Features journalist working as self-shooting Producer-Director on pieces of video journalism, short documentaries and arts films for online platforms worldwide. She's currently in the process of starting up a platform featuring filmmaking tips, camera gear reviews and video tutorials led by women, whilst freelancing as a Video Journalist for BBC.com's features team

Mari gained an eye for observational news footage whilst at Associated Press Television News headquartered in London, where she worked as Deputy News Editor, Media Manager and Producer for over three years. She has since shifted into shooting mini-documentaries around the UK for digital platforms AJ+, Fusion and Viral Thread. She has written on human rights issues for Washington Post, New Statesman, Index on Censorship and VICE, often shooting photography to accompany pieces - highlights include the last national gathering of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima, world’s biggest e-waste “dump” in Ghana, and the forced cancellation of dissident rapper’s concert in Morocco.

As an artist, Mari makes hybrid documentaries where she shoots solo in an observational style and adopts an artistic spin the edit. Her most recent film Bashoiri - that explores the heriarchy of sumo wrestlers outside the ring - premiered with NOWNESS, and her portrait of Greek town Eleusis that contributed to winning its bid to become 2021 European Capital of Culture. As a projectionist for an opera on Wikileaks cables written by Sebastian Lakowski, Mari developed the concept of audience surveillance through the use of live videography and audience participation of social media projected on walls - which premiered at Tete a Tete Festival in 2014 and supported by Arts Council England.

A self-taught filmmaker, Mari started directing films after winning grants through BFI Future Film with which she directed Break-Away, a short 3D documentary about a contortion break-dancer. She studied her BA in Music at St. John’s College, Cambridge.

1. Multimedia Journalist (Video, Photo, Writing)

   Thomson Reuters Foundation · Feb 2017 - Present

2. Video Journalist - AJ+

   Aljazeera Media Network · Jun 2016 - Present

3. Video Journalist & Filmmaker

   Fusion Media Network · Jun 2016 - Present

4. Contributing Writer - Broadly, VICE UK, Motherboard

   VICE Media LLC · May 2015 - Present

5. Media Manager - International Video

   Associated Press · Sep 2014 - Nov 2015

6. Multimedia Contributor

   Index on Censorship · Sep 2014 - Jun 2015

7. Field Producer - Television News

   Associated Press · Nov 2012 - Jan 2015

8. Shooting Director / Producer, Editor - Nairobi based documentary

   British Film Institute, Future Film x United Nations Association - Grant Winner, #Tweetapitch Competition · Mar 2014 - Jun 2014

9. Freelance Deputy News Editor - International Video

   Associated Press · Oct 2012 - Sep 2014

10. Freelance Output News Producer - International Video

    Associated Press · Oct 2012 - Sep 2013

11. Director / Producer - 3D Short Film

    British Film Institute - Future Film: Grant winner BoldFace Productions · Oct 2012 - Dec 2012

12. News Assistant - International Video

    Associated Press · Jul 2012 - Jul 2012

13. Director / Producer - Short Music Documentary

    British Film Institute, Future Film x Doc Next - Grant Winner Step2TV · Sep 2011 - May 2012

1. Bachelor of Arts, Honours Music

   University of Cambridge · Sep 2007 - Jun 2010