Resume
Maria is a multidisciplinary professional with solid experience across the creative industries, public sector, and educational environments. Worked with audiovisual production — including video editing, live camera operation, and photography — in both institutional and political contexts, developing visual narratives that inform, engage, and inspire.Also with experience in data analysis for public policy in the film sector, having contributed to strategic studies and reports at the Belo Horizonte Film Commission.
Her background includes cultural project coordination within municipal government, content creation for corporate communication (BDMG), and lead qualification in international education (The Dream School). Skilled at navigating dynamic environments with creativity, organization, and a strong sense of purpose, I bring a collaborative mindset and a sharp eye for detail to every project.
Semana Lab
''Laboratory for assistance in the production process of films and series for black filmmakers.''
My story
My name is Maria Clara Caldeira. I'm 23 years old. I come from a simple family with big dreams—the eldest daughter of Wellington Miguel, a retired railway worker, and Maria Aparecida Caldeira, a dedicated manicurist. I was raised in Santa Luzia, a place full of ordinary days and extraordinary imagination. Today, I live in Belo Horizonte, but I carry my childhood with me like a secret garden I return to often.
Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to work with art. I was a sensitive, playful child—quiet, but always creating. I would build entire imaginary worlds in my mind, write stories, invent characters, and lose myself in a kind of magic that only I could see. My imagination had no boundaries, and even though school was never my strong suit, art always made sense to me. It was the language I spoke fluently before I even understood that it was a language.
At 19, I discovered something that changed me: the power of community through art. I became a volunteer in a dance project and, for the first time, saw how creativity could touch others, how it could move not just bodies, but hearts. That moment awakened in me a deep love for social action—an understanding that art, when shared, becomes a bridge between worlds.
I studied Cinema for three years at UNA University, and every frame, every script, every late-night idea shaped me. Cinema became my home—my foundation as an artist and as a person. It gave structure to my inner world and helped me turn dreams into something I could hold, share, and transform.
Everything I do comes from this place: a blend of memory, imagination, and a relentless desire to create something real from the invisible. My story is still being written, but it began a long time ago—with a little girl who believed in art more than anything else.
Cinema
Cinema is not just my profession—it is the foundation of how I see the world. It’s where my questions live, where my truths unfold, and where I feel most alive. After three years of formal study at UNA University in Belo Horizonte, I carry cinema not only as a craft but as a way of existing.
Throughout my journey, I’ve immersed myself in the independent film circuit, working on various film festivals—both at the university and beyond. These experiences gave me a deep respect for the collective nature of cinema, for the unseen hands that shape every frame, and for the raw, unfiltered stories that often emerge far from the spotlight.
In 2025, I was selected for Semana LAB with my original story “Um dia eu vou morrer” (“One Day I Will Die”), which is currently in development. It was a moment of deep affirmation—proof that my voice, my background, and my vision have a place in this industry.
I love cinema not just for its aesthetics, but for its power to disturb, reveal, and heal. In the future, I hope to grow as a filmmaker and eventually step fully into the role of director. I want to tell stories that matter, stories that echo where I come from and point toward where we can go. My path is just beginning—but I walk it with intention, emotion, and a relentless desire to create.