Mariana Silva

Biography

Mariana Silva is a Portuguese filmmaker with a solid background in audiovisual arts. Raised in Porto, she developed an early interest in cinema, leading her to pursue a professional course in audiovisual studies during secondary school. This initial training provided her with practical experience and facilitated internships in the field, laying the foundation for her academic and professional development. She continued her film studies at the School of Arts of the Catholic University of Portugal, where she became involved in a wide range of creative projects, including fiction, documentary, experimental films, and audiovisual essays. During this period, Silva began to gain recognition for her work behind the camera, assuming key roles in cinematography, editing, and directing. Her first notable work was the documentary Panem Aurorae, where she was responsible for cinematography and color grading. The film was selected for several film festivals, both in Portugal and internationally. She continued to explore different cinematic forms through projects such as the experimental short film Post Human, whose poster design was nominated for the Sophia Student Award in 2023. Silva contributed to several projects in different roles, including assistant directing and co-writing the short fiction film Red Death, assistant directing the short fiction films Dlize and There Are Monsters In The Dark, in addition to editing the latter. She also directed the observational documentary Of Gold and the music video Rapaz de Lisboa, further demonstrating her versatility in different formats and genres. Her growing body of work reflects a constant interest in visual storytelling, focusing on collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to filmmaking. She continues to develop her career in the independent film circuit, contributing to projects that are being distributed at festivals.