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Fernando Meirelles Biography

Birth Name:Fernando Meirelles

Birth Place:São Paulo, Brazil

Profession Producer, Director, Writer, Actor

Fast Facts

In 2003, he won the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize for "City of God․"
In 2010, he won the International Documentary Association's IDA Award and Pare Lorentz Award for "Waste Land․"
He studied architecture while attending the University of São Paulo
He began making small films at the age of 13 with a borrowed Super 8 camera
He formed the Olhar Electrônico production company with some friends, and their films were featured at several Brazilian film festivals
Quote: "If you do a film with a high budget, people want to control it․ Marketing people tell you what to do, and where to cut, so they can get their money back․ I am more interested in doing smaller films that I can control․"
He often turns down Hollywood offers in favor of independent films

Awards

2001Jury Award-Best Independent Feature: winner
2001Coxiponé Award-Best Screenplay: winner
2001Coxiponé Award-Best Film: winner
2001Tiger Award-: nominated
2002Cinema Brazil Grand Prize-Best Screenplay (Melhor Roteiro): nominated
2002Cinema Brazil Grand Prize-Best Director (Melhor Diretor): nominated
2002Screen International Award-: nominated
2002FIPRESCI Prize-: winner
2002Grand Coral - First Prize-: winner
2002OCIC Award-: winner
2002Cuban Press Association Award-: winner
2002Glauber Rocha Award-: winner
2002Award of the Havana University-: winner
2002Golden Star-: nominated
2002Best Director-: winner
2002Audience Award-: winner
2002Premio Guarani-Best Adapted Screenplay: nominated
2002Premio Guarani-Best Director: nominated
2002Prêmio Qualidade-Best Director (Melhor Diretor - São Paulo): winner
2002Prêmio Qualidade-Best Director (Melhor Diretor - Rio de Janeiro): winner
2002Tokyo Grand Prix-: nominated
2002Visions Award - Special Citation-: winner
2002Grand Prix-: winner
2003ACCA-Best Director: nominated
2003BAFTA Film Award-Best Film not in the English Language: nominated
2003Golden India Catalina-Best Film (Mejor Película): winner
2003Golden India Catalina-Best Director (Mejor Director): winner
2003Cinema Brazil Grand Prize-Best Director (Melhor Diretor): winner
2003Grand Jury Prize-: winner
2003Audience Award-Ibero-American Competition: winner
2003INOCA-Best Non-English Language Film: nominated
2003Elcine First Prize-: winner
2003LAFCA Award-Best Foreign Film: nominated
2003Giguapa Award-Best Feature Film: winner
2003Premio Guarani-Best Director: winner
2003Critics Award-Best Film (Melhor Filme): winner
2003Audience Award-Best Director (Melhor Diretor): winner
2003Audience Award-Best Film (Melhor Filme): winner
2003Critics Award-Best Director (Melhor Diretor): winner
2003Grand Prize of the Critics-Television (Televisão): winner
2003Special Jury Award-: winner
2003WAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2004Oscar-Best Director: nominated
2004Bodil-Best Non-American Film (Bedste ikke-amerikanske film): nominated
2004COFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2004Robert-Best Non-American Film (Årets ikke-amerikanske film): nominated
2004DGGB Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Foreign Language Film: nominated
2004Independent Spirit Award-Best Foreign Film: nominated
2004Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
2004OFCS Award-Best Breakthrough Filmmaker: nominated
2005British Independent Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2005Screen International Award-: nominated
2005NYFCO Award-Best Director: winner
2005SLFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2005Young Cinema Award-Best International Film: winner
2005Golden Lion-Best Film: nominated
2005WAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2006Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: nominated
2006ALMA Award-Outstanding Director of a Motion Picture: winner
2006Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film-: nominated
2006David Lean Award for Direction-: nominated
2006Evening Standard British Film Award-Best Film: winner
2006Gold Derby Film Award-Director: nominated
2006Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
2006Goya-Best European Film (Mejor Película Europea): nominated
2006Imagen Award-Best Director: nominated
2006INOCA-Best Director: nominated
2006ALFS Award-Director of the Year: nominated
2006OFTA Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2006Audience Award-Best Foreign Director (Melhor Diretor Estrangeiro): winner
2008Palme d'Or-: nominated
2008Film and Literature Award-: nominated
2008Art Cinema Award-: nominated
2008Best Film-: nominated
2008Audience Award-Best Motion Picture: winner
2009Cinema Brazil Grand Prize-Best Director (Melhor Diretor): nominated
2009Top Film-Top 10 Key Films of the Noughties: winner
2010CinEuphoria-Top Ten of the Year - Audience Award: winner
2010CinEuphoria-Top Ten of the Year - International Competition: winner
2010Pare Lorentz Award-: winner
2010IDA Award-Distinguished Feature Documentary: winner
2011Best Film-: nominated
2019Audience Award-Best Narrative Feature: winner
2019Truly Moving Picture Award-: winner
2019Audience Award-Narrative Feature: winner
2019Audience Award-U.S. Cinema: winner
2020Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: nominated
2020BAFTA Film Award-Outstanding British Film of the Year: nominated
2020LEJA Award-Best Achievement in Directing: nominated
2022Cinema Brazil Grand Prize-Best Picture (Melhor Filme): nominated
2024Golden Frog-TV Series Competition: nominated
2024Imagen Award-Best Director - Television: nominated