SCREENWRITER & PRODUCER

UÝRA: The Rising Forest

Screenwriter and Producer

How to Watch
> In case you want to screen it, find here the contact information
An award-winning documentary feature film that tells the story of Uýra, a trans indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon forest.

In the country that kills trans, indigenous and environmentalist youth the most in the world, Uýra is the body that Brazil insists on killing. As a trans indigenous artist, their existence and resistance has been a source of inspiration and unity, fostering a revolution in the arts, education, the queer scene and environmental causes in the heart of the Amazon Forest.




Released in 2022, the film enjoyed a global presence, screening at over 45 festivals across more than 15 countries. It notably hosted 3 impactful events in the Amazon and featured 2 video-art performances derived from the film, showcased at the Museu do Amanhã in Rio de Janeiro and the Currier Museum of Art in Boston. Garnering international acclaim, the film received 17 awards and a special mention.

It was featured in prestigious publications such as Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and the Golden Globes Hollywood Press Association. The documentary made its world premiere at the 46th Frameline International Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award for Best Documentary. In Brazil, it premiered at the 46th Mostra de Cinema de São Paulo.

In 2023, the film was selected for the 36th season of POV and was commercially released in theaters across Brazil. It has also been utilized as an educational tool, emphasizing its impact beyond entertainment. 

Credits
Directed by Juliana Curi
Brazil/USA
70 min
Produced by Juliana Curi, João Henrique Kurtz, Lívia Cheibub, Martina Sönksen and Uýra
Written by Martina Sönksen and Juliana Curi
Brazilian Distributor by Olhar Distribuição

Grants, Fellowships and Labs:
2020 fellow at the BRIClab Film+TV Doc Society Climate Story Fund 2021 Climate Story Lab Amazônia 2021

A Production of Azores Filmes (Brazil) and Mama Wolf (USA), in co-production with Abou Farman, Ezequiel Soules, Itaal Shur, Leandro Badalotti, Ram Devineni and Thiago Moraes with the support of Doc Society and BRIC Brooklyn.








SOBREPOSTAS

Co-Creator, Co-writer and Co-Director

> Teaser here
SOBREPOSTAS is a TV show delving into the sexuality of cisgender, transgender, and non-binary individuals, exploring diverse symbols of sex, pleasure, and desire. It invites women of all ages to reclaim their memories of sexual initiation, navigating moments of excitement, frustration, self-discovery, desire, and fantasies in a natural and inclusive manner.

The first season, presented by singer Ana Cañas, aired 13 episodes on Canal Brasil and Globoplay in 2021. The second season is scheduled for 2025. 








GAMING QUEENS

Screenwriter and Story Producer

> How To Watch
One of the best CS:GO female teams goes on a journey in search of a historic victory in an esports world championship. This is the first medium-length documentary globally about a female esports team. Directed, produced, and written entirely by women.

Credits
Director: Beatriz Scavazzini
Producers: Ligia Osorio and Beatriz Scavazzini
Producers Red Bull: Daisy Almeida, Gustavo Chiappetta and Nikolas Fonseca.
Production Company: BTA Esports & Gaming Content
Production Partner: Light Up Films
 










RECIPES FOR MAGIC


Screenwriter
Recipes for Magic consists of a series of five Coca-Cola commercials that highlight Latina women crafting magical recipes that unify and empower their communities.

Directed by Juliana Curi 

Maria Yerni is an ancestral cook from the Colombian Pacific who shares love and ancestral wisdom through her recipes. To her, food is not only essential for nourishing the body but also for healing the spirit and soul.
(Chocó and Bogotá, Colombia. 2023)


Agrícola Martínez is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother renowned for her expertise in traditional Mexican cuisine. She passionately preserves the manual wisdom passed down from her grandmother, particularly excelling as a guardian of the artisanal traditions of tortilla-making
(Malinaco, México. 2023)


Daniela Cazón is an Andean cook who annually leads offerings to Pachamama, the Earth Mother. She aims to honor and preserve the Andean heritage of Northern Argentina by preparing regional foods as expressions of gratitude to the land.
(Purmamarca, Argentina. 2023)


Rosana and Inês are mothers to Ana and Max, dedicated love activists. Their cherished ritual involves passing down their mothers' recipes to their children while creating new memories together. They aim to raise their children in an empathetic and diverse society, fostering the belief that each person's uniqueness enriches the world.
(Santiago, Chile. 2023)


Tia Nice is a cook and community leader in Campo Limpo, São Paulo. She prepares vegetarian meals for her community on the outskirts of São Paulo and plays a vital role in donating lunchboxes. Over the past two years, Tia Nice and her son Thiago Vinicius have donated more than twenty thousand lunchboxes in their region.
(Campo Limpo, Brazil. 2023)


Credits
Agency: AKQA (@akqa)
Cliente: Coca-Cola
Title: Recipes for Magic
Production Company: Saigon Filmes
Director: Juliana Curi (@julianacuri)
Director SP: Danilo Arenas (@daniloarenas.i)
Producer: Marcelo Altschuler (@masltchuler18), Carol Pessini (@carol_pessini)
Head of Sales and Strategy: Victoria Scaff (@vicscaff)
Atendimento: , Bruna Chamlian (@brunachamlian), Giovanna Saad (@gi_saad), Karin Diniz (@kadiniz13).
Production Manager: Katiucia Soares (@katiucia_), Thalita Machado (@thalimcd)
DOP: Luciana Baseggio (@lubaseggio)
DOP MX: Pau Muñoz (@pau__munoz)
Art Director: Nicolle Zaira (@niczairatv)
Screenwriter: Martina Sönken (@masonksen)
Curator and Creative Consultancy: Ale Artigas (@lala_artigas)
Creative Assitent: Thayna Pacheco (@thaynaleen)
Story Producer: Renata Simões (@renatasim)
AD: Marcelo Negri (@marcelonegri) e Luiza Baccelli (@luiza_baccelli)
AD MX: Ali Santiago (@alimsantiago)
Production Coordinator: Rodolfo Bittencourt (@rodbittencourt)
Post-Production Cordinator: Virgini Fares (@virginifares) e Fabio Abreu (@fabioabreu)
Post-Production Accounting: Claudia Rocha (@cacausrocha)
Post-Production: Luana Borges (@luanaborgs)
Editor: Beto Araújo (@betoaraujo), Allex Deracco (@allexderacco)
Color: Adonias Dantas (@adonias_dantas)
Post-Production Company: Butterfly (@butterfly_coletivo)
Sound Producer: Evil Twin (@evil_twin_musica)








THE KARMA KILLINGS

Producer and Archival Researcher

> How to Watch
The Karma Killings is a feature documentary film that mixes a modern-day crime thriller with Indian mythology and class warfare. The documentary delves into India’s most infamous serial killings and its impact on a nation. Told through the people directly involved, the film unravels the complexities of the case and goes beyond the sensational headlines to present a suspenseful and scary mystery.  And has a huge twist – one of the killers maybe innocent? Originally aired on Netflix, a Film Bazaar Recommends, official selection at DOCS MX and Vimeo Staff Pick.

Credits
Co-Directors: RAM DEVINENI and TUSHAR PRAKASH
Artwork: NINAD AUNDHKAR
Sound Editor: RICH MACAR 
Colorist: TIM HEDDEN
Post-Production: BUTTONS NY
Online Editor: CARL MARXER
Subtitles & Translations: SHUBHRA PRAKASH, PRANAV JAIN & CATHERINE FLETCHER.  
A RATTAPALLAX PRODUCTION.

The Karma Killings is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of New York State Governor and the New York State Legislature. News footage from Aaj Tak. Aaj Tak is No. 1 Hindi News Channel for the last 15 years.









ABOUT ME

MARTINA SÖNKSEN is a Brazilian screenwriter and producer with a background in Communication and Documentary Filmmaking. She is passionate about crafting people-centered storytelling.

Martina is the screenwriter and producer behind UÝRA - The Rising Forest (2022), a documentary film that has received international acclaim. The film was featured in prominent publications such as the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, and recognized by the Golden Globes Hollywood Press Association. It premiered at the 46th Frameline International Film Festival and was selected for the POV 36th Season Lineup on PBS. Winning 17 awards at international film festivals, it also launched an impact campaign to use the film as an educational tool in Amazonian riverside communities.

In television, Martina created, wrote, and co-directed the series SOBREPOSTAS (S01-2021/S02-2024) on Canal Brasil, available on Globoplay and hosted by singer Ana Cañas.

Martina also served as a theatre producer at iBT - Instituto Brasileiro de Teatro. Her filmography includes the documentary feature THE KARMA KILLINGS (2016) and the short documentary THE PIGEON KINGS OF BROOKLYN (2015).

Martina lived in Brooklyn, NY from 2010 to 2020 and currently resides in her hometown, São Paulo.

FILM AND TV CREDITS

UÝRA - THE RISING FOREST (2022)
SCREENWRITER AND PRODUCER

SOBREPOSTAS (S01-2021/S02-2024)
CO-CREATOR, CO-DIRECTOR AND SCREENWRITER

THE KARMA KILLINGS (2016)
CO-PRODUCER

THE PIGEON KINGS OF BROOKLYN (2015)
PRODUCER

BRANDED CONTENT CREDITS

GAMING QUEENS - Red Bull (2023)
SCREENWRITER

RECIPE FOR MAGIC - Coca-Cola (2023)
SCREENWRITER

CROSSING CULTURES - WhatsApp (2023)
SCREENWRITER

LABS AND GRANTS
Doc Society Climate Story Fund 2021

Climate Story Lab Amazônia 2021


Artistic Residency @ BRIClab Film+TV 2020
CONTACT INFO

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