With an expertise in silent film, film noir, and female directors, Marya E. Gates is a freelance film writer and critic based in Chicago. She has a BA in Comparative Literature and an MFA in film production. Before turning to writing full-time, she worked in social media marketing and editorial in the film industry. Her work has appeared in various film publications including Vulture, Indiewire, and Emmy Mag. She writes a monthly interview column for RogerEbert.com called "Female Filmmakers in Focus.”