Isabella Margara

Isabella Margara is an awarded writer and director of Greek origin. She also has a degree in medicine with a membership at the Royal College of Physicians in London. She received the International Audience Award at Clermont-Ferrand 2023 with her second short film 'NOTHING HOLIER THAN A DOLPHIN'. The film has screened at major festivals worldwide (Interfilm Berlin, Concorto, Helsinki, IndyShorts, etc), having received several awards and has been selected by one of the largest environmental organizations in Europe for its significant impact and importance. Her first short film '54 / THE BLIND TURTLE AND THE ENDLESS SEA' (2020) screened in Oscar-qualifying festivals and was acquired by CANAL+ in Central Europe and COSMOTE TV in Greece and Cyprus. She has been selected at Sarajevo Talents 2021 and Les Arcs Talent Lab 2023, which invites annually 8 upcoming European directors.

Isabella is currently developing her third short film as well as her first feature film, 'BLACK WATER', a post-apocalyptic western with an environmental theme and elements of magical realism. The script is based on the highly acclaimed book by Michalis Makropoulos, which received the Greek National Literature Award (Novel) in 2020. The book has recently been translated and published in France ('Eau Noir'). The film project was presented at Thessaloniki Film Festival Agora 2023 and it received the Finos Film award for a standout Greek project.

Isabella is interested in the therapeutic aspect of art. Our relationship with nature is a recurrent theme in her work. She often explores emblematic female characters, the possibilities of the human body and the transformation point between reality and fantasy as narrative tools.