Maria Shu is a playwright and screenwriter. She holds a degree in Literature and has studied Playwriting at SPET and Screenwriting for Film and Television at SENAC, AIC, EICTV, among other institutions. She has written for major streaming platforms and is credited on episodes of the scripted series “Onisciente”, “Irmandade – Season 2”, “Sentença”, “Bom Dia, Verônica – Season 2”, “Franjinha e Milena em Busca da Ciência”, “Mila no Multiverso – Season 2”, “Toda Família Tem”, “Torto Arado”, and “Sessão de Terapia – Season 6”.
She wrote the original short films “Sobre Alices” and the award-winning “Uma Porção de Cólera”, and is the screenwriter of the audiovisual project “Ocupação Chiquinha Gonzaga” (commissioned by Itaú Cultural), as well as the documentary “Mães do Brasil” (TV Globo). For YouTube, she has written a youth series currently under wraps.
In theater, Maria has written dozens of plays staged in Cape Verde, France, Sweden, and Portugal. Her stage plays “Leoa na Baia” and “Relógios de Areia” were included in graduation projects at UFB and UnB, respectively. “Ar Rarefeito” was the subject of a master’s thesis at UNESP, and “Quando Eu Morrer, Vou Contar Tudo a Deus” became a master’s thesis at PUC-Rio.
She is currently writing her third feature film.
Education
- Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) – Lato Sensu Postgraduate Degree in Portuguese Language and Literature (2003–2004)
- Faculdades Oswaldo Cruz – Bachelor’s Degree in Literature (1996–1999)
- Centro Universitário Senac – Lato Sensu Postgraduate Degree in Screenwriting (2020–incomplete)
- Roteiraria School – TV Series Workshop – Screenwriting (2020)
- Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV – EICTV – Screenwriting Workshop – Screenwriting (2019)
- FLUP + TV Globo + MAR (Museum of Art of Rio) – Black Narratives Lab for Audiovisual – Screenwriting (2019)
- Academia Internacional de Cinema – Non-degree Course – Screenwriting (2018)
- Bucareste Film Atelier – Workshop “Women Authors and Characters” – Screenwriting (2018)
- SP School of Theater – Training in Playwriting (2010–2011)
Filmography
- “SESSÃO DE TERAPIA” (premieres 2026) – Screenwriter. Series. GloboPlay.
- “FAMÍLIA DE SORTE” (premieres 2025) – Screenwriter. Directed by Viviane Ferreira.
- “TurmaTube” (2025) – Co-Writer (with Ana Durães and Verônica Honorato). Produced by ViihTube, +Galeria, Telfilms, and Pier 66.
- Feature Film 1 (title under wraps) – Screenwriter. Development stage. Selected in the Paulo Gustavo Cultural Fund – Alagoas. Calunga Filmes.
- “TODA FAMÍLIA TEM” (2024) – Comedy. Series. PRIME VIDEO.
- “FRANJINHA E MILENA EM BUSCA DA CIÊNCIA” (2024) – Children’s. Series. DISCOVERY KIDS and MAX.
- “MILA NO MULTIVERSO” (2023) – Sci-fi / Young Adult. Series. DISNEY+.
- “IRMANDADE” (2022) – Crime Drama. Series. NETFLIX (Season 2).
- “BOM DIA, VERÔNICA” (2022) – Thriller. Series. NETFLIX (Season 2).
- “SENTENÇA” (2022) – Crime Drama. Series. PRIME VIDEO (Season 1).
- “MÃES DO BRASIL” (2021) – Documentary Special. TV Globo / GLOBOPLAY.
- “UMA PORÇÃO DE CÓLERA” (2021) – Short film.
- “EXPOSIÇÃO CHIQUINHA GONZAGA” (2021) – Documentary. Commissioned scripts for Itaú Cultural, focused on the life of Chiquinha Gonzaga.
- “SOBRE ALICES” (2020) – Short film.
- “MINHA BABÁ É UM SAMURAI” (2020) – Children’s Animated Series.
- “ONISCIENTE” (2018) – Sci-fi. Series. NETFLIX.
- “TORTO ARADO” (In production) – Drama. Series in development.
Theater
- “Cabaret Stravaganza” – Performed by Cia Os Satyros.
- “Giz” – Directed by Marcelo Valle.
- “Ar Rarefeito” – Award-winning original play.
- “Relógios de Areia” – Published original play.
- “Leoa na Baia” – Presented at the Satyrianas Festival.
- “Epifania” – Directed by Bruno Carboni.
- “Peça para quem não veio” – Directed by Bia Szvat. Co-production with France.
- “O Sorriso da Rainha” – Directed by Alexandre Brazil.
- “12 anos ou A memória da queda” – Directed by Tatiana Tibúrcio.
- “Zebra Sem Nome” – Directed by Marina Esteves.
Awards & Honors
- “UMA PORÇÃO DE CÓLERA” (2023)
- FICCMA: Best Short Film.
- Short Way Film Festival: Best Short Screenplay.
- Marina Del Rey Film Festival: Best Foreign Language Short Film.
- “BOM DIA, VERÔNICA – T2” (2022)
- Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro (2023) – Finalist, Best Brazilian Fiction Series.
- “FRANJINHA E MILENA EM BUSCA DA CIÊNCIA” (2022)
- ABRA Awards – Nominated for Best Children’s Screenplay.
- “FRANJINHA E MILENA EM BUSCA DA CIÊNCIA” (2022)
- ABRA Awards – Nominated for Best Children’s Screenplay.
- “QUANDO EU MORRER, VOU CONTAR TUDO A DEUS” (2021)
- Profest Festival – Nominated for Best Youth Play and Winner for Best Lighting Design.
- “AR RAREFEITO” (2014)
- Núcleo 184, Cooperativa Paulista de Teatro – Winner, Feminine Playwriting Contest.
- “ZEBRA SEM NOME” (2014)
- APCA Award – Best Children’s Playwriting.