Bio
Marsha Jean is London-based, award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and writer originally from Hong Kong. She began her creative journey as a nomadic travel photographer at 18 years old, traversing over 60 countries over 7 years and living in countries like Pakistan, Greece, and Afghanistan for months at a time. Her immersive approach to travel allows her to deeply connect with the cultures she documents, challenging stereotypes and exploring diverse human experiences.
During her formative years from 19 to 21, she embarked on extraordinary travel experiences that shaped who she is today. These adventures included hitchhiking solo from Iran to France, cycling alone across Central Asia through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, and undertaking a 19-day solitary trek in Afghanistan with a rented donkey to carry her food and equipment. These journeys taught her resilience, adaptability, and the joy of connecting with unfamiliar cultures and landscapes.
In late 2022, Marsha moved to London to pursue her passion for screenwriting and film directing, transitioning her storytelling from still images to moving images. Her films, often set in raw and unfiltered environments, explore themes of resilience, identity, and the complexities of the female experience. Marsha's work reflects her belief in the power of cinema to give voice to untold stories and reveal the nuances of human emotion.
Marsha is an alumna of Locarno’s BaseCamp Academy. She holds an MA from the London Film School. She is also the founder of 25th House Productions, an independent company where they believe storytelling can change the world, one bold, tender truth at a time.
(Photo by Fernando Otavio)
AS SEEN ON
Awards
Best Thriller for “The Plate” - Rohip International Film Festival 2024
Best Thriller for “The Plate” - London Global Film Awards 2025
Best Super Short for “A Ritual to Remember” - London Global Film Awards 2025
MonoVisions Photography Awards 2021
Life Framer World Travelers Editors’ Pick (2021)
UNESCO Silk Road Photo Contest 2019
Labs and Residencies
BaseCamp Academy, Locarno Film Festival, Locarno, Switzerland 2025
Filmography
Documentary: “Childhood objects from Damascus” - Director
Short film: “The Currents Between” - Producer
Short film: “Finn” - Writer and Director
Short film: “A Ritual to Remember” - Writer and Director
Short film: “The Plate” - Writer and Director
Short film: “Orgasmic” - Writer, Director, and co-producer
Short film: “Street Clowns” - Writer and Director
Short film: “The Oldies” - Director
“A Sensored Film” by Sensored Magazine - 1st Assistant Director
“Introducing Sensored” for Sensored Magazine - Director
Feature film: “High Wire” - Director’s Assistant
Feature film: “From the Corner of My Eye” - Assistant Art Director
Publications (selected)
The Bikepacking Journal Issue 07 - “Undaunted”
The Female Explorer Magazine No. 3 - “Afghanistan”
Youth Lens on the Silk Roads 2nd edition (2019-2020) by UNESCO
Youth Lens on the Silk Roads 3rd edition (2021) by UNESCO
Youth Lens on the Silk Roads 4th edition (2023) by UNESCO