Silvana Santamaria is a German-Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer residing in Berlin. She graduated in 2010 from the renowned Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in Film Directing. Already during her studies, Santamaria gained international attention with her directorial works «Status:geduldet» (Winner young European CIVIS Prize, nominated at Dok Leipzig in German competition) and «Nowhere.Kosovo» (Winner of the Max-Ophüls-Prize for best Documentary-most important Newcomer Award in Germany.)

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In 2013 she Co-Founded the film production company SOILFILMS, where she successfully writes, directs, and produces narrative and documentary features and series. The company is female-driven and has a passion for telling stories that raise awareness of diversity, social justice, and migration.

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Since 2007, she has worked regularly with TV channels like ARTE, ZDF, BR, 3Sat, and SWR and was supported by German and int. Film Funds. With her films, she won important national and international awards which were screened in (A)-Festivals worldwide and presented in Co-production markets (Venice Film Festival, BFI London, etc).

2019 she was one of seven uprising European female producers selected for the EWA Network Mentoringship Program and was selected for the film Sharaf for the Gapfinancing Market.

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2021 Santamaria was selected for the EAVE Marketing Workshop. In the same year, she again attended the Venice production bridge with the film «The Mother of all lies», which won 2 awards at Venice Film Festival 2021 in the program «Final Cut in Venice».

Santamaria is a member at the European Film Academy.