Patricia Cardoso facts for kids

Patricia Cardoso is a talented filmmaker from Colombia and the United States. She is famous for her 2002 movie Real Women Have Curves. This film tells the story of a young Mexican-American woman dealing with family, culture, and how she feels about her body. In 2019, the Library of Congress chose Real Women Have Curves for the National Film Registry. This means the film is a special treasure that should be saved as part of America's history. This honor made Patricia Cardoso the first Latin woman director to have a movie in the registry.

Cardoso has achieved many other "firsts" in her career. She was the first Latin woman director to win a Sundance Audience Award for Real Women Have Curves. She also won a Student Academy Award for her short film The Water Carrier. In 2017, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscars! In 2021, she also joined the British Film Academy.

Patricia Cardoso has directed many popular TV shows too. In 2018, the famous director Ava DuVernay personally chose her to direct an episode of the show Queen Sugar. Cardoso has also directed episodes for shows like Will Trent, The Society, and Tales of the City on Netflix. Other shows include All Rise, Emergence, Party of Five, and Diary of a Future President. She even directed the first episode (pilot) for Harlan Coben's Shelter on Amazon Prime. Cardoso studied film at UCLA and was a Fulbright scholar. Her background in anthropology helps her understand people and cultures, which guides her work in movies and TV.

Early Life and Education

Patricia Cardoso grew up in Bogotá, Colombia. When she was a child, she loved to write and draw her own picture books. Later, when she studied film at UCLA, she realized these books were like storyboards for movies. Her very first film was a funny documentary called Vacas Flacas y Vacas Gordas (Skinny Cows and Fat Cows). It was about the times her family had a lot or a little food. Since there wasn't much technology at home, she made the film using toothpicks, paper, and cardboard. Before studying film, she studied anthropology at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.

Her Filmmaking Career

At UCLA film school, Patricia Cardoso was a top student. She won many important directing awards. These included the Colin Higgins Foundation Award in Film and the Verna Fields Award.

Making Real Women Have Curves

When Cardoso was trying to make Real Women Have Curves, she and the writers Josefina Lopez and George LaVoo found it hard to get money for the film. Many people in the movie business said it "had no market," even though the script was very good. After a while, the script was finally picked up, and Cardoso was hired to direct. She chose all the actors and crew herself, meeting with each person individually.

Cardoso says her background in anthropology helps her respect every character in her films. It also helps her create deep and real characters. She does a lot of research before making a movie to make sure it feels true to life.

Real Women Have Curves changed many rules of traditional Hollywood movies. It became a very important independent film in America. Entertainment Weekly magazine called it "one of the most influential movies of the 2000s." It also said the movie had a big impact on new filmmakers. The movie is praised for showing how a film can affect culture. It is also loved for its detailed and real way of showing its characters and the city of Los Angeles.

After the success of Real Women Have Curves, Cardoso found it hard to find more work for a while. She directed some TV movies in the 2000s and 2010s. Then, the filmmaker Ava DuVernay noticed her work. In 2016, Cardoso directed an episode of DuVernay's drama Queen Sugar.

In September 2021, Real Women Have Curves was featured at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. It was the main focus in the Significant Movies and Movie Makers Gallery. Only clips and pictures from Real Women were shown in color. A curator from the museum said they wanted Real Women to "stand out as the hero of the gallery." Cardoso also gave her film's script notes, casting calls, storyboards, and other materials to the academy's Margaret Herrick Library. This makes her work a public resource for others to learn from.

Other Films and TV Shows

Cardoso has directed episodes for shows like The Society, All Rise, and Tales of the City. She also directed the movie Teresa, which made the most money at the box office for a woman director in Colombia.

El Regalo

This film was written and produced by Dago García and directed by Cardoso. It stars Cesar Mora, Ella Becerra, Javier Ramirez, and Margalida Castro.

The Toymaker

This is a documentary film directed and produced by Cardoso. It is about Horst Damme, a German toymaker who is blind. He has lived in Bogotá since 1936, when his family came there as refugees from Nazi-Germany.

La Clave

This short film was directed by Cardoso and written by Josefina Lopez. It tells the story of a family dealing with their daughter's mental illness. The film stars Mariana Montes, Luis Enrique, and Ivette Gonzales. It won several awards, including First Place Drama Short for the United Latino Film Festival.

Meddling Mom

Directed by Cardoso, this film was the first Latino movie ever made by Hallmark Channel. It stars Sonia Braga as Carmen Vera, a mother who likes to get involved in her daughters' lives. Carmen tries to help her daughters, Yolanda and Ally, find partners. But she often causes more trouble than good! The film was nominated for an IMAGEN Award for Sonia Braga's great acting. The movie was filmed in a wonderful store called Jose Vera's Fine Arts and Antiques in Eagle Rock.

Ro

Cardoso directed a six-episode web series for the YouTube channel WIGS. The series is about Ro, a young woman played by Melonie Diaz, who is on parole and trying to restart her life after prison. She goes to a speed dating bar to meet new people. The series was produced by Rodrigo García, John Avnet, and Jake Avnet. It was written by Mattie Brickman and also stars William Mapother, Jonathan Tucker, and Christopher Carley.

Lies in Plain Sight

Cardoso directed this movie, which is a remake of an Israeli film. It stars Rosie Perez, Martha Higadera, Chad Michael Murray, and Benito Martinez. It was produced for Sony Television and Lifetime. The story is about Eva and her blind cousin Sofia (Martha Higadera). They were very close as children. But as Sofia looks into Eva's life, she finds out that their childhood had some dark secrets. The film won a NAMIC Vision Award and an IMAGEN Award for Martha Higadera's acting. It was also chosen as Lifetime Movie of the Year in 2011.

Awards and Honors

Cardoso has also received these honors:

• Smithsonian Institution Latino Recognition Award
• Reconocimiento Fulbright a la Excelencia
• UCLA Filmmaker Of The Year Honor
• Hubert Bals Fund for Film Production - International Film Festival Rotterdam
• Visionary Award LA Femme Film Festival
• California Governor's Commendation

See also

In Spanish: Patricia Cardoso para niños