About Luisa Parnes

Luísa, a Latina screenwriter originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and currently based in Los Angeles, embarked on her cinematic journey after graduating from Law School in Rio. In 2010, she was accepted into NYU/Tisch, where she obtained her MFA in Dramatic Writing in 2012.

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Since then, Luísa's career has drawn the attention of producers and distributors. She served as a Slate and Script Consultant for Amazon Studios Originals - Brazil, where she excelled as a story editor, collaborating closely with showrunners and creators to provide creative feedback during the development process. Her first project, "September Mornings," premiered with resounding critical acclaim, securing a GLAAD Award nomination alongside shows like Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl.

 

Towards the end of her tenure at Amazon, she was tapped by the studio to co-write the feature "Spring," part of the "An Unforgettable Year" franchise, slated for release in the summer of 2023.

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In 2019, Luísa made her debut as a writer and director with the short film "Learning to Ride," which has been accepted into thirteen festivals and earned the Best Screenplay Award at the São Paulo Film Festival. The feature adaptation script has recently advanced to the second round of the Sundance Screenwriter's Lab.

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Luisa's inaugural feature film as a screenwriter, the Brazilian production "Before I Forget" ("Antes Que Eu Me Esqueça," 2018, directed by Tiago Arakilian and co-produced by Fox International), premiered in theaters across Brazil in the spring of 2018. It has since garnered numerous Jury and Audience awards in international festivals and is now available on Netflix, where it trended for two weeks.

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Luísa is also an educator and teaches Screenwriting at  New York Film Academy, as well as teaching online classes via her Youtube channels in both English and Portuguese.

 

Additionally, she holds the prestigious position of President of the Jury for the 2023 Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival.