Petra Costa

Personal Info

Known For Director

Gender Female

Birthday 1983-07-08 (41 years old)

Place of Birth Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Petra Costa

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.

Known For

Director

2019
2015
2013
Elena

as Director

2011
Undertow Eyes

as Director

Producer

2022
Beba

as Executive Producer

2020
Ecstasy

as Producer

2020
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die

as Associate Producer

2019
2011
Undertow Eyes

as Producer

Actor

2020
The Edge of Theocracy

as Petra Costa

2017
Life in Gray

as Herself

2017
2013
Elena

as Self

Writer

2019
2015
2013
Elena

as Writer

2011
Undertow Eyes

as Writer

Editor

2011
Undertow Eyes

as Editor

2010
Secrets of the Tribe

as Assistant Editor

Crew

2011
Undertow Eyes

as Cinematography