Meet Maya Korn | Creative Producer, Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maya Korn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My role as a film producer has led me to be somewhat of a self-starter. Often I come up with an idea for a project and bring on the relevant people/ elements to make it a reality. Running my own business is basically an extension of that, except instead of being a cog that helps make a section of the machine run (as I had previously in more corporate roles), you are the engine master of the machine.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
From my first placements in the independent film world at Submarine Entertainment and the Film Society of Lincoln Center through NYFF52, I immediately realized this was how I wanted to make movies. I loved that everyone seemed to care about the art of cinema first, finances second. The world is much more scrappy and entrepreneurial than the larger film companies I’d moonlighted in the marketing departments of prior (Weinstein, Pathe Productions, BBC America), which suited the skills I’d built up on the site-specific performance stage producing through my fledgling NY/ London immersive theatre company ONE OF US.

My interest piqued, I successfully applied to my Columbia Creative Producing MFA. This left me well versed in all aspects of production: I developed scripts with writer/directors, found finance, cast, hired crew, dealt with all the logistics of set and post-supervision. I honed my producer voice and got immersed in international perspectives, collaborating with filmmakers from all over the world. During this time, I was also able to work at companies that focused on a female agenda: Refinery 29 and Maven Pictures. My current production company, MHK Productions, focuses on social justice genre stories with minority, female and queer stories at its center. Our narrative work thus far has been to over 150 festivals and won 50 awards. Our commercial and TV work has forged collaborations with MTV and Facebook Live. Milestone moments for me were getting into the Berlinale Talent Project Market Lab (that only selects 10 applicants) & Fantasia Frontieres co production lab with Vivienne Vaughn’s LUCKY STRIKES; working on CARDI TRIES S2 and all the success of one of my early short’s Ashley George’s DIABLA (played over 60 festivals, won 15 awards, and premiered on Gunpowder & Sky’s Alter platform to 60k views).

Every piece of this journey has been a struggle, I started at 17 as runner at Working Title, knowing absolutely no one in the industry and then decided I wanted to work in the US (tricky being a UK/German national), which I think made my path to setting up a business take twice as long. This is an industry about perseverance, a lot of people quit. As storytellers, we also have a responsibility to send messages with meanings. I want to use my company and platform to show up societal issues and stand up for minorities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m extremely passionate about my neighborhood DTLA so a lot of the places I’d show them would center around there. Bars: The Wolves (a vintage train station was shipped across the country to furnish this bar); Coles ( spot the ‘Charles Bukowski Pissed Here’ sign in the men’s bathroom), Mignon Wine bar
Food: Manuela (I love it for brunch and saying “hi” to the chickens), Damian, Cara Cara in the Proper Hotel, Nickel Diner, Little Sister, Kato and Rappahannock Oyster at the Row, Central market, Il Caffe (coffee shop in front of the Art Deco Eastern Building)
Shop/ Visit: The Row (on a pickwick vintage fair day), Grand Central Market, Neue House in the Bradbury Building (to see the iconic Blade Runner location), Dover Street Market, Hauser and Wirth, FIDM Museum, The Night Gallery, These Days, MOCA and the Broad Museum

Outside of DTLA my haunts are: Figaro, La Poubelle Bistro, Chateau Marmont, Rhonda International club night, Musso and Frank, Tower Bar at Sunset Tower, The Prince, Jones, Sushi Ike, Genghis Cohen, Cara Hotel, Bacceti, Lolo, Casita Del Campo, El Compadre, Dan Tanas, Huntington Library and Gardens, Suehiro Café (a Japanese diner), Poltergeist @ButtonMash, Saddle Peak Inn and The Old Place (Malibu), Braindead Theater, Star Love Bar, Recess LA (Vintage Clothes), Pasadena antique stores, the Neon Museum, the Bunny Museum, Natural History Museum (gemstone room, rose garden and spider pavilion), The Academy Museum, The Getty Museums, Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, Grandmaster Recorders, Cafe Triste, Melody (wine bar in Virgil Village & dive bar in Chinatown), Kinkan (a Thai tasting menu spot), Horses, Ototo (try their Sake Tasting), Jitlada, Dan Sung Sa and Bacari restaurant.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
One of my producer heroes is Christine Vachon. Her first company was a scrappy non-profit inspired by the anti-Hollywood New York scene and her next, Killer Films, made my all-time favourite movies (Kids, Party Monster, Boys Don’t Cry). Her projects are queer, feminist, say something and she is known for being uncompromising in protecting the director’s vision. Christine’s work has had a huge influence on my taste and approach (her book Shooting to Kill is under my pillow), sharpening skills I learnt in the immersive theatre world.

Website: www.mhkproductions.com

Instagram: @my.my.muy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-korn-11217643/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHKProd

Image Credits
Solo for article- Harvey Jordan (double checking) Solo Headshot- Bianca Catbagan Red Carpet- AK Espada Fantastic Fest- Kaila Hier SCAD- a getty image credited Cindy Ord Screamfest- getty Albert L Ortega Montana Film Fest q&a- Ryan Schmitz San Jose Film Fest Step and Repeat- Stage One Smug Mug Berlinale Group Picture- Carlos Collado