This is a list of notable Brazilian film directors born in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

or who have established Brazilian citizenship or residency.

Pioneers

Lima Barreto Afonso Henriques de Lima Barreto (13 May 1881 – 1 November 1922) was a Brazilian novelist and journalist. A major figure in Brazilian Pre-Modernism, he is famous for the novel '' Triste Fim de Policarpo Quaresma'', a bitter satire of the first ...

Humberto Mauro Humberto Duarte Mauro (30 April 1897 – 5 November 1983) was a Brazilian film director. His best known work is ''Ganga Bruta''. He is often considered the greatest director of early Brazilian cinema. Career Mauro's second feature film ''Thesou ...

* Mário Peixoto

Cinema Novo

Joaquim Pedro de Andrade Joaquim Pedro de Andrade (May 25, 1932 – September 10, 1988) was a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He was a member of the Cinema Novo movement in Brazil. Andrade is best known for his 1969 film ''Macunaíma (film), Macunaíma'', ba ...

Cacá Diegues Carlos Diegues, also known as Cacá Diegues (born May 19, 1940), is a Brazilian film director. He was born in Maceió, Alagoas, and is best known as a member of the Cinema Novo movement. He is popularly known for his unconventional, yet intriguin ...

Ruy Guerra Ruy Alexandre Guerra Coelho Pereira (born August 22, 1931) is a Portuguese-Brazilian film director and screenwriter. Guerra was born a Portuguese citizen in Lourenço Marques (today Maputo) in Mozambique, when it was still a Portuguese colony. ...

* Leon Hirszman *

Arnaldo Jabor Arnaldo Jabor (12 December 1940 – 15 February 2022) was a Brazilian film director and producer, screenwriter, writer, journalist and political pundit for Brazilian television network Rede Globo. Biography He was of jewish lebanese descent an ...

Glauber Rocha Glauber de Andrade Rocha (; 14 March 1939 – 22 August 1981) was a Brazilian film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most influential moviemakers of Brazilian cinema and a key figure of Cinema Novo. His films ''Black God, White ...

* Roberto Santos *

Nelson Pereira dos Santos Nelson Pereira dos Santos (22 October 1928 21 April 2018) was a Brazilian film director. He directed films such as '' Vidas Secas'' (Barren Lives), based on the book with the same name by Brazilian writer Graciliano Ramos. Biography Pereira d ...

Paulo César Saraceni Paulo César Saraceni (5 November 1933 – 14 April 2012) was a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He directed 14 films between 1960 and 2011. His 1999 film '' Traveller'' was entered into the 21st Moscow International Film Festival ...

Cinema marginal

Júlio Bressane Júlio Eduardo Bressane de Azevedo (born February 13, 1946) is a Brazilian filmmaker and writer. Biography A representative of the Brazilian ''cinema marginal'', Julio Bressane began making films as an assistant director of Walter Lima Jr., in 1 ...

José Mojica Marins José Mojica Marins (13 March 1936 – 19 February 2020) was a Brazilian filmmaker, actor, composer, screenwriter, and television horror host. Marins is also known for creating and playing the character Coffin Joe (loosely translated from Zé ...

Rogério Sganzerla Rogério Sganzerla (4 May 1946 — 9 January 2004) was a Brazilian filmmaker. One of the main names of the '' cinema marginal'' underground movement, his most known work is ''The Red Light Bandit'' (1968). Sganzerla was influenced by Orson ...

* João Silvério Trevisan

Others in the 60s/70s/80s

Hector Babenco In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

* Ana Carolina * Eduardo Coutinho * Anselmo Duarte *

Roberto Farias Roberto Farias (27 March 1932 – 14 May 2018) was a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed 15 films during his career. His 1982 film '' Pra Frente, Brasil'' was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film F ...

Walter Hugo Khouri Walter Hugo Khouri (São Paulo, 21 October 1929 – São Paulo, 27 June 2003) was a Brazilian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer of Lebanese people, Lebanese and Italians, Italian descent. Khouri made 25 feature films and w ...

* Walter Lima, Jr. *

Luis Sérgio Person Luis Sérgio Person (12 February 1936 – 7 January 1976) was a Brazilian actor, director, screenwriter and producer. Person was born in São Paulo and is best known for his 1967 film, '' Case of the Naves Brothers'', which was entered into ...

Retoma and ''Post'' Retomada

Alê Abreu Alê Abreu (born March 6, 1971) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. ''Sírius'', his first short film, debuted at the 1993 Anima Mundi as the only Brazilian animation that year. It won the Best Film Award at the Festival de Cine para N ...

* Aluizio Abranches *

Gilda de Abreu Gilda de Abreu (; 23 September 1904 – 4 June 1979) was a Brazilian actress, singer, writer and film director. Biography Born to a wealthy family, Gilda de Abreu began her career as a singer, performing in stage musicals and operettas. She fi ...

* Carine Adler *

Karim Aïnouz Karim Aïnouz (born 17 January 1966) is a Brazilian film director and visual artist. Career Karim Aïnouz was born to a Brazilian mother and an Algerian father. He is a film director, screenwriter and visual artist. Aïnouz's feature debut, ' ...

* Renalto Alves *

Tata Amaral Tata Amaral (born 1960, in São Paulo) is a Brazilian director, writer, producer and actress. She has won various awards across South America, including 'Best director' and 'Best film'. At a young age, Tata lost the father of her daughter. As a ...

Fernando Grostein Andrade Fernando Grostein Andrade (born January 30, 1981 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian filmmaker, director, producer, screenwriter, director of photography, and media entrepreneur. He is a columnist for '' VEJA'' magazine and the newspaper '' Folha de S. ...

João Batista de Andrade João Batista de Andrade (born 14 December 1939) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 20 films between 1967 and 2006. His 1981 film ''O Homem que Virou Suco'' won the Golden Prize at the 12th Moscow International ...

* Joel Zito Araújo * Cláudio Assis *

Bruno Barreto Bruno Villela Barreto Borges (born 16 March 1955) is a Brazilian film director. Biography Born in Rio de Janeiro, Barreto has been making feature-length films ever since he was 17 years old and remains one of Brazil's most accomplished and pop ...

Fábio Barreto Fábio Villela Barreto Borges (June 6, 1957 – November 20, 2019) was a Brazilian filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, and film producer. He was best known for directing '' O Quatrilho'' (which was the first Brazilian film nominated for the Academy A ...

Luiz de Barros Luiz de Barros (September 12, 1893 – 1982) was a prominent Brazilian film director, film producer, film editor, screenwriter, cinematographer, film actor and set designer and manager who played a key role in Brazilian film production from the e ...

Laís Bodanzky Laís Bodanzky (born 23 September 1969) is a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known for '' Brainstorm'', a film about the situation in mental institutions in Brazil. Over 15 years, she has coordinated the educational ...

* Beto Brant * João Callegaro * Carla Camurati *

Maurice Capovila Maurice Capovila (16 January 1936 – 29 May 2021) was a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He directed eight films between 1968 and 2003. His 1970 film '' The Prophet of Hunger'' was entered into the 20th Berlin International Film ...

* Arturo Carrari *

Luiz Fernando Carvalho Luiz Fernando Carvalho (born July 28, 1960, in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian filmmaker and television director, known for works closely linked to literature that constitute a renovation in Brazilian audiovisual aesthetics. He has already brought ...

Alberto Cavalcanti Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti (February 6, 1897 – August 23, 1982) was a Brazilian-born film director and producer. He was often credited under the single name "Cavalcanti". Early life Cavalcanti was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of a ...

* César Charlone *

Carlos Coimbra Carlos Coimbra (1925 – 14 February 2007) was a Brazilian film editor, director and screenwriter. His film '' A Morte Comanda o Cangaço'' was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival The 11th annual Berlin International ...

Heitor Dhalia Heitor Dhalia (born 18 January 1970) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He has directed seven films since 1988. His film, '' À Deriva'', competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Filmography * '' ...

* Miguel Faria, Jr. *

Daniel Filho João Carlos Daniel Filho (born 30 September 1937), best known as Daniel Filho, is a Brazilian film producer, director, actor, and screenwriter. He starred in the film ''Os Cafajestes'', which was entered into the 12th Berlin International Fil ...

Jorge Furtado Jorge Alberto Furtado (born June 9, 1959) is a Brazilian film and television director and screenwriter. Life and career Furtado attended university for courses in medicine, psychology, journalism and arts but didn't graduate. He began his profe ...

Cao Hamburger Carlos Império Hamburger, better known as Cao Hamburger (; born 27 February 1962), is a Brazilian film and television director, screenwriter, and producer. He is one of the creators of the ''Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum'' series of programs for children ...

* Carlos Imperial *

Tatiana Issa Tatiana Issa (born January 16, 1974) is a three-time Emmy Award winning Brazilian director and executive producer known for her 2009 documentary film ''Dzi Croquettes'', the series "Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez" for HBO MAX, and " Q ...

* Natalia Leite *

Kátia Lund Kátia Lund (born March 13, 1966) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. Her most notable work was as co-director of the film '' City of God''. Early life Lund was born in São Paulo, to American parents who emigrated to Brazil before sh ...

Sérgio Machado Sérgio Machado (born 19 September 1968) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. His film ''Lower City, Cidade Baixa'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Filmography * ''Onde a Terra Acaba'' (2 ...

Amácio Mazzaropi Amácio Mazzaropi (São Paulo, April 9, 1912 – São Paulo, June 13, 1981) was a Brazilian actor and filmmaker. Biography A comic performer from a circus background, he became popular in Brazil with his character Jeca Tatu, a portrayal of the ru ...

* Fernando Meirelles *

Selton Mello Selton Figueiredo Mello (born 30 December 1972) is a Brazilian actor and director. Since his childhood, he acted on TV shows. Now he works on TV, movies and theater. Throughout his career, he developed a strong and solid experience in cinema, pr ...

Flávio Migliaccio Flávio Migliaccio (26 August 1934 – 4 May 2020) was a Brazilian actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 90 films and television shows between 1958 and 2019. His 1962 film ''The Beggars'' was entered into the 3rd ...

Jayme Monjardim Jayme Monjardim Matarazzo (São Paulo, São Paulo, May 19, 1956) is a Brazilian TV and film director. He is the only child of André Matarazzo Filho and Maysa Matarazzo. He is the former husband of actress Ingra Liberato, divorced without issue ...

David Neves David Neves (14 May 1938 – 23 November 1994) was a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He directed nine films between 1964 and 1988. He was a member of the jury at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival in 1970. Selected filmog ...

Carlos Augusto de Oliveira Carlos Augusto de Oliveira (born 1974 in Brazil) is a Brazilian film director who has lived in Denmark since 2000. De Oliveira had his introduction to the film industry in 1992, but studied architecture in Rio de Janeiro before moving to Denmark ...

José Padilha José Bastos Padilha Neto (; born 1 August 1967) is a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the Brazilian critical and financial successes '' Elite Squad'' and '' Elite Squad: The Enemy Within'' a ...

* Tom Payne *

Paulo Porto Paulo Porto (1 September 1917 – 3 July 1999) was a Brazilian actor, film producer, director and screenwriter. He appeared in 32 films and television shows between 1947 and 1988. He starred in the 1973 film '' All Nudity Shall Be Punished ...

Afonso Poyart Afonso Poyart (born 1979) is a Brazilian film director, producer and writer. He made his feature film directorial debut with the 2012 action '' 2 Coelhos'' (''Lit: 2 Rabbits'') and later directed the film ''Solace'', starring Anthony Hopkins ...

Guilherme de Almeida Prado Guilherme de Almeida Prado (Ribeirão Preto, November 6, 1954) is a Brazilian film director. Graduated in civil engineering while at the same time doing movies. He also served as assistant director of erotic films. He founded the production com ...

Helvécio Ratton Helvécio Ratton (born May 14, 1949) is a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. Filmography *''Criação'' (1978; short film) *''Em Nome da Razão'' (1979; short film) *''João Rosa'' (1980; short film) *''Um Homem Público'' (1981 ...

Sérgio Rezende Sérgio Rezende (born April 9, 1951) is a Brazilian filmmaker. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, and is best known for directing several biographical films, such as ''Lamarca'', ''Mauá - O Imperador e o Rei'', and ''Zuzu Angel'', about guerrilla l ...

Daniel Ribeiro Daniel Ribeiro was born in São Paulo on May 20, 1982. He is a Brazilian film director known for his works You, Me and Him (Portuguese: Cafe com Leite) made in 2007 and I Don't Want to Go Back Alone, I Don't Want To Go Back Alone (Portuguese: Eu Nã ...

* Sérgio Ricardo * Juliana Rojas * João Moreira Salles *

Walter Salles Walter Moreira Salles Júnior (; born 12 April 1956) is a Brazilian filmmaker. Early life Salles was born on 12 April 1956 in Rio de Janeiro and attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. He is the son of Brazi ...

Roberto Santucci Roberto Santucci (born 1967) is a Brazilian filmmaker. Santucci holds degrees for the Columbia College Hollywood and University of California. He started his career as a filmmaker directing short films, and then action films. However, due to low bo ...

* David Schurmann * Silvio Tendler *

Paulo Thiago Paulo Thiago Alencar Antunes (; born January 25, 1981) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division of KSW. A professional competitor since 2005, he has also competed for the UFC and Jungle Figh ...

Daniela Thomas Daniela Thomas (born 1959) is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter and editor. Early life In 1959, Thomas was born as Daniela Gontijo Alves Pinto in Brazil. Thomas' father is Ziraldo Alves Pinto, a cartoonist. Thomas' brother is Antonio P ...

Sérgio Toledo Sérgio Toledo Segall or simply Sérgio Toledo (born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1956) is the son of actress Beatriz Segall and an award-winning Brazilian screenwriter and director most known for his film Vera, that won the Silver Bear for Best Act ...

Pedro Vasconcellos Pedro Vasconcelos (born October 25, 1974 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian director and television actor. Selected filmography * '' Império'' (2014) * ''A Teia'' (2014) * ''O Concurso'' (2013) * '' Amor Eterno Amor'' (2012) * ''Escrito nas Estr ...

Andrucha Waddington Andrew "Andrucha" Waddington (born 20 January 1970) is a Brazilian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Career His several film credits include “ Me You Them” (2000), Mention spéciale of Un Certain Regard in Cannes, an Official Sel ...

Tizuka Yamasaki Tizuka Yamasaki (born May 12, 1949) is a Brazilian film director. Early life and work Born in Porto Alegre, at the age of 2, Tizuka moved back with her Japanese immigrants parents to the city of Atibaia, in the state of São Paulo. In her tee ...

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Directors Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...