Flavio Alves is a Brazilian writer, film director, and producer. He was granted political asylum in the United States in 1998. Shortly thereafter, he attended Columbia University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science. After graduating, Alves worked as an assistant to then-New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Former Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY).

In 2007, Flavio returned to school to study film production at New York University, where he received the Technisphere Award for Outstanding Achievement. Since then, he has directed and produced more than 20 films. His most recent completed project, The Secret Friend, premiered at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival and has entered more than 90 film festivals around the world and received 24 awards for best short film.