Meet Mariana R. Serra | Writer, Director and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariana R. Serra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariana, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I think, in a way, I didn’t really choose it. It chose me. Growing up in Brazil, I was always telling stories. I was scribbling in notebooks during class, staging plays and elaborate make-believe games with my brother in our living room, obsessing over films and books like they were secret maps to some bigger truth. At first, I thought it was just something that made me feel alive, a hobby. And honestly? I treated it like one for a long time.
For a while, I tried the “safe” path. I worked a more traditional job, the kind that looked perfectly fine on paper, steady and respectable. But inside, I felt like I was slowly disappearing. I knew I had to fill my soul with creativity, and no amount of stability was going to replace that. That is what pushed me to leave Brazil and move to LA for my MFA in Screenwriting at UCLA. It was terrifying. A new country, a new language, a new everything. But it was also the first time I felt like I was finally where I belonged.
For me, storytelling is survival. It is how I make sense of chaos, how I turn loneliness into connection, how I transform the little absurdities of life into something that can make people laugh and cry at the same time. When I immersed myself in filmmaking, I realized this was not just about me telling stories. It was about building worlds where other people could see themselves reflected, maybe in ways they had not before.
So why a creative career? Because I honestly cannot imagine doing anything else. The work is hard, unstable, often terrifying. But the moment when words on a page become flesh and bone, when an audience reacts, when a character suddenly feels real, it is addictive. It is like chasing a kind of magic that only exists if you are brave or foolish enough to go after it. And I guess I have always been both.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is driven by a fascination with the bittersweet. I love stories that can be funny and heartbreaking at the same time, because that feels closest to real life. As an immigrant, I am also drawn to telling stories about people who are not often seen, characters who exist at the margins or in the in-between spaces, and giving them the dignity of being both ordinary and extraordinary. I think that is what sets me apart as a filmmaker. I am interested in contradictions, in humor inside melancholy, and in finding humanity in people who are often overlooked.
What excites me most right now is my feature You and You Too, which began as a script close to my heart and has grown into a proof-of-concept short. It is a dramedy about love, aging, and second chances. I am proud that this project that has been recognized in competitions such as Quarterfinalist at The Academy Nicholl Fellowship 2024, Quarterfinalist at the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 2024, Semifinalist at the Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards Season 9, and Quarterfinalist at the Final Draft Big Break 2024. These recognitions gave me the strength to keep going when the path felt difficult.
The truth is that this journey is not easy. The most important lesson I have learned is that filmmaking is never done alone. It matters to surround yourself with people who are growing alongside you, to build a network that is horizontal rather than hierarchical. It is about being there for others, celebrating their successes as much as your own, and not being afraid to learn from those who know more. You cannot and should not know everything. You need to be humble enough to bring people who are better than you into the room, because that is how you grow.
What I want people to know about my work is that it is an invitation. My films ask audiences to laugh, to cry, to recognize themselves in characters they might not expect, and to feel a little less alone. My art is bittersweet cinema, playful, soulful, and deeply human.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend came to visit, I would start by taking them to see a film at my favorite theater, The Egyptian. There is something magical about sitting in that historic space, the decoration, where every screening feels like an event. Afterward, we would go to Pampas Grill at the Farmers Market by The Grove, which, in my opinion, is the best Brazilian restaurant in town. It is always my first stop when I miss home.
The rest of the week would be a mix of books, food, and music. We would stop at Skylight Books in Los Feliz and The Last Bookstore downtown, but I would make sure to take them to my favorite hidden gem, Sideshow Books on La Cienega. It is tiny, overflowing with rare finds, and feels like sharing a secret every time I bring someone new there.
Food would be another highlight. You can never go wrong with Korean food in LA, and my go-to spot for K-Barbecue is Ahgassi Gopchang in Koreatown. It is lively, delicious, and if you like intestines, it is also amazing to try! I also love Go Pocha, a Korean bar with the perfect casual atmosphere to snack, drink, and hang out late into the night.
And since no week with me would be complete without it, we would end one of the nights at Max Karaoke. A friend first introduced me to it, and now it is always my group of friends go-to spot. They have private rooms, an easy app, and the best part is you can literally sing any song, because the system pulls directly from YouTube. It never fails to turn into one of the most fun nights.
For me, showing someone Los Angeles is about mixing the cinematic, the comforting, and the unexpected. It would be a week of movies, books, food, and late-night laughter — the little rituals that have made this city feel like home to me.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people deserve credit. First, my parents, Tomaz and Vania, and my brother, Gustinho, who supported me when I left Brazil to pursue filmmaking. My professors at UCLA, including Pat Verducci, Bill McDonald, Sally Lapiduss, Phyllis Nagy, Bill Marsilii, Rory Kelly, and Mel Finell, who pushed me to be braver and taught me that my accent was something to write and direct from. My chosen family and amazing artists in Los Angeles, such as Soyeong Emma Chang, Cortney Colvig, Hera Ballard, Sean Niu, Rhett Ripp, Erica Kolodziejski, Sarah Morales, and Khalif J. Gillett, who made the city feel like home, and with whom I’ve collaborated so many times. Finally, my mentor and friend Fabio Feldman, who continues to inspire me with his passion and knowledge of cinema, and with our weekly conversations about film and life.

Website: https://marianarserra.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marianass45

Other: You and You Too Film Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/youandyoutoofilm/

Image Credits
Image credits: Sean Niu