Focusing on female conductors in international competition, the insightful documentary will be released in New York and Los Angeles this summer.

Los Angeles, CA (May 7, 2024) – Women take center stage in Maggie Contreras’ directorial debut MAESTRA which today announced the bi-coastal release dates for the award-winning documentary. Executive produced by David Letterman, the competition documentary shares personal stories of survival, passion, and perseverance of the women competing in the “La Maestra” orchestral conductor competition. MAESTRA will open in New York at the Angelika Film Center in NYC on May 24th with an LA release to follow on June 7th at the Laemmle Royal with a VOD date to follow later this year. 

 Q & As will follow multiple screenings in NY and LA that include director Maggie Contreras and special guests who appear in the film. The film will host a special preview screening in New York on Tuesday, May 21st followed by a conversation with executive producer David Letterman and Contreras. 

“After a robust film festival tour, I am honored to bring the experience of MAESTRA to screens both large and small across the country. I hope audiences, especially women and girls, are inspired by the stories of these powerful competitors who are breaking barriers in the field of conducting, and are moved by the music and artistry of this unique field,” stated director Maggie Contreras.

MAESTRA follows five incredible women from around the world who are boldly breaking glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of orchestral conducting. These stories converge in Paris for ‘La Maestra’, the only competition in the world for female conductors, to show the world the singular talent that unites them and which, for far too long, has been considered the pursuit of only men. The struggles and triumphs of the gifted artists in MAESTRA offer a microcosm for the challenges faced by women in every industry and in every walk of life today, while also providing valuable insights into how we may conduct ourselves as we create a new movement for a more equitable future.

Made with an 80% female team, MAESTRA World Premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival where it won an Audience Award for Documentary. Subsequent festivals include Sheffield DocFest, DC/DOX, Palms Springs International Film Festival, and more.  MAESTRA has racked up multiple awards on the festival circuit including Excellence in Directing by a Woman at the 2024 Cleveland International Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Feature as well as the Jim Ewing Award for Best First Feature at the 2023 Port Townsend Film Festival.

MAESTRA is produced and directed by Contreras and produced by Neil Berkeley, Emma West, Melanie Miller, and Lauren Lexton. David Letterman executive produced the film alongside Tom Keaney, Jonathan Ginns, Jamie Wolf, Nathalie Seaver, and Diane Becker. The film is presented by Worldwide Pants and is a production of BRKLY in association with Burns Park Media, Foothill Productions, and Fishbowl Films. 

For a taste of the film, audiences can check out the newly released trailer here. 

More details about the film and release can be found online at MaestraFilm.com.

About Worldwide Pants Incorporated:

WORLDWIDE PANTS INCORPORATED (WPI) is the production company founded by David Letterman in 1993, which created, produced and owns more than 4000 hours of television content, and has co-produced an array of award-winning television shows, films and music performances, winning dozens of Emmy awards and multiple Peabody awards. WPI produced all episodes of THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, as well as more than 20 years of THE LATE LATE SHOW, hosted by Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson. WPI also co-produces MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, a long-form doc/interview show on Netflix, nominated for an Emmy in each of its first four season, featuring iconic guests including Barack Obama, Tina Fey, JAY-Z, Volodymyr Zalenskyy, Malala, Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Dave Chappelle. In March, 2023, WPI co-produced with Imagine Entertainment BONO AND THE

About BRKLY:

BRKLY is an independent entertainment company specializing in film and television production.  Our films include Beauty Is Embarrassing, Harmontown, s Power Trip. The company is based in Los Angeles and was founded in 2009 by director Neil Berkeley. 

About Foothill Productions:

Foothill Productions is an award-winning production company, founded by former political journalist and philanthropist, Jamie Wolf. She and Executive Vice President, Nathalie Seaver, oversee this boutique operation which is distinguished by its carefully curated list of quality independent scripted feature films and documentaries, many of which boast Oscar nominations (The Martha Mitchell Effect; The Truffle Hunters; Lead Me Home; Walk Run Cha Cha; Bring Your Own Brigade). The majority of Foothill Productions titles debut at premiere film festivals, such as Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, TIFF, Tribeca, and the Venice Film Festival. 

About Fishbowl Films:

Fishbowl Films has aimed to bring urgent and timely issues into the spotlight. They are a full-service entertainment company with a primary focus on developing and producing projects for film, television, and new media. The collective background and experience in development, production, independent financing, and distribution across all media platforms drives the company’s passion and commitment to nurture and discover original voices in the ever-changing world of entertainment. Dare. Dream. Discover. 

Press Contact:

MPRM Communications

Jacki St. Thomas

310-625-7799

Maestra@mprm.com

Booking Contact:

MaestraMovie@gmail.com