Mara was born and raised in Athens, Greece, where she got her B.A. in media & culture. She has a master’s degree in film (theory, culture and industry) from the University of Westminster and she recently graduated from Columbia University’s Lede program as an SNF Fellow. She is a longtime film critic (currently the chief film critic for news & culture website Popaganda, and Head of Program at the Athens International Children & Youth Film Festival. She is a member of the European Film Academy.