Natalia Leite

Natalia Leite (born October 15, 1984) is an award-winning Brazilian writer and director. Her feature film debut Bare premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 [1] and was released in US theaters by IFC[2] and by Paramount Pictures.[3] She is a frequent contributor to Vice Media and a co-creator of the web series Be Here Nowish.[4] Her second feature film, M.F.A., premiered at SXSW in 2017 and was nominated for a Grand Jury Award. Her work has been described as having “a bracing, assertive style” (Variety[5]) and as “cementing the reign over highly stylized, sexually progressive dramas” (Slant[6]).

Natalia Leite

Early life

Leite was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. She later studied at the San Francisco Art Institute.

In 2006, Leite moved to New York City where she began writing, directing, and producing her own microbudget short films, which have screened in festivals internationally[7] and began her career showcasing drawings, photography, and art films in galleries.[8]

Career

Leite has directed documentaries for Vice Media,[9] including the show Every Woman, where she lived and worked as a stripper in a truck-stop in New Mexico, which she discovered while location scouting for Bare.[10]

Leite co-created and starred in the web-series Be Here Nowish along with Alexandra Roxo. The show is about two sexually progressive NY gals who ditch their down-and-out lives for LA in search of a spiritual awakening.[11] It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 to positive reviews.[12]

Frequently collaborating with Kyp Malone, Leite starred in the music video "Million Miles" for TV On The Radio. Malone then went on to create the original score for the feature film Bare. Leite has been a guest panelist at New York Women in Film and Television, Apple Store Talks, and Independent Filmmaker Conference.[13]

Leite's directorial debut, Bare, stars Dianna Agron, Paz de la Huerta, Chris Zylka, and Louisa Krause. Bare premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 to positive reviews[14] and was bought shortly after by IFC for domestic theatrical distribution and by Myriad Pictures for international.[15] Upon its premiere, Film Journal wrote "An award-winning director, Leite's portrait of Sarah's quest for identity is riveting for its storytelling and its direction.[16]" Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote "Director Natalia Leite brings an emotional intelligence and sensitivity to Bare.[17]"

Bare tells the story of a young girl in Nevada (Dianna Agron) who becomes romantically involved with a female drifter (Paz De La Huerta) who introduces her to a life of stripping, drugs, and psychedelic experience, and teaches her what happens when real life catches up with dark fantasy.[18] The film played the closing night at Frameline in San Francisco[19] and had its international premiere at the British Film Institute in March 2016.[20]

Leite's second feature film M.F.A. premiered at SXSW on March 2017 and was nominated for a Grand Jury Award. The film stars Francesca Eastwood, Clifton Collins Jr., and Peter Vack. M.F.A. is a psychological thriller centered around rape crimes in a university and one art student who seeks revenge. The film holds a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.[21]

Personal life

Leite is gay,[22][23] and often deals with sexuality in her works.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2015 Bare Yes Yes Yes
2017 M.F.A. Yes No No
2019 Kiki and the Mxfits (short) Yes Yes No

Web
Year Title Role Notes
2014–2016 Be Here Nowish Nina Also director, writer and producer

References
  1. Scheck, Frank. "'Bare': Tribeca Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  2. "Bare". IFC Films. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. "Bare". Park Circus. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. "Get a first look at season 2 of comedy series 'Be Here Nowish'". AOL. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  5. Barker, Andrew; Barker, Andrew (2017-03-21). "SXSW Film Review: 'M.F.A.'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  6. Osenlund, R. Kurt. "Review: Bare". Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  7. Purdy, Charles. "INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER NATALIA LEITE". Create Adobe. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. "Natalia Leite". Queer Art Mentorship. Archived from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  9. "Natalia Leite". Vice. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. Salovaara, Sarah. "Natalia Leite and Alexandra Roxo on VICE's Every Woman". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  11. Brinton, Jessica. "is this the new age?". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. Aquino, Tara. "Get to Know the Ladies of Be Here Nowish, the Smartest Web Series You Need to Watch Right Now". VH1. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  13. "Women Writers Redefining the Small Screen Landscape". NYWIFT. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  14. Sampson, Issy. "Natalia Leite On Her Debut Film 'Bare'". Refinery29. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  15. Kay, Jeremy. "Myriad Pictures starts Cannes talks on 'Bare'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  16. Garcia, Marcia. "Assessing Gender Balance at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival". Film Journal. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  17. "Review: Bare overs its stripper tale with a feminine sensibility". LA Times. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  18. Gibran, Camila. "'Bare': Love Lies Where Two Paths Cross in the Desert". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  19. LaSalle, Mick. "Frameline gay film festival announces ambitious lineup". SF Gate. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  20. "Bare". BFI Flare. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  21. M.F.A. (2017), retrieved 2020-06-17
  22. Piccoli, Dana. "Natalia Leite on "Bare" and working with Dianna Agron". AfterEllen. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  23. Brüner, Anna. "A Conversation with Natalia Leite". Hooligan Magazine. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
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