Manuela Cantuária
Screenwriter
Screenwriter, author, and actress, Manuela Cantuária works in the creation, development, and scripting of projects for television, streaming, cinema, and the internet. She completed the TV Writing Intensive Program at Columbia University and contributed to the development of projects for Globo and production companies such as Pródigo Filmes, Conspiração, Biônica Filmes, Mixer, A Fábrica, Migdal, among others.
For four years, she was a part of the core writing team at Porta dos Fundos, where she created sketches that collectively garnered over thirty million views on YouTube. Notable sketches include Fake News, Mercado Feminino, Menstruada, and Posse de Arma. She also collaborated on the Porta dos Fundos Christmas Special (Se beber não ceie), which won the International Emmy for Comedy in 2019.
Manuela has worked on various series projects for television and streaming platforms, such as Nós (Canal Brasil, 2020), A Garota da Moto (SBT, 2020), Escola de Gênios (Gloob, 2021), Novela (Amazon, 2023), and Beleza Fatal (HBO Max, to be released).
She was the creator and head writer of the series As Seguidoras (2021), the first original series for Paramount+ in Brazil, produced by Porta dos Fundos and a finalist for the international Rose D'Or award. Alongside João Jardim and Galba Gogoia, she created and served as head writer for the fiction audio series Ninguém com Esse Nome, for Audible, set to premiere in 2024.
In cinema, she co-wrote the feature film Cedo Demais, directed by José Lavigne (to be released) and collaborated on the script for the film Palavras Queimadas, with a storyline developed by Ruy Guerra in partnership with Gabriel García Márquez, among others.
As an actress, Manuela appeared in sketches for Porta dos Fundos and the upcoming audio series Ninguém com Este Nome and Juízo Final. As a writer, she contributes a humor column to the Caderno Ilustrada in Folha de S. Paulo since 2019.
Manuela is the creator of the original course Vulneráveis Venceremos: a construção de heroínas humanas sobre representação feminina e criação de personagens complexas. Based on in-depth research compiling female stereotypes and archetypes, the course provides creative tools for bringing authentic characters to life. Offered semi-annually since 2022, the course has sold out every semester and is being transformed into a book by Editora Seiva.