Elisa Herrmann is a Brazilian filmmaker and educator whose work bridges art, storytelling, and higher education. She holds a degree in Art Education from the Federal University of Paraná, a graduate certificate in Audiovisual Communication from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, an MFA in Mass Communication and Media Arts from Southern Illinois University, and an EdD in Higher Education Leadership from Sam Houston State University.
Over the past several years, Elisa has produced and directed numerous short films that have screened at festivals around the world. Her award-winning documentary Rodrigo Herrmann – Life and Works premiered during the 34th Music Festival of Curitiba and went on to screen internationally, including at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival – Short Film Corner. She is also an acclaimed screenwriter, recognized for her short screenplay Death Expectancy and feature scripts The Great Adventure of the Bentley Girls and My Not-So-Righteous Life.
Her first feature documentary, exploring the Brazilian religion Umbanda, premiered at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, as part of the Afro-Atlantic Histories exhibition. Another of her notable works, Undocumented: A Dream of Education, has been featured at festivals and conferences worldwide, winning multiple awards including Best Film at the 2022 Tampa Bay Latin International Film Festival. Her most recent short documentary, Wish to the Light, is currently on the festival circuit.
Elisa is an Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Coordinator of the BA in Film at Sam Houston State University, where she teaches film production, mentors students, promotes the program, and continues to create original films.
