Stephanie Johnes is a director, producer, and documentary filmmaker who gravitates toward stories of underdogs and dreamers. Her directorial debut, “Doubletime,” premiered at SXSW and Tribeca and was acquired by Discovery Films. She served as the Director of Photography for “Venus & Serena,” the Magnolia Pictures and Showtime film about the iconic Williams sisters.
“Maya and the Wave” is screening at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, which is running from September 8-18.
SJ: After a brush with death, Maya Gabeira makes history in the male-dominated world of big wave surfing. The film is an empathetic portrait of a woman fighting to achieve her dream while struggling against gender bias.
SJ: I was curious about big wave surfing, and what it must be like to be one of the few women in the sport.
I think I was drawn to Maya because I can relate to her struggles, and I hope that viewers will see themselves in her story as well.
SJ: People usually think about their own struggles with prejudice and feel validated after watching this film. I hope they will also feel empowered to stand up for themselves.
SJ: The biggest challenge was the timeline. When I met Maya I didn’t know how long it would take for her story to unfold. Turns out it was 10 years.
SJ: The film was initially self-funded. After the story had proven itself, financiers came on board.
SJ: I couldn’t decide on a career, so rather than choose, I pursued journalism so that I’d have an excuse to learn about anything and everything.
SJ: The best advice I’ve received is to be yourself. As a filmmaker, you are often a fish out of the water, in strange environments, and it always helps to just be your authentic self, even if you don’t fit in.
SJ: If you love what you do, hang in there! And try to work with women as much as possible when you can.
SJ: “The Crash Reel,” directed by Lucy Walker, is my favorite documentary of all time. I love it because it is both intimate and spectacular. It was an important reference for Maya’s film. I aspired to make a film like “The Crash Reel,” an empathetic portrait of an athlete, with the context of a family story and the visual magnificence of extreme sport.
SJ: I don’t think storytellers have responsibilities; we follow our hearts or do the jobs given to us. I think funders and distributors have a responsibility to fund and distribute meaningful stories rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator.
SJ: I think we need more female executives in positions of power. Female-driven content has proven itself both commercially and artistically. Fifty percent of the world is female, but the majority of people in power are men. With more female decision-makers, we would have better representation of women and people of color onscreen.