Overview:
Brazilian-American actress and filmmaker Maiara Walsh delivers her most ambitious work to date with BIGHT, a psychological thriller that confronts the emotional fallout of open relationships, jealousy, and power dynamics. Co-written, directed by, and starring Walsh, the film follows two couples whose reunion spirals into betrayal and heartbreak. The article also highlights Walsh’s work on Warriors, a National Geographic documentary short she helped organize and direct overseas in collaboration with Indigenous women in the Amazon.
Maiara Walsh has never been content to stay in one creative lane. A Brazilian-American, multi-disciplinary actress and award-winning filmmaker, Walsh’s career spans network television, global streaming projects, and now—most decisively—independent filmmaking that confronts power, desire, and identity head-on. Fluent in two languages and working across continents, she represents a new generation of artists shaping stories from the inside out.
BIGHT: A Psychological Descent Into Desire and Control
Walsh’s most ambitious work to date arrives with BIGHT, a psychological thriller she co-wrote with Cameron Cowperthwaite, directed, and stars in, marking her feature-length directorial debut. Distributed by Scatena and Rosner, and produced by Mark Hapka’s production company White Room, in association with Cowperthwaite’s 80 Proof, and Walsh’s Inspired Ink, the film releases February 10, 2026, and stars Cameron Cowperthwaite (Fallout, Dahmer), Mark Hapka (23 Blast, Hot Take: Depp/Heard Trial), and Maya Stojan (Castle, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Also produced by Stephen Moffatt and Yori X.
Walsh’s creative vision extends well beyond fiction. She and Kelly Balch collaborated closely with the Kayapó tribe in the Amazon on Warriors, a National Geographic and Pykore Associação Indígena documentary short Maiara directed, following five Indigenous young women learning filmmaking as a means of preserving culture and tradition.
Overview
Two couples reunite over an intimate dinner celebrating the success of an avant-garde photographer. What begins as a provocative exploration of open relationships quickly fractures into jealousy, betrayal, and emotional devastation. As the evening spirals, each character is forced to confront the darker truths beneath desire—and the illusion of freedom itself.
Walsh as Charlie
Walsh plays Charlie, a Type-A perfectionist suffocating under the pressure of a micromanaging boss and a relationship on the brink. Beneath her controlled exterior is a quiet longing for rupture—a need to break free from the chaos she’s meticulously maintained. Charlie becomes the emotional axis of BIGHT, embodying the tension between restraint and release, agency and surrender.
As a filmmaker, Walsh approaches the material with surgical precision. BIGHT is less about shock than psychology—examining how intimacy can become transactional, how liberation can curdle into control, and how modern relationships often mistake openness for honesty.
A Career Built Across Borders and Genres
Walsh first became known to wide audiences through television, with appearances on series including Cory in the House, The Vampire Diaries, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Switched at Birth, Desperate Housewives, The Last Ship, and Good Trouble.
Her work has also resonated internationally through Netflix projects like Girl from Ipanema, Diary of an Exchange Student, and the Brazilian historical series Reis (Kings). She is currently filming Ben Hur in Brazil—further evidence of her cross-cultural reach.
Purpose Beyond the Frame: Warriors and National Geographic
Walsh’s creative vision extends well beyond fiction. She collaborated closely with the Kayapó tribe in the Amazon to organize, direct, and produce Warriors, a National Geographic documentary short following five Indigenous young women learning filmmaking as a means of preserving culture and tradition.
The project—currently gaining momentum on the international festival circuit—reflects Walsh’s commitment to ethical storytelling and collaboration, prioritizing community voice over spectacle.
A Defining Moment
Across psychological thrillers, dark comedy, and documentary, Walsh’s work is unified by a strong visual language and character-driven storytelling. Whether portraying a woman unraveling under desire or empowering Indigenous filmmakers to tell their own stories, she remains focused on narratives that are bold, intimate, and deeply human.
With BIGHT set for release and Warriors finding its global audience, Maiara Walsh is no longer just an actress stepping behind the camera—she is a filmmaker with a clear point of view, shaping stories that challenge comfort while honoring truth.
Maiara Walsh
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Editor’s Note: Presence News will continue following the release of BIGHT ahead of its February 2026 debut.
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