Oscar-nominated German filmmaker Maria Brendle and New York City-based producer Mariana Mendez have launched Double M Films, a U.S.-Swiss production company “dedicated to bold, character-driven storytelling and rethinking the indie film model.”
Brendle’s feature film debut, “Frieda’s Case,” which chronicles a momentous 1904 murder trial in Switzerland, premiered last year at the Zurich Film Festival to an eight-minute standing ovation.
The Zurich-based filmmaker met Mendez in 2021 while working on her Oscar-nominated short film “Take and Run,” about a young woman in Kyrgyzstan who falls victim to bride kidnapping. Mendez went on to executive produce “Take and Run” and oversee its Oscar campaign.
The two “immediately clicked,” Brendle told Variety, and what initially started as a playful idea in a New York screening room became a reality this summer. Brendle and Mendez say their partnership “redefines the traditional producer-director dynamic as one of true equals.”
The duo are not only defying traditional methods of financing indie films but also leveraging the global nature of their partnership, with Brendle in Europe and Mendez in the U.S., “to access diverse resources, talent and markets,” they add.
“We’re here to make films differently,” Brendle and Mendez said in a joint statement. “From the way we are looking at the story and financing structures of our projects to how we actually plan on bringing them to life, we want to build a home for fearless stories that push boundaries and play by their own rules.”
Double M is kicking off with two as yet untitled projects currently in the works: a psychological drama inspired by real-life stories of women navigating fractured identities, and a World War II feature centered on a bold, unconventional antiheroine, a woman whose choices challenge the rigid structures around her, revealing courage and moral complexity in a world at war.
Both projects are in development with collaborators across Switzerland, Germany and the U.S., reflecting the global nature of the company’s partnerships.
“Countless remarkable stories that question power structures, confront social issues and give a voice to perspectives too often left unheard remain untold, and I can’t wait to bring them to light alongside Mariana,” Brendle explained. “I deeply admire her courage, intelligence and emotional insight. Her way of understanding stories and characters makes her an invaluable partner, and I’m grateful to have such a versatile talent by my side.”
Mendez shares Brendle’s enthusiasm: “Working with Maria is an absolute joy; it’s the perfect mix of daring creativity and playful problem solving. She is a visionary filmmaker who embraces the wildest ideas without hesitation and who can’t help but be drawn to extraordinary real-life stories. I’m thrilled for what’s ahead and where this journey will take us.”
Founder of New York-based production company Mindsoup, Mendez’s recent credits include Rita Basulto’s award-winning 2023 animated short “Humo” (“Smoke”), about a small boy living in a Nazi concentration camp, which was shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards, nominated for an Annie Award and won Mexico’s Ariel Award.
From 2017 to 2025, Mendez supported the execution of Oscar campaigns for entertainment companies such as Apple, Focus, GKIDS, Searchlight and Warner Bros. as part of Joshua Jason Public Relations. Additionally, she led campaigns for Oscar-winning shorts such as “I’m Not a Robot” (2025), “The Neighbor’s Window” (2020) and “Skin” (2019).
Brendle is repped by Joanne Roberts Wiles of Black Bear Pictures.