Ary Zara is a transgender artist and activist,
excelling in the roles of writer, director,
and performer. He studied Cinema at
Lusófona University in Lisbon, and his
academic musical short won several awards.
Thanks to a FCT scholarship, Ary continued
to develop his skills in Writing for Narrative
Production at the University of Texas in
Austin and in 2014, sold his first script for a
feature film to Ukbar.
His venture as a director begins with the
short film An Avocado Pit starring Ivo
Canelas (cis actor) and Gaya de Medeiros
(trans actress) produced by Take it Easy.
The film garnered numerous awards at
esteemed festivals as Clermont-Ferrand,
Indie Lisboa, AFI FEST, Brest European SFF,
Regard, Kashish, Festival Internacional de
Cine en Guadalajara and Outfest.
Ary’s work has been recognised by the
Portuguese Film Academy with the
nomination of An Avocado Pit for best short
film at the prestigious Sophia 2023 awards.
Ary was also invited as a Jury member for
the International short films section at Indie
Lisboa 2023.
Currently, Ary is engaged in developing his
feature film at TFL, while simustaneously
developing his second short film at Midpoint
Institute, to be produced in 2024 by Wonder
Maria Filmes.
Ary is driven to create narratives that reflect
new possibilities for LGBTQI+ people, using
storytelling as a tool for social intervention,
infused with a heartfelt approach that shines
a spotlight on authentic experiences of trans
individuals.
Ary strives to inspire a more inclusive
society, leaving an indelible mark on both
the art world and the hearts of those who
experience his work.