Petra Costa
Born: 1983-07-08 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Known For: Directing
Biography
Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker and actress. She first directed the short film Undertow Eyes (2009) which screened at the MoMA and was winner of best short film at Rio Film Festival, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, London International Documentary Festival among others. She then directed the feature Elena (2012) which premiered at IDFA, followed by SXSW and HotDocs. Elena won many prizes such as best film at Havana Film Festival (2013), was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 2014 Cinema Eye Honors and was the most watched documentary in Brazil in 2013. In 2013 Petra was one of the 20 recipients of a grant given by CPH:DOX in Denmark. From this grant Petra and her Danish co-director Lea Glob developed a feature film, currently in postproduction, with the working title Olmo and the Seagull. The film is being produced by Zentropa, Som & Furia and Busca Vida Filmes. Petra completed her undergraduate studies Summa Cum Laude in Anthropology at Barnard College, Columbia University, New York. She did her Masters in Health, Community and Development at the London School of Economics, London. She has lived in Brazil for most of her life.
Filmography
2025
- Apocalypse in the Tropics as Self
2022
- Beba ... (Executive Producer)
2020
- Babenco: Tell Me When I Die ... (Associate Producer)
- Ecstasy ... (Producer)
- The Edge of Theocracy as Petra Costa
2019
- The Edge of Democracy as Self
2017
- Nobody's Watching as Petra
- Life in Gray as Herself
2015
- Olmo and the Seagull ... (Director)
2013
- Elena as Self
2011
- Undertow Eyes ... (Producer)
2010
- Secrets of the Tribe ... (Assistant Editor)