“I went to Sundance Labs, and I definitely watched my male peers from there have very different meetings than I was having, very different outcomes. You could tell there was a feeling that a young male director had this exciting potential and a young female director was risky.”

American actress, director, and screenwriter

Marielle Stiles Heller is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She is best known for her work in film and television, especially for directing The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and for appearing in The Queen's Gambit. Heller's work as a filmmaker has brought her attention for stories that balance humor, character, and emotional precision. As an actor, she has also appeared on screen, adding another dimension to a career that spans both performance and storytelling.