Gabriel Motta holds a degree in cinema from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (2011) and a Master’s in Crossmedia Production from the University of Tallinn, Estonia (2014).

Since 2011, Gabriel has directed six short films, one mini-series, and numerous advertising projects. His short film “Pastrana” (2023), co-directed with Melissa Brogni, gained widespread acclaim. It was a standout Brazilian short film in 2023/24, winning several awards. “Pastrana” was the grand winner at the 56th Brasília Film Festival, receiving the Best Film award from the Official Jury. It also secured honors for Best Editing and Best Film by Canal Brasil. The short was also awarded Best Latin short film at BAFICI – Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival. Additionally, “Pastrana” was the sole Brazilian film selected for the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, the second-largest film festival in the United States and a qualifying event for the Academy Awards. The film will also be featured at the 52nd Gramado Film Festival, where it is the only short film competing in both the state and national categories for 2024.

Gabriel’s previous short film, “The Embrace” (2022), participated in over 20 festivals worldwide, including Fest – New Directors, New Films (Portugal), the European Fantastic Film Festival in Strasbourg (France), Lund Fantastic Film Festival (Sweden), and Fantaspoa (Brazil), being awarded in several of them.