Estevão Ciavatta Pantoja (Rio de Janeiro, August 9, 1968) is a Brazilian director, screenwriter, and producer. He holds a degree in Film from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and believes in the power of storytelling to mobilize people and transform realities.
He is a founding partner of Pindorama Filmes, an audiovisual production company and the first carbon-neutral company in Brazil’s audiovisual industry, recognized for its work addressing social and environmental issues.
Ciavatta has directed dozens of films and television programs, including the Árvore Refugiada (Refugee Tree) campaign, recipient of a Gold Lion at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity; the feature documentary Amazônia Sociedade Anônima (Amazon: The Business), winner of the 2021 One World Media Award and Best Film at the 2020 Alter do Chão International Film Festival; the HBO Latin America fiction series Santos Dumont, winner of Telly Awards for Entertainment and Cinematography in 2019; and Preamar, which was an official selection at the 2013 Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programs.
His television work also includes the educational series Um Pé de Quê?, recognized as Best Television Program by The Nature Conservancy, and SOS Mata Atlântica (2009), as well as the weekly program Central da Periferia, which received the 2007 APCA Award for Best Television Program.
Ciavatta also led the “Dá Pé” crowdfunding campaign, one of the ten largest crowdfunding initiatives in Brazil. The campaign engaged 7 million people in support of planting 36,000 trees and received the Hugo Werneck Sustainability Award for its work restoring springs and riparian forests in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest.
