Matheus Mello (b. 1986)
Born:
February 14, 1986
A migrant non-binary Development Angel and Creative Producer based between Brazil and Spain, with a diverse ethnic background. Growing up, they were always aware of the cultural differences in their family, which led them to question identity, gender, and its place in the world. In an effort to learn from other perspectives, they pursued a degree in International Relations and studied abroad, but still felt the need to experience the world in a more direct way. In 2011, they embarked on a year-long journey driving a VW Bus from Alaska to Brazil, traveling through 14 different countries and connecting with the complexities of the self and others. With this experience, they realized that they were filmmaking as a kid, and also learning so much about others felt just right to pursue a way to tell stories. Upon returning to Brazil, they joined the local public cinema sector and helped to write the local film policies. This experience led to opportunities in the film industry, including their first job as an executive assistant producer for a feature film that premiered in Locarno. Later studied cinema in Cuba and graduated as a filmmaker specialized in film production from the International Film and TV School of San Antonio de los Baños (EICTV) in 2018. Their work has been around identity in its broader sense, showing perspectives by people living in the margins, in the diasporas, during their migrations being physically, spiritually or geographically. Since then, they produced films and participated in film festivals, markets, and labs in Brazil, the United States, Canada, Cuba, and Spain. Also worked in film festivals, labs, and educational programs in Brazil, Cuba, and Spain, such as Nuevas Miradas (Cuba), Florianópolis Children's Film Festival (Brazil), PFF-Porno FilmFestival (Spain), Film Accelerator Programs with Lucrecia Martel in 2019 and with Werner Herzog in 2021. Their work includes short fiction films, documentaries, and video installations, been screened in various festivals like Tallinn Black Nights (award), Raindance, Sitges, Tirana (award), Morelia, Zinebi, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo (award), Guanajuato, IDFA (award), Rotterdam to name a few. They participated in prestigious labs and markets, and they are alumni of Sundance Institute, LIM-Less is More Development Angels, Realness Institute Creative Producer Indaba, and Emerging Producer Ji.hlava.