About me

My name is Joana Maria, I was born in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Ever since a small child, I was always been in touch with the arts, through the paintings and writings of my mother and theatre and music of my older sister. I found my path when I initiated the adventure of studying cinema, attending Universidade Lusofona, in Lisbon. It was there where I discovered my love in writing, directing, editing and photography. (Yes, I'm a storytelling freak. I confess.) I enriched my training with courses in Brussels, Cologne and Budapest specializing in directing which gave me the opportunity to direct my first financed fiction short film - WE ARE DESPERATE - by Europe Media Program and consequently my first short documentary - LIKE A TREE - shot in China by invitation of the program Looking China 2015. I also ventured into an artistic residence in Barcelona - DYF: Design Your Future - which motivated me even more to use my art in favor of social activism and later was really important in the making of the video - SEE ACTIONS. NOT COLORS. - which I created still as a student as part of an awareness campaign for inclusion and won two prizes, one by the Council of Europe and another by Plural + organized by the United Nations. Already with a few short-films directed and written by me - including the award-winning short fiction films "OOBE", "WE ARE DESPERATE" and "SEE ACTIONS. NOT COLOURS." - I'm still working really hard to provoke emotions and tell stories, either with still or moving images. A creative by nature, telling emotional stories from the soul while finding beauty in strangeness. Nowadays I'm venturing with the brand Pedra Dura as their Image Director.

PostsProjectsExperienceTeam

• HEY! I would love a portfolio feedback since I’m going to be free for work and really need to know how can I make a stronger portfolio.

Projects

• 1

  Margarida Zhang | Pedra DuraCreative concept, Directed & Edited by me for the accessories Portuguese brand Pedra Dura. Accessories by Pedra Dura (pedradura.net) Model | Margarida Zhang
• LEGACYTalks with Mom. Thank you Mom for all the knowledge you pass on to me, you are art. Shot on 35mm film with a Lomokino.
• WE ARE DESPERATEThis is a film about an intimate journey of self-knowledge, the discovery of personal barriers and emotions. To know yourself you need to let go of control, give a leap of faith and let flow through your emotions.

+ Show more

Work history

P
P
Image DirectorPedra Dura Funchal
Jun 2019Oeiras, PortugalFull Time
I’m the responsible for all the communication of the brand, since creative concepts, from producing, directing and post production of all the video and photo shoots, managing the social networks and the copy writing of it.
P
P
Director of Plexus Wines CampaignPlexus
Jun 2017 - Jul 20172070 Cartaxo, PortugalFreelance
I’ve created this years campaign concept and directed the campaign.

Skills

• Storytelling
• Brand Stories
• Creating Stories
• Creative Storytelling
• Premiere Pro
• Creative Concepts
• Creative
• Creating
• Film
• Film Advertising
• Film Direction
• Film Photography
• Branded Content
• Script Writer

Education

U
U
Cinema, Video and Multimedia CommunicationsUniversidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias
Sep 2011 - Jun 2016Lisbon, Portugal
I
I
PsychologyISPA
Sep 2006 - Oct 2010Lisbon, Portugal

Awards

DANUBE AWARDUnited Nations
I’ve received the Danube Award for my SEE ACTIONS. NOT COLORS. awareness campaign in the Plural+ Youth video festival organized by the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration.
C
C
Favorite DocumentaryCCTV News
Chosen by CCTV News - the biggest news channel in China - as the favorite documentary between the 100 that were made in Looking China Project in the year of 2015, Like a Tree is a short documentary that takes the traditional family culture of China as the theme, which chooses kids and elders as the entry point. This film illustrates profoundly the inheritance of family culture in China. DIRECTOR & EDITOR | Joana Maria Sousa PRODUCERS | Feiyan Huang (Alison) & Hanlu (Juliet)