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MAREN LAVELLE
DIRECTOR / WRITER / PRODUCER

Maren Lavelle is an NYC-based film and television director.

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In 2022, Maren was selected as one of Shoot Online’s 2022 New Director’s of the Year, having her work screened at the DGA Theatre in NYC. Maren is a co-founder of production company One-Eyed Rabbit and its annual Black Screenwriters Grant. Maren has directed the award-winning films WENDY (Best Short / New York City Indie Theatre Film Festival), KEEPER (Best Drama Film / Blackbird Film Festival), and MAYA (Best Writer of a Short / Chain Film Festival). Maren is currently attached to direct One-Eyed Rabbit’s upcoming psychological horror film, CLIFTON PARK about theater and cults, slated for production in the fall of 2023.

 

Maren is motivated to continue to direct dynamic and nuanced character driven material, especially work that highlights underrepresented communities with a focus on women and queer stories. Maren graduated from Pace University with a B.F.A in Acting. She transitioned from acting to playwriting with her plays premiering in various Off-Broadway venues in NYC: Composition of a Woman (Westside Theatre, 440 Layfayette Studios), The Holding Room (The Sheen Center). Maren was an original member of the Jose Rivera Writers Group. 

 

Striving to make the jump from stage to screen, she found her creative and life partner in Matt Steiner (co-founder of The Representatives), and began creating work with him as One-Eyed Rabbit in 2019. Her understanding of the actor’s process has allowed her to be able to pull nuanced and complex performances out of all of the actors she works with, regardless of their experience level. From first-time film performers, to professional working actors, Maren has been labeled as an “actor’s director”. Coming from a theatrical background, collaboration is the single most exciting element of filmmaking for Maren. Her experience owning and running a dog-walking business that operates in two American cities and employs over 50 people has helped her further develop the skills to communicate clearly and effectively across all departments, and her travel photography experience allows her to maintain a crystal clear eye for what she wants to see on screen. 

 

Maren’s passion for uplifting women and LGBTQIA+ characters empowers her to tackle complex themes in her work. Maren brings a determined and fun atmosphere to set, ready to sift through the dirt to discover breakthrough moments with her collaborators, while ensuring she makes her day with time to spare.

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ONE-EYED RABBIT

One-Eyed Rabbit is an NYC-based production company founded and run by Maren Lavelle and Matt Steiner. We create original work that offers new perspectives through character-driven narratives in order to illuminate the full scope of our shared humanity.

 

On top of being writing and producing partners, Maren and Matt are life partners too. We write every project together, with Matt often focusing on the initial idea and structuring of the story, while Maren contributes to world-building, specificity of dialogue, and fleshing out the characters. Maren directs and Matt always has an acting role within the film.

 

OER’s style consists of intimate, personal stories that exist within dynamic and playful structures. Our films are driven by complex protagonists at a precipice in their lives and we’re interested in shining a light on characters who aren’t typically in the spotlight of mainstream narratives.

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