Maria Alice Arida

Maria Alice Arida is a Brazilian genre director focused on female driven thrillers and horror films. Her thriller INSTINCT has played in over 30 festivals and has won 12 awards. The short film had its world premiere at the BFI Flare in London and its American premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Latin American Short. In addition, INSTINCT has screened at AFI FEST and was selected as part of the 3rd annual CAA Moebius Showcase which highlights emerging directors from AFI, USC & CAL ARTS. Before obtaining her MFA in directing from the American Film Institute (AFI), Maria worked in Brazil as an assistant director for renowned directors such as Hector Babenco (Academy Award nominee for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN) and Eduardo Coutinho (EDIFÍCIO MASTER). Their passion for filmmaking inspired her to tell her own stories and pursue her directing career in the US.