About Me

Rooted in Curiosity & Creative Instinct

I’m Maya Raines, a narrative screenwriter, filmmaker, director, and multidisciplinary creative, shaped by a lifelong curiosity about how people search for meaning, softness, and joy within a world full of pressure and contradiction.
I grew up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, where writing was my earliest and most instinctive form of storytelling. I spent my childhood writing short stories, illustrating my own small books, and building entire worlds on the page, alongside mixing imaginary kitchen recipes, assembling Punky-Brewster-level outfits, composing impromptu songs, and documenting life with my small purple camera.
Long before I understood filmmaking as a discipline, I understood story—character, tone, and emotional truth—as something I could shape with my own hands. That early devotion to writing, imagination, and emotional awareness laid the foundation for the narrative-driven artist I am today.
Milan Italy 2024, Photo by Maya Raines

Education, Craft & Storytelling Practice

Spelman College
Class of 2027
I am first and foremost a screenwriter and narrative filmmaker, driven by a deep interest in character, emotional truth, and socially conscious storytelling. My preferred vocation is writing and directing narrative work, particularly stories rooted in identity, internal conflict, satire, and coming-of-age experiences.
I am currently a Class of 2027 Documentary Film major at Spelman College — not as a detour from narrative filmmaking, but as the closest and most rigorous pathway available within Spelman’s academic offerings. While the college does not offer a narrative filmmaking major, the documentary program has provided a powerful foundation in research, visual language, ethics, and truth-seeking that directly strengthens my narrative work.
Through coursework in screenwriting, cinematography, sound design, Black cinema, digital media production, documentary filmmaking, and graphic design, I’ve developed a storytelling practice that blends narrative structure with cultural analysis and emotional precision. Documentary training has sharpened my ability to observe real people, interrogate systems, and tell stories grounded in lived experience — skills I intentionally carry into my scripted work.
In 2024, I expanded my global perspective through a study abroad program in Milan, Italy, focused on leadership and cross-cultural communication. This experience further shaped how I approach narrative storytelling with nuance, curiosity, and a sensitivity to context.
While documentary informs my craft, narrative filmmaking remains the center of my creative ambition. I aim to write and direct stories that challenge institutions, elevate underrepresented voices, and leave audiences feeling both seen and unsettled in productive ways.

Leadership, Industry Experience & Community Impact

At Spelman, I co-founded Writers’ Room, a screenwriting organization dedicated to education, collaboration, and craft development. Through the club, I serve as showrunner, writer, director, and producer for The Self We Seek, an original web series premiering in 2026. I’ve led an 80+ person cast and crew, managed multi-weekend shoots, raised funding, and built a growing online presence for the project.
My professional experience spans documentary, commercial, and digital content. I’ve worked as an Archival Researcher and Content Creator at 371 Productions, a Production Assistant on LEGO’s Stranger Things Season 5 commercial, and a set designer for music video productions — overseeing creative direction, budgeting, and on-set execution.
Beyond filmmaking, I run The Scholarship Gal, where I help students access funding using the strategies that allowed me to earn over $157,000 in external scholarships. Across every medium, I believe storytelling is a form of care—one that challenges systems, builds empathy, and makes room for joy.