Hoods

Maja Aro is an emerging filmmaker from Vancouver, BC. She began her career in film as a professional stuntwoman. Maja’s over decade long career has taken her around the world working on well-known Hollywood blockbusters (Red, Twilight Saga, The Cabin In The Woods, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) and hit TV shows (Once Upon A Time, Supernatural, Smallville) alike.

Maja grew up in Williams Lake BC, and as a child and young adult was an internationally competitive downhill ski racer, national level downhill mountain bike racer and provincial level equestrian. Such skills gave her a good base when she began pursuing a career as a stuntwoman. She originally was pursuing a career as a fashion designer as making a career as an athlete didn’t seem like a viable option until she discovered stunts, and then promptly changed the direction of her training and career path. She still sews for passion, and usually designs and creates her own outfits for events and her films.

Maja has been nominated for three UBCP awards for “best stunt”, in 2012 for her work on True Justice, and in 2014 for her work on The Tomorrow People, and in 2015 for her work on Supernatural. Maja was also nominated for a 2014 Taurus World Stunt Award for “best stunt by a stuntwoman” for her work on Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. In 2015 Maja was honored with the Stunt Warrior Award from the Artemis film festival celebrating her work as a stuntwoman.

In 2015 Maja made the jump behind the camera co-directing/producing two short films. The first, FIZZ, was created as part of the Run ‘N’ Gun 48 hour film competition, and won best sound design and best cinematography. The second, Blood, premiered at the 2016 Vancouver International Women In Film Festival. Maja has just completed her first solo film Hoods the 2015 MPPIA short film funding award winner, which she wrote and directed. As a part of being the winning film, Hoods will premier at the 2016 Whistler Film Festival.

Maja is currently stunt coordinating season 6 of ABC’s Once Upon A Time. She is completing a graphic novel “Amazone”, developing a feature film, and just returned from Kathmandu,Nepal with WaterAid Canada.

For additional filmography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2857057