Nicholas Ma
Nicholas Ma | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1983 |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, producer |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Won't You Be My Neighbor? |
Nicholas Ma (born around 1983) is recognized as a film director and producer, notably for the acclaimed 2018 documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? which received multiple awards.
Ma is the son of Yo-Yo Ma and Jill Hornor, and has one sister named Emily Ma. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University in 2005. Following graduation, he gained professional experience at McKinsey & Company with assignments in both New York City and Shanghai. Additionally, he contributed to international economic policy work alongside Senator John Kerry on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In 2013, Ma departed from McKinsey and later pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film & Television at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 2017.
As a producer, Ma worked on Won't You Be My Neighbor? together with Morgan Neville and Caryn Capotosto. Prior to this, he collaborated with Neville on the 2015 documentary The Music of Strangers, which centers on the Silk Road Ensemble established by his father.
In 2019, Ma released a 15-minute documentary short titled SUITE NO. 1, PRELUDE, which showcases his father’s re-recording of a cello composition; this film was screened at Doc NYC. His debut feature-length film, Mabel, earned a $100,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as well as backing from the Tribeca Film Institute's Sloan Filmmaker Fund. Co-written with Joy Goodwin, Mabel tells the story of a young girl’s connection with a potted plant and her botany instructor, featuring performances by Christine Ko, Judy Greer, and Lexi Perkel.
In 2022, Ma served as co-producer for Unfinished Business, a documentary directed by Alison Klayman that documents the journey of the New York Liberty women's basketball team and the WNBA. This film made its debut at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.