About the Filmmaker

Maranatha (Muh-ran-uh-thuh-) Hay...

...is a 24 year-old award-winning documentary filmmaker, short-story writer, and grand-champion chicken exhibitionist from Grays Harbor, Washington.

After attending Wishkah Valley High School, Maranatha graduated from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism, as well as fulfilling premed requirements. In an effort to combine her two loves (science and storytelling) she is now spending her time filming, editing, and directing short documentaries that specialize in sustainable humanitarian aid.

In April, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced her nomination for a 2009 Emmy Award. Dressed in a bite suit, the then 22-year-old college intern helped security dogs train by allowing the K-9s to attack her while Lt. John Marshall casually explained the details of police dog training. [Click here to see a sample of that piece] From profiles detailing top IUD collectors, to pediatric heart surgery in third world countries, her stories do their best to push the limit.

In addition to her Emmy Nomination, Ms. Hay recently won a live storytelling performance competition at the Los Angeles Moth StorySLAM and was featured on National Public Radio for her accomplishment. She is currently authoring a book encompassing a collection of true-tales short stories. In her spare time, Maranatha loves to garden, swing dance, and collects parking tickets from random cities in Southern California where she currently resides.