Marion Hoàng Ngọc Hill is a Vietnamese-British filmmaker based in New Orleans. Following up on two popular short films [Bird of Prey and Goddess House], her feature debut Ma Belle, My Beauty premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and received an Audience Award. The film was recommended in the New York Times' Sundance lineup, and was released in over 40 theaters across North America by Good Deed Entertainment. It was also selected for SXSW, San Francisco, Seattle, Frameline, Outshine (Best Feature Jury Award), Outfest, Cleveland, Provincetown and many others. Internationally, the film was acquired by Montreal's WaZabi Films/Sphere Films and New York's Visit Films and has premiered in Mallorca, Jecheon, Melbourne, Montreal, Ankara, Istanbul, Oslo, London and Stockholm, with distribution deals secured across France, Spain, Scandinavia, Austria, Germany, Latin America, Australia and Japan. Marion has received fellowship support from Sundance Institute, Universal Pictures, the Gotham, Tulane University, Antenna and New Orleans Film Society, and works have gone on to platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Hulu, Starz, and Asia's largest LGBTQ streamer: GagaOolala. Raised mostly in the U.K. and in France by a Mother from Saigon and a Father from Shropshire, Marion found her own home in the American South after graduating from Northwestern, IL. With a background as a classical pianist and oboist, Marion began composing for short films as a teenager and was soon writing, directing, shooting and editing her own films. Marion always prioritizes discovery in her work, centering queer and spiritual creative processes and a deeply collaborative approach to storytelling. Marion is currently writing and developing her second feature film in New Orleans and completing her first short film shot in Viet Nam, alongside other exciting local projects. photo by Camille Lenain |