Director Stephanie Johnes’ thrilling documentary film focuses on a trailblazing 
athlete, Brazilian big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira as she pursues her dreams in the male-dominated sport as naysayers second-guess her every move. 
Stephanie Johnes debut feature film follows the world champion over several years as she perseveres through setbacks, injuries, and a near-death experience while navigating the choppy waters of the competitive sports business. In the film we see how Maya is able to draw strength from her mother, the fashion designer Yamê Reis, and her father, Fernando Gabeira, whose life in 
radical politics was depicted in the Oscar-nominated film Four Days in September. We watch Maya navigate the choppy waters of the sports business and the tensions that arise over 
sponsorship, press coverage, and judging. She endures constant undermining that reflects what happens in many fields where women need to work harder than men to get equal recognition. Director Stephanie Johnes stops by to talk about getting to know Maya Gabeira and her distinguished family, documenting the time after Maya’s quest to break a world record for biggest wave ever surfed in the Portuguese town of Nazaré went badly, her comeback and triumph.
Download MP3 Podcast | Open Player in New Window
For more go to: mayaandthewave.com
Tuesday 9/24 Laemmle Monica Film Center screening
Wednesday 9/25 Laemmle Glendale screening
The limited release in Los Angeles with Q&As with Sara Dosa (Fire of Love), Amy Ziering (On the Record), Jen Tiexiera (Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo), and Alysa Nahmias (Wildcat)
About the filmmaker – Stephanie Johnes is a documentary filmmaker who gravitates towards stories of underdogs and dreamers. With a love of music and movement she crafts intimate films with a compassionate lens on the human experience. Ten years in the making, her most recent project, “Maya and the Wave”, was a people’s choice award- winner at the Toronto International Film Festival. Previously, she served as cinematographer for various projects, including “Venus & Serena”, the Magnolia Pictures and Showtime film about the iconic Williams sisters. “Doubletime”, her directorial debut, premiered at SXSW and Tribeca and was acquired by Discovery Films. Born and raised in New York City, Stephanie is a graduate of Phillips Academy Andover. She earned a B.A in Art History at the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Park Fellowship and an M.A. in Journalism and Visual Communication at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and an MBA from Georgetown University. For more go to:stephaniejohnes.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
facebook.com/mayaandthewave
facebook.com/sjohnes
instagram.com/maya
instagram.com/stephjohnes
“The film more than succeeds in its primary goals of providing an inspirational role model plus lots of stupendous surfing footage, a combination that will enthrall most viewers.” – Dennis Harvey, Variety
“Beautiful and inspiring… magnificent.” – Deadline
“In focusing on Maya’s vulnerability and inner endurance, what follows is an uplifting image of Maya and her reverberating impact on a younger generation of girls who now believe in the dream of being a professional surfer.” – Nadia Dalimonte, Next Best Picture
“Graceful and elegant…9/10.” – Film Threat
“What makes Maya such a compelling subject and Johnes’s portrait of her so different from films about male surf legends, is Gabeira’s willingness to admit her fear.” – Marya E. Gates, RogerEbert.com
“Turning the tide doesn’t come easily for surfer Maya Gabiera in her bid to secure a Guinness World Record in Stephanie Johnes’ engaging doc.” – Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest