Brazilian-born actress, filmmaker, and writer Rafaela Gonçalves has built her career around one guiding principle — to create work that reflects truth, heart, and imagination. At only twenty-six, she has already achieved milestones many artists spend decades pursuing. Her award-winning short film If the Shoe Fits has screened at thirteen festivals and earned eight awards (FilmFreeway, 2024), marking her as one of the most promising new voices in contemporary cinema.
From an early age, Gonçalves was drawn to the arts. “I grew up immersed in the arts, from initially putting on personal little shows for my family to eventually actually being on stage singing, dancing, and acting,” she recalls. “I remember from a very young age wanting to be just like the characters in movies and TV shows, even before I knew what acting was.” That fascination soon became a calling. After moving to the United States to pursue her BFA in Acting, she began taking courses in filmmaking and screenwriting, eventually completing her MFA in Producing.
Her early curiosity about performance evolved into a lifelong passion for storytelling — not just portraying characters, but shaping their worlds. “I realized I not only wanted to be in the movies, I also wanted to make them — not only become a character that already existed, but also create the characters I wanted to become.”
That creative conviction led to If the Shoe Fits, a film inspired by advice her father once shared: “People are like shoes; sometimes the shoe is beautiful and you really want it, but it is not your size. You keep trying to make it fit, but the more you try, the more it hurts.” The metaphor became the backbone of her film — a psychological drama that explores self-worth, identity, and the pain of forcing something that no longer fits. “My movie talks about love and romantic relationships,” she explains, “but it can really apply to any kind of relationship.”
Influenced by Black Swan and The Substance, Gonçalves approached the story with bold emotional honesty. “Both movies are great examples of how far someone is willing to go for something they want, how much they hurt in the process, and how much of themselves they have to let go until they hit rock bottom and realize they simply can’t anymore.” Her film echoes that truth — an introspective look at how ambition and self-acceptance can coexist in fragile harmony.
In If the Shoe Fits, she also wore multiple hats: writer, director, lead actress, and editor. “The hardest part for me was that I love giving myself entirely to everything I do,” she admits. “When you wear so many hats at once, you simply can’t do that.” The challenge became a revelation, showing her that the art of collaboration could yield even stronger results. “That was one of my biggest lessons with If the Shoe Fits and the reason why I opened my production company: I love collaborating with people — the more the merrier.” (Half n Rafa Productions, 2024).
Her next chapter brought a new challenge. Gonçalves joined the cast of Blow for Blow, directed by renowned martial artist Rigan Machado, marking her debut in the action genre. “It was an honor to work with Rigan in his directorial debut,” she says. “I always loved martial arts. Growing up, I took judo and karate classes, later on, a few boxing classes, and during college, I got certified in stage combat with multiple different weapons.” The project allowed her to unite discipline, strength, and art — proving that grace can thrive even in motion.
As a Brazilian Latina artist in Hollywood, Gonçalves consistently draws from her roots. “I always try to bring some Brazilianess into every movie I produce or act in,” she shares. “Sometimes it’s very on the nose, like in my MFA thesis, which was a movie about a Brazilian American, and sometimes it’s less on the nose and just in the way I carry myself on set.” That quiet pride, she says, is its own form of storytelling. “I also love sharing Brazilian fun facts with everyone around me!”
Her leadership as a filmmaker is guided by the same sense of purpose. “It means I know the movie industry is far from being fair to women, and that is why I want to be in it and do my part to change that.” Through Half n Rafa Productions, she aims to create environments where collaboration replaces competition, and where every woman has a voice both in front of and behind the camera.
Currently, Gonçalves is in pre-production for two feature films. “One of them is set to be shot at the beginning of 2026 in Seattle,” she says. “I’m one of its producers, and it’s a Christmas Rom- Com — I always wanted to produce one of them! It’s my first time producing a film in Washington, and I’m so grateful to be working with and learning from such amazing female filmmakers who are Washington-based.”
led to an extraordinary moment — carrying the torch at the 2016 Rio Olympics (Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro, 2016). “It felt like a dream because I never expected any of that,” she says. “In my head, I was just doing something I always wanted to do: write a book.” When asked what advice she would offer to aspiring artists, especially Latinas, her message is both practical and profound. “Become whatever you want to become, no matter where or what people say! If you want to become an artist, do it — it won’t be easy, and you can’t give up, but it is totally worth it. You can be an artist anywhere. If people doubt you, let them, but don’t let them stop you. If you don’t believe in yourself first, who will?”
The second project takes her home to Brazil. “It’s incredible how much this project has grown — what first started as just a friend’s MFA thesis is now a very promising feature film with amazing connections and extremely talented and renowned people in the industry.” Together, the two films represent the balance she strives for — joy and depth, discipline and discovery.
Her journey is a reminder that success isn’t defined by destination, but by the courage to begin — and begin again. In every role, every frame, and every story she tells, Rafaela Gonçalves continues to prove that purpose, authenticity, and resilience are not just part of the creative process — they are the art itself.
Her story, however, began long before the camera. At fourteen, she wrote her first novel, SIM, which was later published after being selected as the best work of her school year. Its success
Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro. (2016). Rio 2016 Torchbearers Archive. FilmFreeway. (2024). If the Shoe Fits – Official Festival Page. Half n Rafa Productions. (2024). Company Overview. Editora do Brasil. (2016). SIM [Book record]. São Paulo: Editora do Brasil. Festival Scope. (2024). New Voices in Latin American Cinema.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Christina Rosas Anastasiou
- Photography
- Sharis Daneri
