I’M THIAGO ZANATO, A BRAZILIAN FILMMAKER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR BASED IN LOS ANGELES. MY WORK EXPLORES BELONGING, IDENTITY, AND CULTURE — OFTEN FOCUSING ON OVERLOOKED CHARACTERS AND UNTOLD STORIES. I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATING ARTFUL, SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS PROJECTS THAT CHALLENGE HOW WE SEE THE WORLD AND OURSELVES.
Thiago began his career as a creative director at top-tier advertising agencies such as AKQA, Dentsu, TBWA and Pubilcis, developing high-profile campaigns for brands like Nike, Xbox, Absolut Vodka, Samsung, Heineken and many more. His passion for film led him to work as a creative director on projects such as I’m Here (Sundance, 2010), directed by Spike Jonze, and NY-Z, featuring Jay-Z. In 2013, he founded Black Magic, a production company based in New York and São Paulo, where he directed commercial work for clients including Sony, Fiat, Mastercard, and TED Global.
In 2017, Thiago shifted toward auteur-driven documentaries and narrative fiction. His 2018 short film La Flaca tells the story of a Mexican transgender woman and leader of the Santa Muerte (Saint Death) cult in Queens, NY. The film was widely acclaimed, screening at over 100 festivals worldwide, including Outfest, Frameline, LALIFF, New Orleans Film Festival, Fribourg, Encounters, Message to Man, Havana, Guanajuato, and many others.
In 2022, he premiered Esu and the Universe, a documentary filmed in Brazil, Nigeria, Spain, and Slovenia about the decolonization of thought and the demonization of African-based religions in Brazil and beyond. The film won the Best Documentary Jury Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. It was also selected for the Points North Fellowship, Latino Media Market (NALIP Media Summit), WIP Latino at FICG in LA, DOC NYC, and DOCSP.
Today, Thiago directs commercial projects, music videos, and auteur-driven films focused on American and Latin artists. He is developing a narrative feature about Arely Vazquez and the Santa Muerte community in Queens — a co-production between Mexico and the U.S. In addition to this, he is working on several narrative projects in both Brazil and the U.S. His work seeks to challenge dominant forms of representation in film and entertainment by amplifying unheard stories and overlooked characters, contributing to the deconstruction and decolonization of thought.
Film Awards:
Best Documentary Audience Award at the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival (2022)
Best Documentary Jury Award at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival (2022)
Best Documentary Short Film - Tacoma Film Festival. U.S. (2019)
Best Documentary Short Film - Seattle Latino Film Festival. U.S. (2019)
Best Documentary Short Film & Best Short Film - FESAALP Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de La Plata. Argentina (2019)
Best International Short Film. Espacio Queer. Argentina (2019)
Best Short Award, "Guerrilla" Section - AMOR LGBT+ International Film Festival. Chile (2019)
Best Short Film, VICE en Español Award - Programa de Diversidad Sexual + FICM Morelia. Mexico (2018)
Film Selections & Fellowships:
62 Cartagena International Film Festival
2020 Points North Fellow
2020 NALIP Media Market Fellow
43rd Frameline San Francisco International Film Festival
37th OutFest Film Festival
18th LALIFF Los Angeles Latino Film Festival
29th New Orleans Film Festival
35th Kasseler Dokfest
32nd Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland)
28th Message to Man (Russia)
40th Havana Film Festival (Cuba)
21st Guanajuato International Film Festival (Mexico)
28th Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival (Canada)
and many others.
Advertising Awards:
9 Cannes Lions ;
Cannes Young Lions Winner ;
6 Pencils in One Show ;
4 Clio Awards ;
1 Grand Prix and 3 Golds in the London International Advertising Awards.