Elisa Fernanda Pirir was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala. She moved to Northern Norway in 2007 and there she started participating in film productions. She produced her first feature film at the age of 23. The film got a limited release run of screenings in movie theaters. Thus, this film made her one of the youngest producers of feature films in Norway. In 2016, her graduation film from the National Film School of Norway “Generation Mars” got nominated for the 43th Academy Student Award. The film became a finalist for the 60th CINE Golden Eagle Award and also represented Norway as nominee for the CILECT Prize.
Before coming to Norway, Elisa represented Guatemala at the Olympic Games in Biology and Mathematics winning the silver medal in Biology in a regional competition in 2014, being the only female participant going to the National Competition. She has also played marimba since she was nine years old.
Elisa has been working with several acclaimed international directors such as Thomas Arslan, Ciro Guerra, Cristina Gallego, Nabil Ayouch, César Díaz, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Laura Mora, Carlos Reygadas, in addition to some of Norway’s most acclaimed directors.
She is a Berlinale Talents, Guadalajara Talents, EAVE, Rotterdam Lab and EWA alumni. In 2023, she was selected as the Norwegian Producer on the Move in Cannes.
She has among others been working as a curator for Oslo Pix film festival 2021 and part of the official Amanda Jury (Norwegian Oscars), commissioner advisor at the Council of Arts for short films and documentaries 2021-2024, jury member for Tromsø Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival “New Directors” and is in the official commission for film festivals in Norway.
