Maro Chermayeff is an Emmy Award-winning director, producer, and editor whose work focuses on documentary and non-fiction storytelling. She is especially known for her work on the acclaimed documentary series “Show of Force,” which has been broadcast on HBO and PBS.
Chermayeff was born in New York City in 1967 and grew up in an artistic household. Her mother, Marjorie Van Dusen, is a painter and her father, Ivan Chermayeff, is an acclaimed graphic designer. Chermayeff was surrounded by creativity from a young age, which she cites as a major influence in her work.
Chermayeff began her career in the film industry in the mid-1990s when she started working as an assistant editor on the documentary series “Show of Force.” She eventually rose to the role of series editor and, in 2000, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for Nonfiction Programming for her work on the series.
In 2006, Chermayeff made her directorial debut with the documentary “The Education of Shelby Knox,” which followed a teenage girl as she fought for comprehensive sex education in her conservative Texas town. The film was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary and won the Grand Jury Prize at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
In the years since, Chermayeff has directed, produced, and edited a variety of films and television series, including “The New Public” (2009), “The World According to Dick Cheney” (2011), and “First Man on the Moon” (2016). She has also directed music videos for artists such as John Legend, Aloe Blacc, and The National. In 2018, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special for her work on the HBO film “The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm.”
Chermayeff’s work has been praised for its sensitive approach to difficult subjects. She is known for her ability to tell complex stories in a compelling and accessible way. Her films have been screened at numerous festivals around the world and have received numerous awards and nominations.
Chermayeff is passionate about telling stories that explore the human condition and challenge our preconceived notions. She is also a vocal advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. She is currently working on several new projects, including a feature-
