Maureen Bharoocha is a Los Angeles based writer/director. Maureen’s feature debut was the HBO arm wrestling comedy, Golden Arm. Her 2nd feature film, The Prank, premiered at SXSW 2022 and hit theaters this past March. It’s dark comedy starring Rita Moreno, Keith David and Ramona Young. Maureen is next set to direct and is co-writing the horror comedy, Tina's 40th Birthday Party, with Mary Holland and Betsy Sodaro, Sharon Horgan’s Merman is attached to produce.
Previously Maureen was a segment director on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for three seasons and started her career with her short film, Abajee (shot on the streets of Karachi), which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Maureen was commissioned by Sprinkles Cupcakes to write and directed films based on their cupcake flavors.
Maureen is half Irish Catholic and half Indian-Pakistani Burmese Muslim. She enjoys telling stories about conflicted characters, blending genres and is a master at tone. Her work in TV (Grand Crew, Crank Yankers, Saved by the Bell and Peacock’s Pitch Perfect spin-off, Bumper in Berlin ) have screened all over the world; at SXSW, Santa Barbara Film Fest, Germany, India, and on HBO, Netflix and Peacock. She most recently directed on Hulu's upcoming new show Deli Boys.
While she thrives on finding the funny in whatever scene she’s directing. Maureen is equally adept at eliciting powerful dramatic performances. As evidenced in her most recent work with the legendary Rita Moreno and Keith David in the thriller comedy, The Prank, and with Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike in the narrative podcast, Edith.
Maureen was on HBO’s 2018 Director’s list, named one of Indie Wire’s Rising Female Directors in 2020, nominated for the SXSW 2020 Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Visionary Directing Award and won the Directing Award at the El Paso Film Fest in 2022.
photo by Bernd Reinhardt
Maureen has an MFA from Boston University and strives to live by her motto: MAKE COOL SHIT!