Mah Ferraz Is Your ADC “Freelancer of the Year,” Presented By The One Club & Working Not Working
Michael O’Donnell / EDITOR
Congratulations to all of this week’s announced winners across all categories in the ADC 100th Annual Awards. For the second year, The One Club for Creativity partnered with Working Not Working to offer freelancers a lowered entry price and the opportunity to have a bigger voice, presence, and platform in the creative industry.
This collaboration again culminates in an award for the “Freelancer of the Year,” presented by Working Not Working. Last year’s inaugural winner was Los Angeles-based artist Kadir Nelson. This year, we are honored to present this award to New York-based film editor Mah Ferraz.
Mah’s work is both edgy and sensitive; she readily employs sound design and rhythm to drive both anthemic spots and emotional, visual storytelling. Simply put, she gives projects a pulse that connects with audiences, which may explain why she’s taking home plenty of hardware this year at the ADC Awards.
We invite you to scroll down to get to know the Brazilian creative whose confidence, craft, vision, and voice were built on the decision to go freelance, making her “Freelancer of the Year” title a seamless fit and a fitting conclusion to an "essential chapter" in her career. “I am so grateful to receive this award in my last year as a Freelancer. What a beautiful ending to the years that were the most crucial to me as an artist and person. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Mah’s Start
Mah was mentored at a post house while an assistant/junior editor, and accrued enough freelance jobs on the side to go solo. Freelancing was essential in building confidence in her artistic vision and craft, exploring her voice without any "outside noise" like an agency or client, and ultimately pursuing less traditional, "director-driven" jobs to create a reel she was proud of.
Mah’s Break
In 2019, Mah became the first film editor to win a Young Gun. “Having my work recognized with such a renowned award was huge for me personally and professionally. It confirmed my confidence in my craft and opened doors to more amazing work and many more awards.”
By her own definition, Mah’s editing process is a mess. And that’s a choice. It’s where she can uncover truth and beauty. “In terms of workflow, editors can be super perfectionists—but I'm not. It’s my own mess and flow. I love opening my mind in a different way. I like following my own messiness and playing around so my brain doesn't always follow a certain pattern or rule.”
Mah’s Past Year
This was a crazy year for everyone, Mah included. Professionally, she used work as an escape to keep busy and stay excited about the future. “And at the same time, I used my craft to work on projects with important messages behind them.” The Megan Thee Stallion piece for The New York Times definitely qualifies, not just in its message but in its reach. It caught the attention of Vice President Kamala Harris and inspired a letter from Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
Mah’s Mission
“Being a Latinx woman and part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I love being involved in projects related to and made by my communities. That happens naturally and it's important for me.” A perfect example of this is Mah’s touching work on the Gold Cube-winning “Proud Parent,” a narrative short from Oreo + 360i New York.
As for the future, Mah’s aim is to be versatile in the projects she works on while leaving her fingerprints on anything she touches. “My goal is to always stay inspired and challenge myself. That changes all the time and that's the beauty of it. I just make sure I always stay hungry.”
Mah’s Advice
“I found that working at a post house was key to learning the craft from professional editors and seeing how the industry works. But being a freelancer and evolving my craft with my vision (without the pressure of being part of a post house) is what built my confidence in my art and career. So I find it important to understand the industry from the inside, but still find room to evolve your craft in your unique way and take ownership of your career.”