UNSHAKEABLE PRODUCTIONS — SELECTED AWARD-WINNING FILMS
Led by Duda Penteado, a renowned visual artist, multi-award-winning filmmaker, educator, and cultural visionary—Unshakeable Productions operates at the intersection of art, storytelling, and social impact. The films produced by Unshakeable Productions are more than documentaries, they are powerful visual narratives that confront urgent global issues, including modern-day slavery, gun violence, cultural identity, and social justice. Rooted in real stories and human experiences, each project serves as both artistic expression and a call to action, inviting audiences to reflect, engage, and respond.
From intimate, character-driven stories to large-scale, community-based narratives, the selected films presented here reflect a deep commitment to cultural transformation through art. Each work amplifies often unheard voices, transforms lived experiences into collective reflection, and reinforces the belief that storytelling can be a catalyst for meaningful change.
ABOUT THE FILM DIRECTOR • IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm11375511
UNSHAKEABLE PRODUCTIONS: unshakeableproductions.com
Duda Penteado is a renowned visual artist, multi-award-winning filmmaker, educator, and cultural visionary who has lived between the United States and Brazil for over 20 years. His multidisciplinary practice spans performances, videos, installations, murals, sculptures, paintings, and other visual art forms. Through his work, Duda addresses critical social issues such as racial injustice, cultural identity, globalization, and the pressing challenges of the 21st century. His art has been showcased in galleries, cultural institutions, and museums across the U.S., Brazil, and Europe.
Duda’s work transcends artistic movements and national boundaries, reflecting the perspective of a true global thinker. His creations act as a visual pedagogy, inspiring meaningful local and international dialogue on vital human concerns.
As Co-Founder and Creative Director of Unshakeable Productions, Duda merges his fine art expertise with filmmaking, bringing intellectual depth and creative vision to the screen. He has served for several years on the curatorial committee of the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival and has received grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and The Robert Flaherty Film Seminar. Among his accolades are the Spirit of New Jersey Award from the Golden Door International Film Festival, recognition from the New York City Independent Film Festival, NYCIFF Film Festival, the Director’s Choice Award from the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival, and Best Documentary from the Christian Film Festival.
Duda’s life and work exemplify a deep commitment to cultural and social transformation through the power of art and film.
“ALL PEOPLE FREE” – SHINING A LIGHT ON THE INVISIBLE VICTIMS OF MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN BRICK KILNS
Acclaimed artivist and filmmaker Duda Penteado presents All People Free, a powerful short documentary that exposes the little-known yet devastating reality of modern-day slavery in brick kiln factories across North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. With over 20 million people trapped in forced labor—nearly half of them children—this film is a call to justice and a catalyst for global change.
This 10-minute documentary, designed for film festivals and community screenings, gives voice to survivors, unpacks the complexities of this global crisis, and exposes the deep connection between exploitation in brick kilns and broader economic systems and instability. By spotlighting sustainable solutions and collective action, All People Free seeks to galvanize audiences to take meaningful steps toward ending modern slavery.
Produced by Unshakeable Productions, the film presents a deeply moving visual narrative that brings attention to the unimaginable suffering endured by families working under inhumane conditions in the brick-making industry. Through intimate storytelling and firsthand accounts, All People Free sheds light on a human rights crisis that remains largely hidden from the world’s view.
Artists That Inspire Future Generations
WINNER — Best Director of a Short Film Over 17 Min. • Art is Alive Film Festival
Artists That Inspire Future Generations is a celebratory documentary marking the 10th Anniversary of the Jersey City Youth Mural Arts Program (JCYMAP), directed by artist and filmmaker Duda Penteado. Inspired by the commemorative mural of the same name, the film traces a decade-long journey of artistic empowerment, mentorship, and community transformation, revealing how young artists have helped reshape Jersey City’s urban landscape through large-scale public murals. Blending intimate interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and dynamic comic book–style animation, the documentary highlights the voices of students, educators, civic leaders, and cultural advocates who have contributed to JCYMAP’s impact. More than a retrospective, the film captures the power of public art as a catalyst for social change—showing how creativity, when paired with education and community engagement, can transform city walls into enduring stories of identity, resilience, and hope for future generations.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/pThzKGTNPI8
COVID -19 A Portrait of NYC
WINNER — Director's Choice Awards • Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION — 2021 New York City Independant Film Festival
"COVID -19 A Portrait of NYC" is a short film documentary directed by Duda Penteado and produced by Unshakeable Productions that explores the journey of Luiz C. Ribeiro, a seasoned photographer and editor for the Daily News newspaper that finds himself in the midst of a global pandemic crisis capturing unexpected images of New York City. Isolation, frustration, and tension bubbles over in the middle of the streets of the city that never sleeps, moving quickly from striking and iconic images of empty spaces to the Black Lives Matter protest scenes and police confrontations.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/
HOW MANY LIVES? DOCUMENTARY FILM
WINNER — Spirit of New Jersey Award • Golden Door International Film Festival
How Many Lives? is a powerful documentary directed by Duda Penteado and produced by Unshakeable Productions that explores the impact of local and national gun violence through the voices of 25 Jersey City high-school and college students who collaborated to create a 180-foot-long public mural of the same name. Structured as a metaphorical journey along the Hudson County Light Rail, the film unfolds station by station, with each stop representing a pivotal phase in the students’ artistic, emotional, and civic exploration of gun violence. Interwoven with the young artists’ reflections are perspectives from community leaders, policymakers, educators, law-enforcement officials, and cultural advocates, offering a layered examination of the history, political dynamics, and lived realities of America’s gun culture. Through the creative process, collective dialogue, and civic testimony, How Many Lives? confronts one of the nation’s most urgent moral questions—inviting audiences to reflect on why gun violence persists and to imagine pathways toward accountability, healing, and lasting change.
Trailer: https://www.
Film:: https://youtu.
Let Me Live Again
WINNER — Best Documentary • 2021 Christian Film Festival
Let Me Live Again is a powerful documentary based on the autobiography of Bishop Angel Nuñez, tracing his journey from abandonment, loss, homelessness, and street violence in New York City and Puerto Rico to a life of faith, leadership, and social activism. Orphaned at a young age and raised within government institutions, Bishop Nuñez survived gangs, drugs, and despair before finding purpose through spirituality and service. Now a faith leader of more than four decades, an advocate for immigration reform and social justice, and a voice for marginalized communities, his story extends far beyond personal redemption.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/KR1Fz4Y_QPM
