Chica Barbosa is a Mexican-Brazilian filmmaker based in Los Angeles, US. Her work focuses on non-fiction cinema, experimental and hybrid narratives, addressing themes like immigration, colonization, LGBTQ+ rights, identity and faith as resistance. She also directs branded content and music videos.
She recently moved from São Paulo, Brazil, where she was part of the Film Collective “Cinefusão'' and where she started her own production company "En Caliente Films”, since 2014. She directed “Ferroada” (Bite), along with Bruno Mello Castanho, a short documentary about the Brazilian writer/undertaker Tico in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2018, she co-directed “La Flaca” (The Bony Lady), a short film about a Mexican transgender woman and leader of the Santa Muerte religious movement in Queens, NY; the film was highly acclaimed and entered over 120 film festivals around the world (among them: Frameline, Outfest, Fribourg International Film Festival, Guanajuato International Film Festival, Kasseler Dokfest, Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine-Latinoamericano de la Habana, Message to Man, Encounters FF). Also in 2018, she directed in Brazil, along with Bruno Mello Castanho, the feature documentary “Madrigal for a Living Poet” - awarded with best film, best director, best script, best edit and best character at the Festival de Cinema de Triunfo (Brazil, 2019).
In 2020, she directed, along with Fernanda Pessoa, the short film “Same/Different/Both/Neither”, a video correspondence between the filmmakers living in Los Angeles (USA) and São Paulo (Brazil) - the film premiered in the Short Competition of IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and won the 2nd prize for Best Short Documentary at Short Waves Festival in Poznan, Poland. The short film was also shortlisted in the IDA Awards for Short Films and was selected to film festivals like Festival Biarritz Amérique Latine, DOC NYC, RIDM, Leeds Film Festival and Vienna Shorts. Also in 2020, she was selected as a mentee of the Diverse Women in Media Forum Mentorship Program hosted by NALIP - National Association of Latino Independent Producers.
She is currently directing along with Fernanda Pessoa the multimedia project “Swing and Sway”, which has been selected to the Arts Talent Market at the Sheffield Doc Fest, to the Arché Lab (part of the Doc Lisboa Film Festival Industry hub) and was granted the Swiss fund ‘Visions Sud Est’ for Documentaries in postproduction. Adriana is also producing the feature documentary "Esu and the Universe '' directed by Thiago Zanato, a production between Brazil and Nigeria, finalist of the Roy Dean Spring Grant and selected to the Points North Fellowship, Latino Media Market - NALIP Media Summit, WIP latino at FICG in LA, “Only in New York” - DOCNYC and DOCSP - International Documentary of São Paulo, Brazil.
Beto Hale: Antonella
(
Music Video
Director Music video for Beto Hale’s new single “Antonella”, 2021
Swing and Sway
Documentary
(Documentary)
Director Two friends respond to the challenges of the present by connecting through a playful provocation. Separated by America’s hemispheres, one in Brazil and the other in the U.S, they communicate strictly through video letters during 2020. As a rule, each letter is formally and thematically inspired by a woman experimental filmmaker. As life unfolds, they express on film what they want to share with each other: the experience of being a recent immigrant, the expectations of political elections in both countries, their fears and hopes, all while observing the different women around them.
Financed by the Visions Sud Est Fund and SPCINE Edital de Baixissimo Orçamento.
Participation in labs and markets:
Sheffield Doc Art Talents Market
Arché, DocLisboa
Jihlava New Visions Forum
FAM Work in Progress