Eve A. Ma, like many other independent filmmakers, is primarily self-taught. She first became interested in film ⁄ video when, in an earlier career, she found herself producing a television interview series for a cultural non-profit she directed. After leaving the non-profit, she decided to continue working in media. 

Starting off as a producer ⁄ director of public access work, over the years she has honed her skills so that now, her productions are aired over national PBS in the United States as well as over several television stations in Spain and Germany. Her work has screened in festivals in nine countries on four continents. Ma explains, “I am attracted to film, not just for the visual imagery but also because sound is important, too. I love both.” 

A hallmark of Ma’s work is its engagement with other cultures. A former professor of Chinese and Japanese history (this was before running the non-profit), she has traveled to more than 20 countries, and has produced work in Spain and Peru, as well as the USA. Ma speaks Spanish, French and a some Mandarin as well as English, and many of her productions are in both Spanish and English.