Manuela Cantuária
Screenwriter
Manuela Cantuária is a screenwriter, writer, actress, and communicator, with a career dedicated to reimagining the role of women in art and society. For over a decade, she has worked in the creation and development of audiovisual narratives and has taken part in original projects for platforms such as Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon, and Globoplay.
She was the creator and head writer of the series “As Seguidoras” (2021), Paramount+’s first original Brazilian series, a finalist for the international Rose d’Or and Rookie Awards. She also created the fiction audio series “Ninguém com esse nome” (2024) for Audible, in partnership with João Jardim and Galba Gogoia.
She has worked on a range of television and streaming projects, including “Beleza Fatal” (2024, HBO Max), “Novela” (2023, Amazon), “Nós” (2020, Canal Brasil), and “Escola de Gênios” (2021, Gloob).
For four years, she was part of Porta dos Fundos’ in-house writing team, where she created sketches that together have amassed more than thirty million views on YouTube. Among them are “Fake News”, “Mercado Feminino”, “Menstruada”, and “Posse de Arma”. She also collaborated on Porta dos Fundos’ Christmas Special “Se beber não ceie”, which won the 2019 International Emmy Award for Comedy.
In film, she wrote the screenplay for the feature “Homem de Papel”, currently in pre-production, directed by Gabriel Mascaro, and collaborated on the screenplay for the feature “Palavras Queimadas”, based on a story developed by Ruy Guerra in partnership with Gabriel García Márquez, among others.
Manuela shares her experience as a script consultant and speaker at industry events, leading workshops and mentorships aimed both at training new creators and supporting experienced professionals.
She has also appeared on screen as an actress in Porta dos Fundos sketches and lent her voice to characters in the audio series “Ninguém com esse nome” and “Juízo Final” (Audible, 2024).
As a writer, she authored a humor column in Folha de S.Paulo’s “Ilustrada” section from 2019 to 2024, publishing literary chronicles and opinion pieces on topics such as feminism, politics, cinema, and culture. She has also contributed to magazines such as Marie Claire and Bazaar, and had a short story published in the book “Sinapse - Literatura no Brasil hoje”, published by Francisco Alves.
She completed Columbia University’s TV Intensive Program in Rio and has had projects accepted into labs mentored by internationally renowned professionals.
Manuela is the creator of the original course “Vulneráveis Venceremos: a construção de heroínas humanas”, focused on female representation and the creation of complex characters. More than 700 students have taken the course, which has become a reference in the field, attracting major names from the arts and reaching an ever-growing audience.
She currently co-hosts, alongside Tati Bernardi and Milly Lacombe, the weekly podcast “Reparação Histérica”, which ranks among the most listened-to podcasts in Brazil.