Biography
Filmmaker and screenwriter Sergio Silva also works as a programmer dedicated to researching and preserving the history of Brazilian cinema. He is the director and writer of films such as "A terra segue azul quando saio do trabalho" (2021), the opening film at Doclisboa 2021, created at the invitation of the XIII Janela Internacional de Cinema do Recife; "Estamos todos na sarjeta, mas alguns de nós olham as estrelas" (2020), winner of the Curta! Award at the São Paulo Short Film Festival and screened at dozens of festivals; "Febre" (2017), a co-production with Canal Brasil showcased at the Aurora section of the 2018 Tiradentes Film Festival; "Minha única terra é na Lua" (2017), which won Best Performance at Mix Brasil and Best Film at Goiânia Mostra Curtas 2017, and "A vida do fósforo não é bolinho, gatinho" (2014), among other films that were featured in numerous festivals and showcases. In 2020, he was honored with a retrospective at Tiradentes for his work with the collective Filmes do Caixote. Additionally, his body of work was presented in a month-long retrospective on Canal 180, a Portuguese channel dedicated to independent productions.
He contributed creatively as an assistant director on films by notable filmmakers such as Helena Ignez ("Luz nas Trevas" and "O poder dos afetos"), Gustavo Vinagre ("Lembro mais dos corvos"), Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra ("As Boas Maneiras"), Marco Dutra ("Enterre Seus mortos" and "Quando eu era vivo"), Julia Katharine ("Too late/Tarde demais"), Caru Alves de Souza (TV series "De menor"), and Gurcius Gwedner and Gustavo Vinagre ("Privadas de suas vidas"). In 2025 he released his first feature, "Nem deus é tão justo quanto seus jeans", starring Igor Mo, Gilda Nomacce, Helena Ignez, and Mariana Ximenes.
As a curator for the Brazilian Cinematheque between 2012 and 2020, Sergio organized hundreds of programs showcasing both Brazilian and international cinema, including retrospectives on Brazilian Cinema Novo, Andrea Tonacci, Glauber Rocha, Carlos Reichenbach, Antonio Pitanga, Odete Lara, Alain Resnais, Leos Carax, the Cinema da Boca do Lixo movement, José Mojica Marins (Coffin Joe), Sonia Braga, Marguerite Duras, Roberto Santos, and Karim Aïnouz. He also curated thematic series such as "Women, Cameras, and Screens", "Acervo em foco", "Contemporary Brazilian Cinema", and "Tropicália: Yesterday and Today".
He has conducted archival research for projects such as "Ocupação Sganzerla" (Itaú Cultural) and exhibitions on Cinema Novo and Hector Babenco (at the Brazilian Cinematheque). Sergio has hosted programs for institutions like the Portuguese Cinematheque ("Brazilian Shorts"), Dragão do Mar Cultural Center in Ceará ("Fantasy in Brazilian Cinema"), Cinesesc ("Carnival in 35mm", "Panic in Cinema", "Pedro Almodóvar", and "100 Paulo Emílio" in partnership with the Cinematheque), Sesc Paulista ("Cine 35mm"), and Mario de Andrade Library ("Soundtracks in Brazilian Cinema"). He has also participated in events such as the São Paulo International Film Festival, Doclisboa, and Virada Cultural. In 2024, he was part of the selection committee for the Brasília Festival of Brazilian Cinema.
