Ally May(I)

Ally May is an award-winning writer and director whose films have screened at top festivals including HollyShorts, Catalina, San Francisco International, and Santa Barbara. Her directing has earned accolades such as Best Director at the California Indie Festival, Toronto Indie Shorts, and Female Film Festival. Ally began her creative journey as a writer, earning a B.A. in American Literature with a focus on Cinema. Writing remained her primary pursuit until 2017, when a chiropractic adjustment triggered a stroke that temporarily took away her ability to write. Though she eventually regained this ability, she continues to navigate language-related challenges, particularly with grammar and spelling. After months of despair, she enrolled at San Francisco Film School, where she directed her first short film-and discovered a profound passion for directing that redefined her path. Ally's work explores emotionally haunted characters-often women grappling with trauma, intuition and transformation. Her visual storytelling blends narrative and experimental forms, with a signature tone that is atmospheric, intimate, and psychologically rich and tension fueled. Her recent short film The Abiding exemplifies this style and continues to play on the festival circuit. Ally is the creator and host of the podcast Slated-Women Filmmakers. Ally is currently in development on three original feature films: Strangled, a haunting psychological drama about regret and identity. The Bequest, a psychological drama thriller grief and revenge and making sure people get what they deserve. Bonded, a haunting story of sisterhood and survivor's guilt set in the ruins of a cult. Ally is a fierce advocate for women behind the camera and in all film departments and is committed to hiring all-women crews when possible and to ensuring every project she directs includes women department heads. May 2026