Maine Filmmaker Spotlight: Mariah Larocque
Maine Filmmaker Spotlight:
Mariah Larocque
We connected with Mariah Laroque, Chief Operating Officer of Pine Coast Media Enterprises and multi-talented filmmaker, to learn more about her inspirations, career journey, and current projects.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself – where did you grow up? What brought you to Maine? What do you do currently in the Maine film and media production industry?
A: I was born in North Carolina, raised in New Hampshire, and have proudly called Maine home for the past decade. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Theatre from the University of Southern Maine and am currently pursuing my MFA through Maine Media College.
I'm a filmmaker, director, actress, and multidisciplinary artist. Professionally, I serve as the Chief Operating Officer of Pine Coast Media Enterprises, the parent company of Gemini Entertainment, a production and distribution company. Beyond my commercial work, I'm passionate about creating art and telling stories that spark conversation and connection, particularly those exploring trauma, resilience, and the human experience. Whether directing narrative films, advocating through documentary work, or supporting fellow filmmakers, I'm grateful to be building my career within Maine's creative community.
Q: What are some of your media inspirations – either longtime that made you want to get into media-making, or even recent works that you've admired?
A: Acting was my first creative love and ultimately the path that led me into filmmaking. More than any particular movie or television show, I was captivated by the opportunity to step into someone else's life, to embody different characters, perspectives, and emotions. That exploration of the human experience is what first inspired me to tell stories, and it remains at the heart of the work I create today.
Of course, there are countless films that have left a lasting impression on me. Good Will Hunting, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Memento, to name just a few, continue to inspire me through their emotional honesty, originality, and willingness to challenge audiences while remaining deeply human.
Theatre has also been one of my greatest artistic influences. I strive to attend live performances whenever I can. Productions like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Once Upon a Mattress, Fiddler on the Roof, and Damn Yankees were formative experiences that shaped me as both a performer and storyteller.
Q: Tell us about a project or two you've worked on in your career of which you're particularly proud.
A: One of the projects I'm most proud of is Good Morning Sunshine, a proof-of-concept film that I wrote, produced, and directed, inspired by my own experience as a survivor of child sexual exploitation. The film premiered at the Sanford Performing Arts Center in Maine, welcomed more than 100 attendees, and helped raise awareness and thousands of dollars for the grassroots anti-trafficking nonprofit Thrive New England, where I have volunteered since 2020. Good Morning Sunshine continues to evolve as I develop the feature screenplay, with plans to produce the film here in Maine.
I'm also incredibly proud of Silent System, a psychological horror short that explores labor trafficking through a surreal and unsettling lens. It challenged me creatively while allowing me to use genre filmmaking to shed light on a real-world issue that often goes unseen.
Outside of narrative filmmaking, I recently completed the final filming of A Survivor's Purpose, a documentary advocacy campaign I created to provide three organizations, two national and one international, with complimentary photography and videography services to help amplify their missions. The campaign brought me from Maine to Chicago and internationally to Romania, where I documented organizations combating human trafficking, supporting at-risk youth, and helping survivors. Being able to donate my resources and skills to causes making a tangible difference in the lives of others has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, and I'm excited to share a short documentary about that journey later this year.
Q: What project(s) are you currently working on that you're excited about and why?
A: I'm currently rewriting the feature screenplay, Good Morning Sunshine, while also developing several independent feature length horror films through Gemini Entertainment.
What excites me most is the opportunity to help expand what's possible for filmmakers here in Maine. In addition to offering national and international distribution opportunities, Gemini Entertainment is committed to creating more production opportunities so the incredibly talented filmmakers, crew members, and artists in our state can continue building sustainable careers while making feature-length films right here at home. Maine is full of exceptional talent, and I'm passionate about helping create an environment where people don't have to leave the state to pursue meaningful careers in the film industry. We have several exciting projects in development, and I encourage people to follow @geminientus on Instagram and Gemini Entertainment on Facebook for updates.
I'm also co-founder of the Dreadline Film Festival, a filmmaker-first horror, thriller, and experimental film festival launching August 22 at Portland Media Center. Our goal is to celebrate independent filmmakers while creating meaningful opportunities to connect, showcase their work, and build community. Along with a $1,000 Best of Fest award and a distribution opportunity, we provide professional filmmaker interviews and promotional media so participants leave with resources they can continue using long after the festival ends. We want Dreadline to be more than a one-day event; we want it to be an investment in filmmakers.
Q: What makes you choose to do this work in Maine?
A: Maine has an incredibly creative, supportive, and collaborative film community. I've found people here who genuinely want to see one another succeed, work together, and tell meaningful stories. The state's landscapes are undeniably cinematic, but it's the people who keep me here. There is a generosity and collaborative spirit that makes ambitious independent filmmaking possible, even on modest budgets. I'm proud to be part of a community that's growing every year, and I hope to continue contributing to Maine's reputation as a place where meaningful, high-quality filmmaking can thrive.
Be sure to follow @mariahlarocque and @geminientus on Instagram to stay up to date on all of their latest projects. Thank you Mariah for participating as this month’s MFA Maine Filmmaker Spotlight, and best of luck in all future endeavors!
We created this recurring series to provide our MFA community with insights into local film- and media-making endeavors while showcasing the breadth and depth of Maine's media workforce. Each edition highlights a new filmmaker(s) whose work reflects the strong identity and remarkable artistry of the Maine filmmaking industry. Maine is a place brimming with unique perspectives and voices that deserve to be heard, and we view these spotlights as an important way to uplift and celebrate the filmmaking talent our great state has to offer.
If you are interested in being featured in a future spotlight, please reach out to info@mainefilm.org.
