About

Eighteen years of stories that matter.

With over 18 years’ experience across news, film, television, digital, marketing and advertising, Maleena has originated and delivered projects for platforms and broadcasters including Channel 4, BBC, Sky, LADbible, YouTube and MTV.

She has also led multi-format creative content and editorial campaigns for global brands, NGOs, institutions and businesses such as Nike, IKEA, DFID, Spotify, Smirnoff, Tesco and Meta, working in-house and with award-winning agencies and world-class production companies. She has built and led international creative teams, secured funding and new business, and overseen large-scale productions, and she is an accomplished doc director in her own right.

Download the one-page CV

Photograph: Mikael Buck

Her approach

How stories are made matters as much as the stories.

Narrative, not content

She builds narrative ecosystems rather than isolated pieces of content: thinking beyond a single film or campaign to how a story lives across platforms, audiences and time. From broadcast to social, from conversation to community, the work is designed to resonate, expand and endure.

Cultural intelligence

Deep knowledge of cultural trends, audience behaviour and platform context, with sensitivity to the moment. She approaches storytelling with care and precision, particularly with diverse voices or sensitive subject matter, ensuring stories are held with integrity rather than simplified for consumption.

Trauma-informed practice

Across documentary and commercial work she integrates trauma-informed methodologies into production: environments of safety, consent and trust, where contributors are participants with agency rather than subjects. It shapes how stories are edited, framed and shared with the world.

Authorship & human truths

Whether working with brands, broadcasters or individuals, she centres authored storytelling. She is interested in the tension between the personal and the universal, and in creating space for stories that feel honest, nuanced and grounded. This is where audiences shift from passive viewers to active participants.

Contact

Let’s work together.

If you’re building something, shaping a story or just want to explore an idea, Maleena would love to hear from you. She replies to every message within 48 hours. Real human. Real replies.

maleena@storytellherstudios.com

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