Finding Happy takes you on a journey across oceans to explore the healing power of connection told through other unlikely human-animal bonds. The film is centered around one tiny sparrow, named Happy, and how his rescue story became a beacon of hope for millions worldwide.
Maria is Half Guyanese and Half French Canadian. Growing up biracial, and from a very unique home-life, left her feeling like she didn't quite fit in anywhere. This led to a strong desire to help others, who may feel a little disconnected, find a safe place to land. Storytelling became Maria’s medium of choice and she started acting. The issue was - she wanted to tell stories that meant a lot to her. That’s when she started writing. As a writer Maria had two projects in pre-production right before the pandemic hit but, as we all know, the world stopped. Maria lost everything, including all hope for the future. Little did she know, a tiny miracle would fall from the sky and turn her back in the direction of her dreams with a passion she had never felt before. The tiny miracle led to Maria’s directorial debut, Finding Happy, which spurred her to establish her production company, Happy Moone Productions. Since then, Maria has gone on to direct five commercials. Currently, she is in pre-production to direct and star in one of her scripted features called ‘Got Daddy Issues?’, a female-driven comedy based on the true story of three fathers/daughter relationships. By telling stories that matter to her, Maria hopes to open a few hearts and spread a little connection, hope, understanding and maybe even a few laughs. Maria is also an Executive Producer of the inspiring documentary, Finding 52; The Search for the Loneliest Whale, alongside Leo DiCaprio and Adrien Grenier.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Kelly has a 20-year background in the entertainment industry, both in front and behind the camera. She had a modeling career in her 20’s, using her downtime to travel and volunteer around the world. Initially engaging in the non-profit sector with anti-human trafficking organizations, she found herself forever changed after volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. From there she got deeply involved with elephant conservation, eventually working as Director of External Relations for the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (Akashinga) in Zimbabwe. Kelly’s love for advocacy and travel has inspired her to explore global solutions to protect our planet’s future through everyday actions, compassion, and storytelling.
