Interview with actress Anna Carvalho

Anna Carvalho is an actress and director. She has recently appeared in the films Nova, Uma Cidade Entre Nós, Free Dead or Alive, the TV series METRO, Dream Breakers and the TV movie Padre Pio.

You won the Best Actress award at the prestigious International Film Festival Manhattan for the short film Relieve. What was the experience like? 

Winning Best Actress at the International Film Festival Manhattan for Relieve was an incredible experience! Our film also won Best Cinematography for our talented cinematographer, Ian MacGar, which made it even more special. Since neither Ian nor our director, Rajesh Vemula, could be there, I had the honor of representing everyone—and I was thrilled to bring the awards home for our team!

This wasn’t my first time at the festival. I attended in 2022, when Red Roses Never Die won Best New Filmmaker, and each time I come to NYC for the International Film Festival Manhattan, it truly feels like being part of a family. You meet people from all over the world, spending those days connecting and supporting each other’s work. The festival director, Luis, organizes activities for the nominees to promote both the festival and our projects, so there’s always something memorable happening.

The feeling of winning is amazing—especially when you get to bring home not just one but two awards! But beyond the awards, what stays with me are the connections and friendships I make at festivals like this. It’s inspiring to meet other indie filmmakers, see their films, and have genuine conversations about the craft. To me, that’s what the film industry should be—a supportive, collaborative community where we share stories and inspire one another to create meaningful art.

The short film is about Dhruv (Ayyappa Konjeti) and Tara (Srivalli Vineeta) who face unexpected and dangerous challenges after meeting a mysterious woman - played by you - on a journey through rural Texas. How much of Anna is in the movie? 

Oh! That’s a great question, but a tough one to answer because of the complexities of this character. Her name is Anna, so let’s start with that.  I relate to her fearless side—her unwavering defense of those she loves and her refusal to accept injustice. However, her actions are very extreme and that’s where we differ (I can’t reveal too much).

Anna suffers profoundly from the loss of her daughter and is completely isolated, which drives her to make choices most wouldn’t understand. But people are capable of doing terrible things for love, and perhaps many mothers would relate to her decisions. The beauty of playing a character like Anna is embracing her duality—understanding her without judgment. If you judge a character, you lose the chance to understand them and fully embody their life. In the end, human beings can be their best or their worst, depending on so many factors.

The movie is set in Texas. Where specifically? 

The story is set in a small, rural village abandoned in the middle of Texas during the 1950s, as envisioned by Rajesh, the film’s director and writer. In reality, we filmed at Old West Town—Ghost Town Austin, in the Manor area. It’s an incredible location, perfect for capturing the story’s atmosphere, and a great spot to visit or shoot if you're in town. The surrounding area is beautifully rural, adding an authentic feel to the setting.

A must-ask question about the election: what is the mood in America right now? 

Well, some people are very happy, others are still in disbelief, and many are fearful of what the future holds. Right now, we must believe that love and unity will overcome all the negative things we’re afraid might happen. We should never give up or let ourselves drown in negativity. Instead, we need to be strong to face whatever comes our way.

Life is a cycle, and unfortunately, humanity doesn’t seem to learn from its mistakes, repeating history over and over (a theme I’ve expressed many times in my movies and plays). The difference now is that we all have access to information. We know what happened in the past and how it turned out, so we should be doing better!

Can you tell us something about the series Fragmentos de um Corpo that you direct? 

"Fragmentos de um Corpo” (Fragments of One Body) was created last year by myself, director/producer Isabel Pina, and author Sandra Henriques, inspired by the short stories published in Fábrica de Terror  throughout 2022 (featured on the website and in the recently released anthology The Best Tales of the Terror Factory vol. 1). Together, we set out to adapt some of these stories for television, resulting in this limited series we call Fragments of One Body.

Portuguese horror is on the rise, with new authors needing a platform, and fans of the genre eager for fresh stories. From the moment we conceived this adaptation, we knew we were paving the way forward for Portuguese horror.

With full permission from the original authors, we carefully selected stories and immediately assembled a professional team of over 70 artists—directors, actors, cinematographers, makeup artists, and more—who, upon hearing our proposal, enthusiastically joined our project to bring this 'monster' to life. We’ve already filmed a number of stories, so part of the work is complete, but there’s still a long road ahead. We are currently seeking investors and collaborators to enrich and expand this unique horror series. Although these stories were originally written in Portuguese, their themes are universal and could unfold anywhere in the world.

You also work in the theater. What is Anna Carvalho's professional future? 

Yes! I often say I began my career in theater, though my focus has recently been on film. Over the past few years, I’ve primarily worked in cinema, but I miss being on stage—it’s like oxygen to me! This is probably the longest break I've had from theater, so I’m curious to see what lies ahead.

Currently, I’m developing scripts, mainly for films, but I’d like to begin working on theater pieces as well. There’s a noticeable gap in roles for actors with accents and older actors, which is an area I want to champion through my production company, Multeity. Films, theater, and TV shouldn’t cater to just one audience or language—streaming platforms are already expanding the reach, because the world is vast and diverse, with countless stories to tell. Multeity Productions was founded with this vision: to unite artists—actors, producers, and directors—from around the globe, creating cross-cultural collaborations. We are dedicated to producing content that resonates universally and celebrates the art of storytelling.

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