Maria Leonida is a documentary film director, co-founder and Director of Karpos, Centre of Education and Intercultural Communication. Karpos a non profit organisation (est.2008) focusing on media literacy running Greek and European Projects. Maria develops, coordinates projects and creates educational materials addressing various creative aspects of the media tools and texts for a range of learners in and outside schools.

She has designed and implemented workshops for national projects, two of which have received European awards, such as: A suitcase full of images and sounds: the F2F trainig 2019, Photography for young and adult refugees 2018-19, Opera and Animation 2017, My opinion 205-16, Training for Roma children 2013. She is also responsible for creating materials for European projects: Steamulate YourSchool 2020, Silence Hate 2018-9, AppYourSchool 2016-18, Youth Docs, 2014-16, North Aegean Narratives 2011-12, Videomuseums (2010-12), Stranger Festival 2009, Ecowomen 2008, CH.I.C.A.M 2002-3. She has several collaborations in Germany (University of Frankfurt, the JOBAct project and the Theatre Pedagogue Association of Hessen) for film language workshops.

Her documentary work has been screened in Film Festivals and TV channels around Europe with various subjects on art and society. Maria trained in filmmaking in London and Denmark. She holds a BA in History and an MA in Art History.