Born in Athens, Maria Hatzimichali-Papaliou works as a film producer and director. She has directed many documentaries and television series, which have received awards in Greece (such as the Academy of Athens Award) and abroad (such as the International Federation of Film Critics-FIPRESCI Award and the Henry Ford Award).

They have also been screened in international festivals and museums, transmitted by international television channels and can be found in more than 500 university libraries in the USA and Europe.

Member of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO. Artistic Director of the International Documentary Film Festival on Disability EMOTION PICTURES (2007-2011).