FILM DIRECTORS from Portugal

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Portuguese Film Directors of all time. This list of famous Portuguese Film Directors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Manoel de Oliveira (1908 - 2015)

With an HPI of 64.21, Manoel de Oliveira is the most famous Portuguese Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 43 different languages on wikipedia.

Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (Portuguese: [mɐnuˈɛl doliˈvɐjɾɐ]; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about World War I. In 1931, he completed his first film Douro, Faina Fluvial, a documentary about his home city Porto made in the city-symphony genre. He made his feature film debut in 1942 with Aniki-Bóbó and continued to make shorts and documentaries for the next 30 years, gaining a minimal amount of recognition without being considered a major world film director. In 1971, Oliveira directed his second feature narrative film, Past and Present, a social satire that both set the standard for his film career afterwards and gained him recognition in the global film community. He continued making films of growing ambition throughout the 1970s and 1980s, gaining critical acclaim and numerous awards. Beginning in the late 1980s, he was one of the most prolific working film directors and made an average of one film per year past the age of 100. In March 2008, he was reported to be the oldest active film director in the world. Among his numerous awards were the Career Golden Lion from the 61st Venice International Film Festival, the Special Lion for the Overall Work in the 42nd Venice International Film Festival, an Honorary Golden Palm for his lifetime achievements in 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and the French Legion of Honor.

2. João César Monteiro (1939 - 2003)

With an HPI of 52.72, João César Monteiro is the 2nd most famous Portuguese Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

João César Monteiro Santos (2 February 1939, in Figueira da Foz – 3 February 2003, in Lisbon) was a Portuguese film director, actor, writer and film critic.

3. Eduardo Serra (b. 1943)

With an HPI of 47.92, Eduardo Serra is the 3rd most famous Portuguese Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Eduardo Martins Serra (born 2 October 1943) is a Portuguese cinematographer who has spent most of his career working in European film productions, mostly in French, Portuguese and British films, with frequent collaborations with directors Patrice Leconte and Claude Chabrol. Serra is best known for his work on the M. Night Shyamalan film, Unbreakable and the final two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 both directed by David Yates From 1960 to 1963, Serra studied engineering at Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico, but he had to leave the country after his involvement in students' protests against Salazar's dictatorship. He settled in France, where he was accepted to Vaugirard film school in Paris; he graduated in 1966. In 1970 he got his second degree from the Paris-Sorbonne University, in Art History and Archeology. Serra has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. His first nomination was for his work on The Wings of the Dove (1997), for which he also won a BAFTA. He received his second Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Girl with a Pearl Earring. In 2004, Serra received the Ordem do Infante D. Henrique, a civilian award presented for services to Portuguese culture, from President Jorge Sampaio.

4. Pedro Costa (b. 1958)

With an HPI of 46.82, Pedro Costa is the 4th most famous Portuguese Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Pedro Costa (born 30 December 1958) is a Portuguese film director. He is best known for his sequence of films set in Lisbon, which focuses on the lives of the impoverished residents of a slum in the Fontainhas neighbourhood.

5. Miguel Gomes (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 38.73, Miguel Gomes is the 5th most famous Portuguese Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Miguel Gomes (born 1972) is a Portuguese film director, screenwriter and editor. He studied cinema at Lisbon Theatre and Film School. His films include The Face You Deserve (2004), Our Beloved Month of August (2008) and Tabu (2012), Arabian Nights (2015) and Grand Tour (2024). For the last, he won Best Director at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.