Professional profile

Marilyn is a well-rounded factual film and television professional, skilled in producing and directing – from concept development, research and script writing, right through to post-production and final delivery.

Her beginnings in the industry were as part of NZ studio crews, from where she grew her skills as a script writer and script editor, providing the springboard to develop her interest in documentary production.

Her subsequent experience has taken her all over Asia and Australasia, Europe and the US, with clients including the BBC, National Geographic, The History Channel, Discovery Networks, Channel News Asia and TVNZ.

She was author, researcher and editorial lead on Veil of Dreams, a feature film that was able penetrate the secretive world of women’s football in Iran.

She researched, wrote and directed a 3 part series on the unknown history of WW2 in Asia, that included the dramatic stories of Philippino guerillas foiling the Japanese Army and the women’s regiment of the Indian National Army, who fought alongside the men to oust the British from India.

In 2019 she researched and wrote the theatrical feature Colours of China a New Zealand/ Germany/ China co-production (now in post-production).

Marilyn has now joined forces with DocEdge Festival Director, Alex Lee, and renowned NZ writer Dane Giraud to form a new company, YaLLa Media. She has a slate of documentary projects in development including the NZFC supported, hybrid theatrical feature True Colours, based on the characters and history of decriminalising homosexuality; Vrindavan: City of Widows, a NZ/Canada co-production; Check the Gate a quirky, curated journey through NZ Film, as well as various narrative and documentary short film and series content

• View Marilyn’s full Filmography