Gonçalo (born 1986, Santiago do Cacém, Portugal) moved to London in 2012 to complete a master’s degree at the London Film School, where he began his career as a filmmaker.
His breakout short Thursday Night (2018), a surreal tale starring two dogs, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, won Best Short Horror Director at Fantastic Fest, Best Portuguese Short at MotelX, and the Méliès d’Argent for Best European Fantastic Short Film.
In 2019, he premiered his first feature, Keep Me Company, at Fantastic Fest, followed by a theatrical release in Portugal through NOS Audiovisuais. That same year, he was selected for Berlinale Talents.
In 2020, he received the NICO Award from the Portuguese Academy of Cinema, which recognizes emerging voices in Portuguese film. His short The Girl from Saturn (2022) was nominated for Best Fiction Short at the Sophia Awards and earned him the Best Director prize in the Shorts With Legs section at Fantastic Fest.
In 2023, his feature project The Advent was selected for LIM – Less is More, a European development lab for filmmakers. He also served on the feature film jury at MotelX.
In 2024, Atom & Void premiered at both Fantastic Fest and Sitges. That year, Gonçalo took part in the Under the Volcano initiative, directing a film under the mentorship of Werner Herzog.
In 2025, Atom & Void won the Méliès d’Argent at HÕFF – Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival. The Advent also won the Sitges Award for Best Pitch at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.
