Thiago Zanato is a Brazilian filmmaker living in Los Angeles. His work is focused on the search for belonging and the enriching clash between cultures. Thiago started as a creative director working at high-profile advertising agencies, creating campaigns for clients such as Nike, Xbox, Absolut Vodka, Samsung and many others. His passion for film led him to work as a creative director on film projects such as I’m Here, directed by Spike Jonze, and NY-Z, featuring Jay-Z. In 2013 he started Black Magic, a production company operating in New York and São Paulo where he directed commercial projects for clients like Sony, Fiat, Mastercard and TED Global. In 2018 he directed the short film La Flaca, which was highly acclaimed and entered over 100 film festivals around the world, including the OutFest, Frameline, Los Angeles Latino, New Orleans, Havana and Guanajuato film festivals, among many others. In 2022 he premiered the documentary Esu and the Universe, which won the Best Documentary Jury Award at the São Paulo Film Festival and Best Documentary Audience Award at the Rio de Janeiro Film Festival. Thiago is currently directing commercial projects and music videos with a focus on American and Latin artists, as well as developing a narrative feature about the Santa Muerte community in Queens, New York.

Saint Death [co-written with Chica Barbosa] — A Mexican catholic teenage boy flees to the United States and must find acceptance in the figure of death to become who SHE really is.