15-year-old Maya, whilst doing well both socially and at school, is struggling with her mother’s worsening addictions, and the uneasy presence of her mother’s boyfriend, Diego. Stuck in an environment that feels inescapably futile and loveless, Maya falls victim to the edgy charms of Ray, whom she meets online. When Maya and Ray meet in real life, he is immediately established as her ‘protector’ and the two enjoy a brief honeymoon period – which gradually darkens as Maya is coerced by Ray into the world of organized sex trafficking.

Written, directed and produced by award winning filmmaker Julia Verdin, Maya is a stark social impact film engaging with the dangers of online grooming and sexual exploitation as well as issues of addiction and domestic violence. This film stars Patricia Velasquez, Rumer Willis, Rena Owen, Gian Franco Rodriguez, Anthony Montgomery, Billy Budinich and newcomer Isabella Feliciana as Maya.