Bio

Débora Souza Silva is an award-winning filmmaker whose work explores themes of identity, cultural memory, family relationships, and the experiences of women of color. Drawing from her roots as a Latina and Afro-Brazilian storyteller, Débora creates intimate and visually compelling films—both documentary and narrative—that center underrepresented voices and untold histories.

Her work has been featured on platforms such as NETFLIX, The New York Times, FRONTLINE | PBS, TIME, Reveal News, and KQED. She is a recipient of the Creative Capital Award and the Athena Film Festival Breakthrough Award, and her films have been supported by the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Firelight Media, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Sisters in Cinema, and many others.

Débora’s debut feature documentary, FOR OUR CHILDREN, premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2022 and is currently streaming on NETFLIX. She is also a FRONTLINE | FIRELIGHT Fellow and a board member of Studio IX, an organization supporting emerging women and nonbinary filmmakers.

Whether through nonfiction or scripted storytelling, Débora’s work is rooted in a deep commitment to justice, personal storytelling, and cultural transformation.

Accomplishments

• 2024 Finalist of The Marshall Project’s Sing Sing Film Award

• 2023 Recipient of FRONTLINE | FIRELIGHT Fellowship

• 2023 Athena Film Festival Breakthrough Award

• 2022 Best Black Lens Film, Sidewalk Film Festival

• 2022 Recipient of Sundance Documentary Grant

• 2021 Recipient of the Creative Capital Award

• 2021 Sisters in Cinema Fellowship

• 2020 Recipient of the Chicken & Egg(celerator) Lab Fellowship

• 2020 Recipient of DocPich (Doclands) Jury Award

• 2020 Recipient of Athena WIP Program Fellowship

• 2019 Recipient of the Firelight Media Lab Fellowship

• 2018 Recipient of The Investigative Reporting Program Fellowship

• 2018 Recipient of Gracie Award for the Video Series “The Aftermath."

• 2018 Recipient of Garrett Scott Fellowship (Full Frame Film Festival).

• 2017 Recipient of The Center for Investigative Reporting/ Glassbreaker Fellowship

• 2016 Recipient of the IWMF Adelante Colombia Fellowship (International Women Media Foundation).

• 2016 Recipient of "Best Short Documentary" at the Silicon Valley Film Fest for "A New Rhythm for Mozambique."

• 2014 Recipient of The New York Times Journalism Institute.

• 2014 Recipient of the AAUW Career Development Grant (American Association of University Women).

• 2013 Recipient of NABJ's Les Payne Founder's Award (National Association of Black Journalists).