Marisa is an AWGIE nominated screenwriter and creative producer of mixed Thai / Scottish / Kiwi descent currently based in Naarm / Melbourne, who began her creative journey in theatre, before moving into music, radio, and finally film - firstly as a producer, but now as a screenwriter, script editor and development exec at Tony Ayres Productions and Princess Pictures.​

​

After completing her Masters of Screenwriting at the VCA, Marisa kicked off her writing career spending nine months in the script department on the international smash hit Clickbait (Netflix USA's first Australian commission).  Marisa then moved onto the AWGIE award winning ABC series Fires, followed by three years working in the development department of Tony Ayres Productions (part of NBCU's International Studios division). 

 

Here she was fortunate enough to be in writers rooms with talent like Ben Elton, Belinda Chayko, Jon Ronson, Christian White, Anchuli Felicia King, and Lou Fox, as well as gaining extensive experience working with both broadcasters and streamers in the international market, assessing projects from all over the globe, and developing both original concepts as well as those borne from existing IP. 

 

During her time at TAP, she was a writer and script editor on the first season of Spooky Files, where her episodes 'Welcome to Lake Tranquility' and 'The Mist of Misery' earned their directors ADG Award nominations.  'Welcome to Lake Tranquility' was also nominated for a 2024 AWGIE in the Children's Television category.  She then moved up to an Associate Producer (as well as writer and script editor) on the AACTA-nominated second season, before stepping out into the world as a freelance writer in late 2024.

​

Whilst her work veers from comedy-drama to grounded sci fi and supernatural thrillers, Marisa is a huge fan of 'coming of age stories', and her work explores the themes of connection, unconventional 'found families', and the importance of finding your people (no matter how weird those people are).  

​

​In recent years she has been party of two of Vicscreen's Emerging Practitioner programs (via Plot Twist and Cinespace) shortlisted for the AWG Diversity Showcase and the SBS Short Scripted Initiative, as well as being longlisted for the 2018 Monte Miller Awards, and the 2024 John Hinde Awards. In 2023 her supernatural thriller Dark Half, a feature film set in the Thai black magic scene, was shortlisted for the Untapped program (run by Australians in Film) and in 2024 she was shortlisted again for her comedy-horror feature film Welcome to the Neighbourhood. ​

​​​

Marisa is genuinely passionate about supporting emerging voices from diverse backgrounds, and has worked with Cinespace (Australia), the Pan Asian Screen Collective (NZ) and the Victorian AWG committee to facilitate workshops and events designed to upskill writers from underrepresented backgrounds and help them get a foothold in the industry. She is currently the Chair of the Victorian AWG Committee.

​

Marisa has lived in Melbourne, London and Chiang Mai, can work in the UK thanks to her British passport, and her Masters degree in Screenwriting makes her eligible for the E3 Visa in the USA - but she's very open to collaborations much closer to home.

​

You can download her resume here or drop her a line below!

​