Maria Ramos (1964) was born in Brasília, Brazil. After graduating at the University of Brasilia (BA in Music/Piano), she moved to Europe where she studied Musicology and Electroacoustic Music in Paris at the Groupe de Recherche Musicale and, after that, in London at City University. In 1990, she moved to The Netherlands where she entered the Netherlands Film and Television Academy (NFTVA), specializing in directing documentaries.

Her first feature documentary Brasilia, a day in February was awarded the Prize of the Jury at the International Documentary Festival ‘It’s all true’ in São Paulo and was screened in several international film and documentary festivals. In 1998, she created and directed Butterflies in your stomach, a documentary about children in love for the Dutch VPRO Television. These series were nominated for the Grote Kinderkast-televisieprijs, the award for best children’s programme in The Netherlands in 1999.

Desi, a Pieter van Huystee production in co-operation with VPRO Television, won the Audience Award at the Amsterdam International Documentary Festival (IDFA) 2000, and the Golden Calf (Dutch Oscar) for best documentary film at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2001.

JUSTIÇA, a Selfmade Films , Limite and NPS co-production, won the Grand Prix at the International Documentary Festival 'Visions du Réel' in Nyon, Switzerland (may/2004); La Vague d'Or of best film at Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema, France (october/2004); the Amnesty Award of Best Film at Copenhagen International Documentary Festival, in Denmark (november/2004), a Special Mention of the Jury at the Lisbon International Documentary Film Festival (november/2004) and the Grand Prize of Best Film at the Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival (december/2004).

Maria Ramos is also Adviser of the Dutch Cultural Broadcasting Fund.

Justiça
2004, 100min, color, 35mm
Script and direction
A Selfmade Films, Limite and NPS co-production

"Grand Prix" at the International Documentary Festival 'Visions du Réel' in Nyon, Switzerland (may/2004)

"La Vague d'Or" of best film at Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema, France (october/2004)

"Amnesty Award" of Best Film at Copenhagen International Documentary Festival, in Denmark (november/2004)

Special Mention of the Jury at the Lisbon International Documentary Film Festival (november/2004)

"Grand Prize" of Best Film at the Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival (december/2004)

Rio, a day in August
2002, 52 min, color, video
Script and direction
A Pieter van Huystee Film in co-production with
the Humanist Broadcasting Foundation

GNT Prize at the International
Documentary Festival ´It´s all true´ 2003

Desi
2000, 90 min, color, 35mm
Script and direction
A Pieter van Huystee Film in co-production with VPRO Television

Winner of the Audience Award at the International
Documentary Festival Amsterdam 2000

Winner of the Golden Calf for ‘Best Documentary’ at the Netherlands Film Festival 2001

The secret of the vibrato
1999, 25 min, color, video
Script and direction
A VPRO Television production

Butterflies in your stomach
1998, documentary series in 6 parts,15 min. each, color, 16mm
Script and direction
A VPRO Television production (Villa Achterwerk)
about children in love.

Nominated for the Grote Kinderkast-televisieprijs
in the category non-fiction at Cinekid 1999

Two times at home
1996, 16 min, color, 16mm
A VPRO Television production (Villa Achterwerk)
about children and anger.

Brasília, a day in February
1995, 72 min, color, 35mm
Script, direction and executive production
A NFTVA and Fundação Athos Bulcão Production

Special Jury Prize at São Paulo International Documentary Festival
1997

Boy and aleid
1994, 50 min, color, 16mm
Script, direction and executive production
A NFTVA Production

“I think what I want to say is…”

1993, 40 min, color, 16mm
Script, direction and executive production
A NFTVA Production

Nominated for the Ogawa Shinsuke Prize at Yamagata
International Documentary Film Festival, Japan 1995.