Biography

Gabriel Motta is a Brazilian film director. His horror short film The Veil (2025) had its World Premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. His previous short Pastrana (2023), co-directed with Melissa Brogni, became one of the most acclaimed Brazilian short films of 2023/24, winning Best Film at both the 56th Brasília Film Festival and the 52nd Gramado Film Festival, two of the country’s most prestigious events. Internationally, it won Best Latin American Film at the BAFICI – Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival and Best Adventure Film at Mountainfilm Telluride (USA). The short was also the only Brazilian film selected for the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. His earlier work includes The Embrace (2022), which screened at over 20 festivals worldwide, such as FEST – New Directors/New Films (Portugal), Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival (France), Lund Fantastic Film Festival (Sweden), and Fantaspoa (Brazil), and Two Men by the Sea (2020), shown at San Francisco Frameline, NewFest New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, and Festival MixBrasil. In addition to his work in film, Gabriel directed the TV mini-series Via Pública (2021), aired on Brazilian cable television, and Reforma Planetária (2025).

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