Paulo Branco (born 3 June 1950) is a Portuguese film producer.

Life and career

Paulo Branco was born in

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, and attended the undergraduate program in chemical engineering at the

Instituto Superior Técnico The Instituto Superior Técnico (IST, also known as Técnico, and stylized TÉCNICO LISBOA; English: ) is the school of engineering and technology of the University of Lisbon. It was founded as an autonomous school in 1911, and was integrated in ...

, but did not graduate. He worked at the Olympic Cinema, in Paris, with

Frédéric Mitterrand Frédéric Mitterrand (21 August 1947 – 21 March 2024) was a French actor, screenwriter, producer, and politician who served as Minister of Culture and Communication of France from 2009 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. Early life ...

, in 1974, for two years, before starting his career as a producer in 1979 between Paris and Lisbon. So far, he has produced over 300 films and has worked with film directors such as

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...

Jerzy Skolimowski Jerzy Skolimowski (; born 5 May 1938) is a Polish film director, screenwriter, dramatist, actor and painter. Beginning as a screenwriter for Andrzej Wajda's ''Innocent Sorcerers'' (1960), Skolimowski has made more than twenty films since his dire ...

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...

Chantal Akerman Chantal Anne Akerman (; 6 June 19505 October 2015) was a Belgian film director, screenwriter, artist, and film professor at the City College of New York. Akerman is best known for her films (1974), (1975), and '' News from Home'' (1976). The ...

Alain Tanner Alain Tanner (6 December 1929 – 11 September 2022) was a Swiss film director. Early years and education Tanner was born in Geneva, and studied economics at the University of Geneva. In 1951, he joined the film club which Claude Goretta had r ...

Werner Schroeter Werner Schroeter (7 April 1945 – 12 April 2010) was a cinema of Germany, German film director, screenwriter, and opera director known for his stylistic excess. Schroeter was cited by Rainer Werner Fassbinder as an influence both on his own work ...

André Téchiné André Téchiné (; born 13 March 1943) is a French screenwriter and film director. He has a long and distinguished career that places him among the most accomplished post-French New Wave, New Wave French film directors. Téchiné belongs to a s ...

Andrzej Zulawski Andrzej is the Polish form of the given name Andrew. Notable individuals with the given name Andrzej * Andrzej Bartkowiak (born 1950), Polish film director and cinematographer * Andrzej Bobola, S.J. (1591–1657), Polish saint, missionary and ...

Christophe Honoré Christophe Honoré (; born 10 April 1970) is a French writer and film and theatre director. Career Honoré was born in Carhaix, Finistère. After moving to Paris in 1995, he wrote articles in . He started writing soon after. His 1996 book ''Tout ...

Olivier Assayas Olivier Assayas (; born 25 January 1955) is a French film director, screenwriter and film critic. Assayas is known for his eclectic filmography, consisting of slow-burning Period Piece Films, period pieces, psychological thrillers, neo-noirs, an ...

, Sharunas Bartas,

Cédric Kahn Cédric Kahn (; born 17 June 1966) is a French screenwriter, film director and actor. Career His films include ''L'Ennui'' (1998), based on the Alberto Moravia novel ''Boredom'', and ''Red Lights (2004 film), Red Lights'' (2004), based on the Geor ...

Lucas Belvaux Lucas Belvaux (; born 14 November 1961) is a Belgian actor and film director. His directing credits include the ''Trilogie'', consisting of three films with interlocking stories and characters, each of which was filmed in a different genre. The ...

, Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi,

João César Monteiro João César Monteiro Santos (2 February 1939 – 3 February 2003) was a Portuguese film director, actor, writer and film critic. He is known for writing and directing films such as '' Recollections of the Yellow House'' (1989), '' God's Comedy ...

Paul Auster Paul Benjamin Auster (February 3, 1947 – April 30, 2024) was an American writer, novelist, memoirist, poet, and filmmaker. His notable works include '' The New York Trilogy'' (1987), '' Moon Palace'' (1989), '' The Music of Chance'' (1990), ' ...

Philippe Garrel Philippe Garrel (; born 6 April 1948) is a French director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor, and producer, associated with the French New Wave movement. His films have won him awards at Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and ...

Mathieu Amalric Mathieu Amalric (; born 25 October 1965) is a French actor and filmmaker. He has won several César Awards and the Lumière Awards. He is best known internationally for his roles in the James Bond film '' Quantum of Solace'', in which he pla ...

... among many others. His career has particularly been branded with an intense collaboration, during more than 20 years, with Raúl Ruiz ('' Time Regained'', ''

Three Lives and Only One Death ''Three Lives and Only One Death'' () is a 1996 French comedy film directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz. It was entered into the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, and was the penultimate film to star Marcello Mastroianni, before his death in 1996. P ...

'') and with

Manoel de Oliveira Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (; 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 Wor ...

(''

Francisca The francisca (or francesca) was a throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic national weapon at the time of the Merovingians (about 500 to 750 AD). It is known to have been use ...

'', ''

Abraham's Valley ''Abraham's Valley'' () is a 1993 Portuguese drama film directed by Manoel de Oliveira, based on a novel by Agustina Bessa-Luís, and partially inspired by Gustave Flaubert's 1857 novel ''Madame Bovary''. The film was selected as the Portuguese e ...

'', ''

The Satin Slipper ''The Satin Slipper'' (''Le Soulier de satin'') is a long play by the French dramatist and poet Paul Claudel, written in 1929. It was first performed on stage in 1943 (abridged), in a production by Claudel and Jean-Louis Barrault. Its full running ...

''). He has been member of the jury at the

Berlinale The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

(1999), at Venice's Mostra (2005), and at the

Rotterdam Film Festival International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on independent and experimental films. The inaugural festival took place in June 1972, ...

(2006). In 2011, he was foreman of the jury at the Lecce Film Festival and at the

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

. Paulo Branco is also the producer who has had the largest number of films selected at

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

and the greatest number of films having competed for the

Golden Palm The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

. He presented 53 films in

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

- 27 of which in Official Selection - and brought 48 films to the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

. He created several production and distribution companies in Portugal - Madragoa Filmes, Leopardo Filmes, Clap Filmes - where he also owns movie theatres and in France: Les Films du Passage, Gemini Films, and lately Alfama Films. Established in 2006, Alfama Films Production extends Paulo Branco's commitment for independent cinema with directors he's been supporting for a long time but also with emerging talents, always taking on new challenges like Cronenberg’s '' Cosmopolis''. In just a few years, it has built an largefilm catalogue included in many film festivals. ''

Lines of Wellington ''Lines of Wellington'' () is a 2012 Franco-Portuguese epic war film and television series prepared by Chilean director Raúl Ruiz and completed by his widow Valeria Sarmiento. Its title refers to the historical Lines of Torres Vedras. The f ...

'' by

Valeria Sarmiento Valeria Sarmiento (born 29 October 1948) is a film editor, director and screenwriter best known for her work in France, Portugal and her native Chile. She has worked both in film and television, directing 20 feature films, documentaries and tele ...

was presented in competition at the 2012

. '' Cosmopolis'' was selected in the official competition of

in 2012. ''

Mysteries of Lisbon ''Mysteries of Lisbon'' () is a 2010 Portuguese period drama film directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz based on an 1854 novel of the same name by Camilo Castelo Branco. The movie's running time is 272 minutes. It played as a miniseries in 6 ...

'' by Raúl Ruiz was selected in competition at Toronto’s and San Sebastian’s Festival, ''

Ashes and blood ''Ashes and Blood'' () is a 2009 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Fanny Ardant. It was given a special screening at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Plot A widow, Judith returns to Marseille with her children for the wedding of ...

'' by

Fanny Ardant Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant (born 22 March 1949) is a French actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two César Awards and a Lumière Award. Early life Ardant was born on 22 March 1949, in Saumur, ...

was presented Out of competition in the Official Selection of

2009, '' This Night'' by

was in competition in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

2008. ''

Four Nights with Anna ''Four Nights with Anna'' () is a 2008 drama film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. It stars Artur Steranko and Kinga Preis. It tells the story of a man who visits a woman in her sleep. The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the Dire ...

'' by

did the opening of Cannes’

Directors Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (, formerly ) is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festival as a ...

in 2008. ''

Love Songs A love song is a song about love, falling in love, broken heart, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sa ...

'' by

was selected in the official competition of

2007. Alfama Films has also been developing its activities of theatrical distribution, international sales and video edition. Paulo Branco is President of the

Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival The Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival (LEFFEST), formerly known as Estoril Film Festival, (also known as Lisbon & Sintra Film Festival) is an annual international film festival held in November in Estoril, on the Portuguese Riviera. Established i ...

, event that he founded in 2007.. He is the father of French lawyer and political activist Juan Branco.

Selected filmography

Producer

* '' Ill-Fated Love'' (1979) * ''

'' (1981) * '' The Territory'' (1981) * '' The State of Things'' (1982) * ''

Three Crowns of the Sailor ''Three Crowns of the Sailor'' () is a 1982 French fabulist film with surrealist and oneiric flourishes written and directed by Chilean director Raúl Ruiz. Plot The film opens in black and white with the motiveless murder of a professor by ...

'' (1982) * ''

In the White City ''In the White City'' () is a 1983 Swiss drama film directed by Alain Tanner. Focussing on a mariner's disillusion with life at sea, it addresses the problems with dropping out of society, one of the central topics in Tanner's films. Synopsis ...

'' (1983) * '' City of Pirates'' (1983) * '' Le soulier de satin'' (1984) * ''

Manoel's Destinies ''Manoel's Destinies'' (; Portuguese: ''Os Destinos de Manuel'') is a 1984/1985 French-Portuguese children's fantasy film directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz. It was shot on 16 mm film, a co-production of Les Films du Passage, Rita Filmes ...

'' (1985) * ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...

'' (1985) * '' Maine-Océan'' (1986) * '' The Cannibals'' (1988) * '' Winter's Child'' (1989) * '' No, or the Vain Glory of Command'' (1990) * '' The End of the World'' (1992) * ''

'' (1993) * '' Normal People Are Nothing Exceptional'' (1993) * '' Lisbon Story'' (1994) * '' The Convent'' (1995) * '' Down to Earth'' (1995) * '' The Phantom Heart'' (1996) * '' Five Days, Five Nights'' (1996) * ''

'' (1996) * '' Pour rire !'' (1996) * '' Few of Us'' (1996) * '' Genealogies of a Crime'' (1997) * '' Ossos'' (1997) * '' Voyage to the Beginning of the World'' (1997) * '' The House'' (1997) * ''

Anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

'' (1998) * ''

The New Eve ''The New Eve'' (Hungarian: Az új Éva) is a painting by Hungarian artist Sándor Bortnyik from 1924. Description The picture is painted in oil on canvas with the dimensions of 48.5 x 38.0 cm; it is part of the collection of the Hungaria ...

'' (1999) * '' Time Regained'' (1999) * ''

As Bodas de Deus ''As Bodas de Deus'' (literal English title: ''The Spousals of God'') is a 1999 Portuguese comedy film directed by João César Monteiro. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Rita Durão - Jo ...

'' (1999) * '' Modern Life'' (2000) * ''

La fidélité ''Fidelity'' () is a 2000 French drama film written and directed by Andrzej Żuławski and starring Sophie Marceau, Pascal Greggory and Guillaume Canet. Based on Madame de La Fayette's 1678 novel ''La Princesse de Clèves'', the film follows a tal ...

'' (2000) * '' The Captive'' (2000) * '' Le stade de Wimbledon'' (2001) * '' I'm Going Home'' (2001) * '' Get a Life'' (2001) * ''

I Am Dina ''I Am Dina'' is a 2002 Norway, Norwegian-Sweden, Swedish-Denmark, Danish film directed by Ole Bornedal. It is based on the 1989 book ''Dinas bok'' (''Dina's Book'') by Herbjørg Wassmo. It was one of the most high-profile films in Norway, Nor ...

'' (2002) * ''

The Uncertainty Principle The uncertainty principle, also known as Heisenberg's indeterminacy principle, is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics. It states that there is a limit to the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties, such as position a ...

'' (2002) * ''

Two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...

'' (2002) * ''

It's Easier for a Camel ''It's Easier for a Camel...'' () is a 2003 French comedy film written, directed by and starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. It was entered into the 25th Moscow International Film Festival. It won the Louis Delluc Prize for Best First Film in 2003. ...

'' (2003) * ''

A Talking Picture ''A Talking Picture'' () is a 2003 Portuguese drama film written and directed by Manoel de Oliveira and starring Catherine Deneuve, John Malkovich, Irene Papas, Stefania Sandrelli and Leonor Silveira. This was Irene Papas’ final film before ...

'' (2003) * '' That Day'' (2003) * '' Changing Times'' (2004) * ''

Ma mère ''Ma Mère'' () is a 2004 erotic drama film written and directed by Christophe Honoré, based on the posthumous 1966 novel of the same name by French author Georges Bataille. The film follows the incestuous relationship between a 17-year-old boy ...

'' (2004) * ''

In the Darkness of the Night ''In the Darkness of the Night'' () is a 2004 Portuguese drama film directed by João Canijo. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Cast *Fernando Luís as Nelson Pinto * Rita Blanco as Celeste Pinto ...

'' (2004) * '' Tomorrow We Move'' (2004) * ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (2005) * (2005) * '' In Paris'' (2006) * '' A Few Days in September'' (2006) * ''

'' (2007) * '' From Now On'' (2007) * '' Très bien, merci'' (2007) * '' The Inner Life of Martin Frost'' (2007) * ''

'' (2008) * ''This Night'' (2008) * ''

Ashes and Blood ''Ashes and Blood'' () is a 2009 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Fanny Ardant. It was given a special screening at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Plot A widow, Judith returns to Marseille with her children for the wedding of ...

'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * ''

'' (2012) * '' Cosmopolis'' (2012) * '' My Soul Healed By You'' (2013) * '' The Blue Room'' (2014) * ''

Cadences obstinées ''Cadences obstinées'' ( Portuguese: ''Cadências Obstinadas'') is a 2013 French-Portuguese romance film directed by Fanny Ardant. Cast *Asia Argento as Margo * Nuno Lopes as Furio *Franco Nero as Carmine * Tudor Istodor as Gabriel * Ricardo Pere ...

'' (2014) * ''

Casanova Variations ''Casanova Variations'' is a 2014 French-Austrian-German fantasy historical musical drama film written and directed by Michael Sturminger and starring John Malkovich. It is based on ''Histoire de ma vie'' by Giacomo Casanova, who is played by Ma ...

'' (2014) * ''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...

'' (2015) * '' L'Astragale'' (2015) * ''

Mad Love __NOTOC__ Mad Love may refer to: Books *''Mad Love'' (French ''L'amour fou''), collection of poems by André Breton *'' The Batman Adventures: Mad Love'', an Eisner and Harvey award-winning comic by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm * Mad Love (publisher), ...

'' (2015) * '' Fool Moon'' (2016) * ''

The Young One ''The Young One'' () (released as ''White Trash'' in the United States and ''Island of Shame'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1960 English-language Mexican drama film directed and co-written by Luis Buñuel, and starring Zachary Scott, Bernie Ham ...

'' (2016) * '' Never Ever'' (2016) * '' O Caderno Negro'' (2018)

Actor

* ''

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...

'' (1976) - Orso Dalcò * ''

'' (1983) - L'homme dans la gare (uncredited) * ''Point de fuite'' (1984) * ''Vidas'' (1984) - Carlos * ''Três Menos Eu'' (1988) * ''Piano panier ou La recherche de l'équateur'' (1989) - António * ''Les infortunes de la beauté'' (1999) - Le gardien * ''Mister V.'' (2003) - Batistella * ''

Blood Curse The term "blood curse" refers to a New Testament passage from the Gospel of Matthew, which describes events taking place in Pilate's court before the crucifixion of Jesus, and specifically the alleged willingness of the Jewish crowd to accept ...

'' (2003) - Godofredo Monteiro (final film role)

Awards

*1997: Europa Award of the European Parliament *1998: Gabriela Mistral Order of the

Republic of Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Oce ...

*2002: Raimondo Rezzonico Award of the

*2004: Officer of the

Order of Arts and Letters The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

of the

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

*2019:

Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts The Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts has been established by the World Cultural Council (Mexico) to acknowledge those who offer a positive message to mankind through different expressions of art. It is conferred upon "artist, sculptor, write ...

conferred by the

World Cultural Council The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1982 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Branco, Paulo 1950 births Living people Portuguese film producers Mass media people from Lisbon Instituto Superior Técnico alumni