trafficking.
About Artists for Change
Artists for Change is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded to raise awareness on key social issues such as domestic violence in the home, alcoholism, child abuse, child trafficking and homelessness. Its last film, Angie: Lost Girls was shown on Lifetime. Maya is currently available for educational screenings at organizations helping to stop the spread of this scourge on our society. Visit www.Artists4Change.org for more information.-
About Julia Verdin
British filmmaker Julia Verdin is an award-winning multi-hyphenate writer, director, and producer. She has produced dozens of films, including THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons, and 2 JACKS, with Sienna Miller, Danny Huston, Jack Huston, and Jacqueline Bisset. Previous films she has directed include LOST GIRLS (Best Social Impact Film at the Culver City Film Festival) and the award-winning crime drama ANGIE: LOST GIRLS. Verdin is currently in post-production on another social impact film she wrote and directed, NO ADDRESS, which is about homelessness in America, and will be directing an upcoming feature about the opioid crisis from another script she wrote.
Producers
Writer/Director/Producer: Julia Verdin, p.g.a.
Producers: Jason Piette, p.g.a., Sean Acosta, Robert Craig, Morris S. Levy
Executive Producers: John Jacobs, Victoria Hill, Greg Clark, Kim Robson, John Lewis, Jet Lewis,
Luanne Morrow, Tom Wallerstein, Lucy Lewis, Tara Smith, Julian Lennon, John Manly
Co-Producers: Antonio Michael, Corinne Jayaweera
Associate Producers: Laura Nickowitz, Angela Lujan, Patricia Velasquez, Suzanne Ordas-Curry, Sally Becker, Jonathan Lourie
To Connect Via Social
Instagram - @artistsforchangela @juliaverdin