Leonor Teles was born in 1992 in Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, to a family with roots in the local Romani community. She has a degree in film from the Lisbon National Film School (ESTC), where she specialised in cinematography and direction. She later received a master’s degree in audio-visual art and multimedia.

Currently, Teles is working primarily on documentary projects and short independent films. Her 2013 film-school production Rhoma Acans was shown and won awards at several film festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand IFF, Munich IFFS, FICUNAM, IndieLisboa IFF and Curtas de Vila do Conde IFF. In this film about young Romani women, the director looks at her family’s history and its relationship to the Roma tradition. Her first film after graduating from film school was Balada de um Batráquio (Batrachian’s Ballad), which was invited to the 66th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Golden Bear in the Best Short Film category.

Teles has also been busy as a cinematographer in recent years. O Sítio Onde as Raposas Dizem Boa Noite (2014) was awarded a prize for Best Cinematography at CinEuphoria 2015.

References

http://www.portugalfilm.org/directors_detail.php?cd_director=12
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4740205/awards?ref_=nm_awd

Filmography / Awards

2013 Rhoma Acans (Gypsy Eyes), film school, short film, received a special mention in the Árvore da Vida Award at the IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival; Short Film of the Month for Shortcutz Lisboa

2016 Balada de um Batráquio (Batrachian’s Ballad), short film, received a Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival

awarded Capivara Trophy for Best International Short Film at Belo Horizonte International Film Festival

awarded CinEuphoria for Best Documentary in the National Competition of the CinEuphoria Awards

received a Revelation Award from the Coimbra Caminhos do Cinema Português

nomination for Golden Starfish Award (short documentary) at the Hamptons International Film Festival

received Golden Firebird Award (short film) at the Hong Kong International Film Festival

received a special mention in the Amnesty International Award at the IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival

awarded Sophia Award for Best Short Film Documentary; nominated for Critics’ Week, São Paulo International Short Film Festival

nominated for Panorama Nacional, Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival