About

Brazil native, Isabela Adão is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, podcaster, and creative director whose work explores transformation, emotional truth, and the quiet moments where life fractures open.

Her storytelling lives at the intersection of intimacy and disruption — grounded in human experience, shaped by diaspora, and driven by an instinct to confront what is often left unsaid. Whether working with minimal tools or expansive ideas, Isabela approaches film as both craft and ritual: precise, embodied, and uncompromisingly honest.

In 2025, her short film Wake Up Call (Despertar) won 1st Place at the Brazilian Cellphone Film Festival in New York City, receiving recognition for its emotional impact, cinematography, and narrative strength. The film was written, directed, produced, and edited entirely by Isabela — a reflection of her hands-on, vision-driven approach to creation.

In May 2026, she brings Wake Up Call to the Cannes Marché du Film, marking her entry into the international film industry and signaling the next phase of her work: expanding from intimate, independent projects into global conversations.

Isabela’s creative philosophy is rooted in the belief that transformation does not require permission, perfection, or excess — only presence and truth. Her work embraces constraint as a catalyst, depth over spectacle, and emotional precision over noise.

Alongside filmmaking, Isabela curates long-form conversations, essays, and cultural commentary through her podcast and social media content — examining art, identity, power, and the collective undercurrents shaping our moment. Across mediums, her voice remains consistent: grounded, incisive, and unafraid to go deeper.

She is currently developing new short films and documentary projects while continuing to build a body of work defined by authorship, integrity, and global perspective.