Mary Posatko
Associate Professor, Graduate Advisor
College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
School of Theatre, Television, and Film
Television, Film, and New Media
SDSU
Primary Email: [email protected]
Phone/Fax
Primary Phone: 619-594-8654
Building/Location
Communication - 124G
Website Links
Bio
Mary Posatko is a director and producer with a focus in documentary storytelling. Her latest feature film, IN A WINTRY SEASON, had its international premiere at the Krakow Film Festival and its US premiere at Cinequest in 2025. Previous films have screened at SXSW, IDFA, Los Angeles Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival (AIN'T IN IT FOR MY HEALTH: A FILM ABOUT LEVON HELM); CPH:DOX, Goteborg, Middleburg, and Maryland Film Festival (ALL FALL DOWN); Borrego Springs, Valley Film Festival and Glendale Film Festival (THIN AIR); and the Raw Science Film Festival (TARGET ZERO).
Mary's films have been Executive Produced by Bona Fide Productions (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, ELECTION, I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART) and Chicken & Egg, and have received support from the inaugural IDA Pare Lorentz Award, the San Francisco Film Society, Good Pitch, the Abell Foundation, and the San Diego State Research Foundation, among others.
From 2020 through 2024, Mary ran a summer youth filmmaking workshop in partnership with Didi Hirsch in LA focusing on storytelling and mental health in the aftermath of Covid. In 2018, she created a series of animation/documentary hybrid films about HIV in partnership with LAC/USC hospital and Dr. Helen Berman of the Rutgers Protein Data Bank. She is currently in production on a documentary about biodiversity in partnership with the folks at The Caterpillar Lab, Arc of Appalachia, and Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware. Other clients have included Josie Maran Cosmetics/Sephora and Vanguard Records.
Originally from the great state of Delaware, Mary received her BA in History from Brown University, and her MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.