Maria Burton, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, is directing the feature film, A Sort of Homecoming, in Louisiana in early 2014. Recently, she directed and produced the web series, Old Guy, and directed "Stephen Kanner: A Retrospective", a short film about visionary architect Stephen Kanner for the A+D Museum, "ACT I" for the USA Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, and commercials for the "Faces of Ford" Campaign for Ford Motor Company. Director on the feature films, Just Friends (AMC/WE), Temps (Netflix), and Manna From Heaven (MGM/Sony), she also co-directed Sign My Snarling Movie -- a documentary about the popular a cappella singing group, The Bobs and produced The Happiest Day of His Life (MTV/Logo) and Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God (Showtime).
Burton's company, Five Sisters Productions, is a production and distribution company helmed by Burton and her real-life siblings. Their award-winning short The Happiest Day of His Life, about a traditional wedding in a gender-reversed world, won a viewer's choice on MTV's LOGO channel and is being used as a teaching tool in high schools and universities. During the theatrical release of Manna From Heaven, Five Sisters donated part of their proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. Burton also works on social and political campaigns, including commercials for the "Mamas for Obama" Campaign and the Campaign for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, featuring Julia Ormond. She has lectured on independent filmmaking and distribution at many film schools including USC, AFI, and the Rockport Institute. Burton is Co-Chair of the Board of The Alliance of Women Directors and on the Board of Global Girl Media, an organization which celebrates and connects the voices of young women around the world through new media technologies to support social change.
