BIOGRAPHY:

Fern Silva (U.S.A./Portugal) is a filmmaker whose experimental approach consistently pushes the boundaries of traditional documentary practice. His work examines the intersections of industry, culture, and the environment, often engaging with themes drawn from science fiction and post-colonialism. Since 2007, his films have screened at festivals, museums, and cinematheques including the Berlin, Locarno, Rotterdam, New York, and Toronto International Film Festivals, as well as the MOMA/PS1 (NYC), National Gallery of Art (D.C.), Anthology Film Archive (NYC), New Museum (NYC), Harvard Film Archive (MA), New Directors/New Films (NYC), and the 14th Shanghai Biennale. They've won awards from the Ann Arbor Film Festival, ZINEBI, 25FPS, Cinema du Reel, a Thessaloniki International Film Festival Agora Award, and a Special Mention in the Encounters section at Berlinale. They’ve been featured in publications including Cinema Scope, Film Comment, and The New York Times. He’s taught filmmaking at institutions including the University of Illinois at Chicago, Bennington College, Bard College, and EICTV in Cuba. Throughout his career, Silva has been supported by organizations such as the Jerome Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, LEF Foundation, MacDowell Fellowship, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and The Film Study Center at Harvard University. He studied filmmaking at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and Bard College.