AUTONOMOUS GENIE FILMS is an independent film production company of several award winning films - both documentary and fiction narratives.

 

KATHARINE MAHALIC is a filmmaker and film lecturer.  She holds an MFA in Film and Video from Columbia College, Chicago and a BA in Humanities from Michigan State University.  She has also studied film at the British Film Institute and Central Michigan University. 

 

In addition to her award winning documentaries and fiction short narratives, she holds a Lecturer position at Washington University in St. Louis, teaching film production.  She is the founder and director of More Than Just Films, a sister production company to Autonomous Genie Films, that offers school screenings of Mahalic's documentaries Welcome to Unity, and The Vacuum Kid.  Both films are rooted in themes that emphasize the importance of social tolerance and promote an anti-bullying message.  Mahalic personally tours with the films and facilitates peer building and filmmaking workshops to help youth build stronger peer relationships.  Ms. Mahalic has been facilitating filmmaking workshops for youth since launching a pilot program at an orphanage in Río Dulce, Guatemala.  At the orphanage, Ms. Mahalic worked with Guatemalan children, teaching filmmaking and story-telling skills. 

​

Currently, Mahalic is in post-production for two short films, “Bicitaxi” and “Revolution” both of which were shot in Nicaragua during the summer of 2016.  The former is a documentary that tells the story of a young taxi-bike owner who is trying to make ends meet while working in León, Nicaragua.  The latter is a fiction narrative, which tells the tale of a couple reuniting after the death of their son during the tumultuous times of the Nicaraguan Revolution.

​

Mahalic has extensive professional experience, encompassing work not only in the independent film arena, but also in commercials, news programming, distribution, and television documentary.