Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabela Santos.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My fondest childhood memories are of watching TV and movies. I accidentally learned English at 12 just by watching too much subtitled American TV. Looking back, I realize I was a pretty lonely kid growing up in a very complicated environment. I was always the top student without trying too hard, so people had big expectations about what I’d do with my life. At 15, I realized I could make a career in entertainment and never looked back.
I went to undergrad in my hometown of São Paulo, Brazil. My 20s were dedicated to working hard and having fun. I wrote for TV, produced, did production design, and even dabbled in music marketing as a kind of publicist. In 2019, I needed a break and moved to Paris for a year, working as a waitress and traveling around Europe. When the pandemic hit, I moved back home and finally committed to writing. I became a staff writer for shows on MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central.
In 2023, my friend convinced me to apply for the Fulbright Brazil MFA scholarship, I’d known about it for years but never applied before because I didn’t think I could ever win. Then I won. I was accepted into the American Film Institute, and now I live in LA pursuing my MFA in screenwriting. Honestly, it’s all still very of surreal.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m very lucky that my mother was always incredibly supportive of any decision I ever made. It made a huge difference. Being a woman in the world has always been a challenge, professionally and socially. Being Latina outside of Brazil adds another layer to it and not coming from money meant I had to figure a lot of things out the hard way. But honestly, it’s all water off a duck’s back. I’m very resilient.
The first six months in LA were tough. The AFI program is intense, the culture shock was real, and the loneliness hit harder than I expected. But I pushed through. I feel much better now as I approach a year since I landed at LAX with a dream and my cardigan. I’ve adapted in every way and I’m so thankful and happy to be here.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love comedy, especially the dark, witty kind. Most of my work lives in that space. At AFI, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my writing, and I’ve realized that TV is where my heart is. I love spending a long time with characters, watching them grow and face challenges in their own unique way. Film is great, but two hours feels rushed when you’re obsessed with storytelling. I want 500.
Before coming to AFI, I spent years writing for hire. It was all a great experience, but thanks to my scholarship, this is the first time I’ve been able to fully focus on writing my own work, on my own terms. Right now, I’m writing films and TV comedies that feel emotionally honest and a little unhinged. I’m really proud of what I’ve written this past year, and even more excited for what’s ahead as I enter the second and final year of my MFA. I can feel myself getting better every day.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Making my friends laugh is my favorite thing in the world. I would bleed to make them slightly chuckle. I love spending time with my mom when she comes to visit. Concerts and music festivals make me insanely happy, I love music. Driving around LA with something good playing has become a new happy place for me. I genuinely get excited when I add a new song to my playlist, knowing it’ll pop up one day in traffic. And of course, watching great comedies and writing my own. I live for that feeling when something hits me so hard it reminds me why I do this in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.clippings.me/isabelasportfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelamacena/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabela.santos.351/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelasnts/
