Catho D'Souza is a writer and director whose work sits at the intersection of art and social impact. Her work centres voices that are too rarely heard, with a visual language precise enough to make audiences feel the weight of what's at stake.

Her stage work announced a writer unafraid of difficult territory. Her debut play The Games We Play (2016) examined the human cost of drone warfare on civilians; her second, When We Meet Again (2017), mapped the complex bonds between women navigating grief and loss.

Her transition to screen has been marked by strong early recognition. Snow Pea (2022) premiered at the Malibu International Film Festival. I'd Never Date an Indian Girl (2025) had its Australian premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and won both the People's Choice Award and Best Actress at its debut festival in New Zealand.

Catho’s most recent horror short film, I'm Still Here (2026), was selected as a 2026 Tropfest Finalist. Tropfest is the biggest short film festival in the world and her film was one of 16 chosen from over 700 submissions.

Beyond her own projects, Catho is a vocal advocate for representation in the industry. In 2025 she moderated a panel at SXSW Sydney exploring how on-screen representation shapes audience self-worth.

She recently received a nomination for ELLE NEXT GEN Filmmaker of the Year Award 2026, listed among ANZ's rising creatives by LBBOnline in 2023, nominated by Paramount for the B&T 30 Under 30 in 2024, and has built a TikTok community of over 35,000 followers around her filmmaking practice.

Catho also spent a year abroad studying at the UCLA School of Theatre Film and Television where she was a member of the prestigious Bruin Development Academy for Media and Entertainment.

Working alongside collaborators across Sydney and Los Angeles, she develops, creative directs and executive produces films, music videos, online series, and commercial content that combine meaningful storytelling and striking visuals.

Catho is currently in development for her debut feature film. She has also recently been commissioned by Blacktown Arts to write and direct her next short film FIGHT LIKE U which will screen at the Sydney Opera House later this year.