Maya Simchi

Maya Simchi was born and raised in "Nir-Am", a Kibbutz in Israel which lies close to the border with Gaza. Growing up in a constant war zone had a profound effect on her upbringing, and these powerful experiences motivate and inspire her work today. Thanks to her Argentinian routes, Maya speaks fluent Spanish. Acting has been a major part of her life from a very young age. She was trained by alum and the respected acting coach Ruti Diches in her well-known "Haderech" acting school in Tel Aviv, Israel. During her studies Maya worked with the best directors in Israel, playing numerous roles in TV shows such as "Eifo Ata Chai" and "Eretz Nehederet". Maya starred in "Cup of Coffee", a short film which won first place at the 2018 Miami WIFF Film Festival, official selection for the 2017 Newport Beach Film Festival, official selection for the 2017 Austrian Independent Film Festival, and represented Israel at the 2016 Cannes Festival. She also co-starred in "The Eulogy of Pini Gurevich", which secured a spot in the Sacramento International Film Festival, Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival, and represented Israel at the Cannes Festival 2016. Alongside this, Maya also starred in the revolutionary horror-comic film "Wasted", which was the official selection at the Post Mortem International Horror & Bizarre Short Film Festival 2017 and the Audience Award Winner at the Cinemateque (Israel) 2016. Maya is currently working on her first feature film, which deals with war conflicts as a day-to-day reality.