Branded entertainment production company Gloria Content–which maintains bases of operation in Los Angeles and Mexico City–has signed Brazilian-American director Gandja Monteiro for commercials and branded content in the U.S. She joins a directorial roster which includes company co-founder Diego Luna, Jonas Cuaron, Rodrigo Valdez and Rogelio Sikander. Gloria was launched by Luna along with executive producers Pablo Cruz and Eric Bonniot in 2015.
A world traveler with a wide breadth of cultural understanding, Monteiro fuses diverse global perspectives with compelling narratives that resonate with audiences. Her stylized approach can be seen in spots and branded content spanning such clients as AT&T, Smirnoff, MasterCard and Nike in the U.S. market, and global/international fare for Coca-Cola and Chevrolet.
Most recently, Monteiro was accepted into the highly competitive American Film Institute (AFI) Directing Workshop for Women and is currently working on a female-led sci-fi short that will debut at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles. Her narrative short Almost Every Day garnered international visibility in festivals such as Tribeca and Palm Springs Film Festival, and went on to be shortlisted for the Academy Awards®. She has also directed an hour-long episode for HBO’s documentary series Youth, produced by Prodigo Films. Prior to coming to Gloria, Monteiro was represented by Hungry Man, Zola Films and Prodigo Films internationally. The director had been working independently in the U.S. where she wasn’t officially repped by any company prior to joining Gloria.
Monteiro graduated with a film degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, but had been immersed in the arts from an early age while attending Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Performing Arts. With an NYC upbringing, her creative surroundings and influences–including her family–helped steer her toward a career behind the camera. Monteiro is bicoastal, splitting most of her time between Los Angeles and NYC.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More