João Niza Ribeiro
Directing
Biography
Studied Cinema at Porto’s UCP School of Arts where he finished his Master’s degree in Directing, over the contours of the Absurd in the Cinematic Language. His final Film, The Damned Manifesto, won the School Competition at Fantasporto International Film Festival, and awarded the Take One! prize at Curtas de Vila do Conde International Film Fest. His path in Film has allowed him to work in close proximity with directors as Adirley Queirós, Joana Pimenta and Salomé Lamas, as Producer, as well as Production Manager for Basil da Cunha, Vasco Saltão, Pedro Pinho, among others. As Assistant Director, he supported films from Edgar Pera, José Magro and Vasco Saltão. In 2020, together with director José Magro, he creates Pântano Films, witch aims to contribute and catalyse the cinematographic fabric in the north region of Portugal.
Known For
Just released from prison, Léa returns home to the Brasilia favela of Sol Nascente and joins up with her half-sister Chitara, the fearless leader of an all-female gang that steals and refines oil from underground pipes and sells gasoline to a clandestine network of motorcyclists. Living in constant opposition to Jair Bolsonaro’s fiercely authoritarian and militarized government, Chitara’s women claim the streets for themselves as a declaration of radical political resistance on behalf of ex-cons and the oppressed.
Dry Ground Burning
"I've been on this cliff for almost a year, here on the lookout. Always aware of the sea and the enemy, even though I've never seen him. The man riding a horse gave me a new order, to be even more on alert, waiting for a mirage, for a ghost that will not come."
Nameless Heitor
No description available.
Manifesto dos Danados
No description available.
Campos Belos
Issa, a footballer from Guinea-Bissau who plays in Portugal, is contacted by two filmmakers who want to know more about his life and make a documentary. Exposing the voices behind the camera, Nha Sunhu is a reflection on the gaze, bias, and representation of the other.
Nha Sunhu
On a night like so many others, indistinguishable from the previous or the next, Carlos sees himself thrown out of his bedroom. Beyond his own door, a rat has taken over his belongings, without a courtesy call or warning. This is the second work by João Niza Ribeiro screened at Curtas.
Raticide
In a slightly dystopian version of our reality, the Fontainhas neighborhood - Porto - is at the center of a dark plot of real estate speculation. Disappearances and other disturbing elements arouse the suspicions of one of the neighbors.
Coroa de Espinhos
They usually get around on bikes or scooters, darting through the streets of major European cities to deliver goods to customers almost unnoticed. They do this illegally for large corporations. One of them is Omar, who comes from Benin. The young man lives in Porto without documents, works as a courier for one of the major restaurant chains, and every day risks being caught by police patrols targeting migrants.