Maclean directed her first short film, "Taunt", in 1982 and later directed the short film, "Rud’s Wife", in 1985. In 1987, Maclean directed "Talkback", a short film centred around issues of gender and communication. "Kitchen Sink", debuted at Cannes in 1989 and went on to win eight international awards. That same year, Maclean moved to Sydney, Australia.