Miguel Gomes (director)

Miguel Gomes (born 1972) is a Portuguese film director, screenwriter and editor.^[1] 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.^[2]

Miguel Gomes
Gomes in 2024
Born	1972 (age 52–53) Lisbon, Portugal
Nationality	Portuguese
Occupations	Film director screenwriter editor
Years active	2000 - present

Career

Trained at the Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema, Gomes began his career as a film critic and author of theoretical writings on cinema. His early filmography includes The Face You Deserve (2004) and Our Beloved Month of August (2008).

His 2012 film, Tabu, was selected in the Competition programme at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival,^[3] where it won the Alfred Bauer Prize for Artistic Innovation and the FIPRESCI Jury Prize. It also won the Grand Prix for Best Film at the 39th Film Fest Gent.^[4]

His 2015 film, Arabian Nights, premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.^[5]

In 2024, Gomes was honored with a 'Special Program in Focus' at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, titled Miguel Gomes, a filmmaker of Joyful Melancholy. The program showcased the complete catalog of his eight feature films, from his 2004 debut The Face You Deserve to his latest work, Grand Tour, which won him Best Director at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. He was the first Portuguese director to ever win that award. He also conducted a masterclass, sharing insights into his creative process and cinematic vision.^[6][7]

Filmography

Short films

• Christmas Inventory (2000, Inventário De Natal)^[8]
• 31 Means Trouble (2001, 31)^[9]
• Kalkitos (2002)^[10]
• Canticle Of All Creatures (2006, Cântico Das Criaturas)^[11]

Feature films

• The Face You Deserve (2004)
• Our Beloved Month of August (2008)
• Tabu (2012)
• Arabian Nights (2015)
• The Tsugua Diaries (2021)
• Grand Tour (2024)

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
Berlin International Film Festival	2012	Alfred Bauer Award	Tabu	Won	[12]
		FIPRESCI Prize		Won	[13]
Cahiers du Cinéma	2012	Annual Top 10	Tabu	8th place	[14]
	2015		Arabian Nights	8th place	[15]
Cannes Film Festival	2024	Best Director	Grand Tour	Won	[16]
Chicago International Film Festival	2024	Silver Hugo – Best Director		Won	[17]
Film Fest Gent	2012	Grand Prix	Tabu	Won	[4]
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics	2012	Best Foreign Film		Won	[18]
Gijón International Film Festival	2023	Honorary Award	—	Honored	[19]
Mar del Plata International Film Festival	2021	Astor Piazzolla Award for Best Direction (shared with Maureen Fazendeiro)	Diários de Otsoga	Won	[20]
Sydney Film Festival	2015	Sydney Film Prize	Arabian Nights	Won	[21]

References

1. "Miguel Gomes". Unifrance. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
2. Debruge, Peter (25 May 2024). "Cannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker's 'Anora' Earns Palme d'Or". Variety. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
3. Renninger, Bryce J. (9 January 2012). "Berlinale Announces 2012 Competition Slate; Billy Bob Thornton's 'Jayne Mansfield's Car' to Premiere". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
4. "'Tabu' wins Grand Prix for Best Film at the 39th Ghent Film Festival". Film Fest Gent. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
5. Justin Chang; Elsa Keslassy (18 April 2015). "Cannes: Miguel Gomes' 'Arabian Nights' to Screen in Directors' Fortnight". Variety. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
6. Ramachandran, Naman; Frater, Patrick (30 August 2024). "Wong Kar-wai's 'Blossoms Shanghai,' Netflix's 'Cigarette Girl' Among Busan Streaming Awards Nominees – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
7. "'Miguel Gomes, a filmmaker of Joyful Melancholy' – Special Program in Focus Announced for the 29th BIFF2024". Haps Magazine. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
8. "Christmas Inventory (Inventário De Natal)". Kinoscope. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
9. "31 Means Trouble (31)". Kinoscope. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
10. "Kalkitos". Kinoscope. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
11. "Cântico Das Criaturas (Canticle Of All Creatures)". Kinoscope. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
12. "62nd Berlin International Film Festival | Yearbooks". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
13. "Miguel Gomes, Winner of the Alfred Bauer Award and FIPRESCI Prize". Aesthetica Magazine. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
14. "Top Ten 2012". Cahiers du Cinéma (in French). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
15. "Top 10 2015". Cahiers du Cinéma (in French). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
16. "The 77th Festival de Cannes winners' list". Festival de Cannes. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
17. Blauvelt, Christian (25 October 2024). "Chicago International Film Festival Awards Top Prizes to 'Vermiglio,' 'All We Imagine as Light'". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
18. "Prix du Syndicat français de la critique 2012". Syndicat de la Critique de Cinéma (in French). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
19. "The Gijón Film Festival spotlights Spain and the best of auteur cinema". Cineuropa. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
20. "36 Edition (2021)". Mar del Plata International Film Festival. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
21. Maddox, Garry (14 June 2015). "Sydney Film Festival 2015: Epic long Arabian Nights wins Sydney Film Prize". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 October 2024.

External links

• Miguel Gomes at IMDb