Paulo Mendel is a Brazilian film director and artist recognized in the fields of cinema, visual anthropology, and contemporary art. As the founder of the production company BlankTape, he develops cultural, entertainment, and advertising projects grounded in innovation, diversity, and sustainability.
He has directed both fictional and documentary works screened in over 25 countries, winning more than 10 international awards and being featured in books in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and England. His filmography explores themes of contemporary life, cultural symptoms, and dissident bodies, with a sensitive perspective that combines ethical rigor with creative proposals. In parallel, he researches audiovisual possibilities across different mediums, focusing on the intersection of art and video, video art and documentary. His work also encompasses expanded cinema, transmedia storytelling, gamification, and new technologies.
Mendel is the creator of hybrid works—interactive documentaries, web series, video installations, video dances, multimedia scenographies, and more—presented at the Bienal de São Paulo [São Paulo, Brazil], the Sesc_Videobrasil Contemporary Art Biennial [São Paulo, Brazil], the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space [Prague, Czechia], the MIS – Museum of Image and Sound [São Paulo, Brazil], the Tomie Ohtake Institute [São Paulo, Brazil], the OCA – Museum of the City of São Paulo, Oi Futuro [Rio de Janeiro, Brazil], the UFPA Museum [Pará, Brazil], Rich Mix [London, England], and included in collections such as the Centre de Vidéo-danse de Bourgogne [Burgundy, France], Maison de la Danse [Lyon, France], Colección Mercosur Cultural [Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay], and the Videobrasil Collection [São Paulo, Brazil].
With 20 years of professional experience producing commercial videos and films for major advertising agencies—including WMcCann, Artplan, Publicis, DPZ, JWT, Lew’Lara\TBWA, Mullen Lowe, Ogilvy, FCB, NBS, Binder, and FLAGCX—he has distinguished himself as a director for beverage, design, and fashion brands, primarily targeting young (18-24) and adult (25-34) audiences.
AWARDS
- Best Visual Effects | 23rd The Artist Forum Festival of the Moving Image – Body Political | New York, United States | 2023
- Best Direction (Non-fiction) | Rio Webfest | Cidade das Artes | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2021
- Best Diversity Series | Rio Webfest | Cidade das Artes | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2021
- Best Short Film | ANPOCS – National Association for Graduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences | IMS – Moreira Salles Institute | São Paulo, Brazil | 2020
- Best Ethnographic Film | APA Award – Margot Dias and Benjamim Pereira | Portuguese Anthropological Association | Lisbon, Portugal | 2019
- Best Director | London Fashion Film Festival | London, England | 2019
- Best Cinematography | Barcelona Fashion Film Festival | Barcelona, Spain | 2019
- Best Musical | Croatia Fashion Film Festival | Dubrovnik, Croatia | 2019
- Poetic Expression Award | 11th Brazilian University Film Festival | Centro Cultural dos Correios, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, and Centro das Artes – UFF | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Best Dense Film | Cachaça Cinema Clube – 11th FBCU Edition | Cine Odeon | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Best Videodance | Tápias Festival of Integrated Arts | Conjunto Cultural da Caixa | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2005
ART EXHIBITIONS
- Two Wheels and a Nation | Farol Santander | São Paulo, Brazil | 2024-2025
- Art, Audiovisual, and NFT | MIS – Museum of Image and Sound | 33rd KINOFORUM | São Paulo, Brazil | 2022
- The Art of Fake News | Rich Mix | London, England | 2022
- Pulsions | 12th Diário Contemporâneo Photography Award | UFPA Museum | Pará, Brazil | 2021
- Imagined Communities | 21st Sesc_Videobrasil Contemporary Art Biennial | Sesc 24 de Maio | São Paulo, Brazil | 2019-2020
- Public Program: Affective Dis/re/organizations | 33rd São Paulo Biennial – Affective Affinities | São Paulo, Brazil | 2018
- Present Body | Galeria Nicoli and MADE – Mercado Arte Design – Bienal Pavilion | São Paulo, Brazil | 2018
- Reverta – Art and Sustainability | OCA – Museum of the City of São Paulo | São Paulo, Brazil | 2015
- Characters and Borders – Brazilian Scenographic Territory | Salisbury International Arts Festival | Salisbury, England | 2012
- Characters and Borders – Brazilian Scenographic Territory | Funarte | São Paulo, Brazil | 2011
- Characters and Borders – Brazilian Scenographic Territory | PQ’11 – 12th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space | Prague, Czechia | 2011 [Winner of the Golden Triga Award]
- Natural Causes | Galeria Mini | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | 2011
- Group Exhibitions | Galeria Emma Thomas | São Paulo, Brazil | 2008 and 2009
VIDEO PROJECTIONS AND VIDEO PERFORMANCESS
- MASS | 17th Outburst Queer Arts Festival | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 2021
- Warm (Cálida) | SPFW N50 – São Paulo Fashion Week | São Paulo, Brazil | 2020
- Way of Being (Maneira de Ser) by Marina Lima – Brazil Concert Tour | 2013
- Crosswords (Palavras Cruzadas) | Oi Futuro – Ipanema | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2012
- Site Specific for Love | Rio Cena Contemporânea Festival and Performance Present Future | IAB – Institute of Architects of Brazil and Oi Futuro – Flamengo | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007 and 2008
- Site Specific for Love | PQ’ 07 | 11th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space | Secenofest | Design As Performance | Nod Gallery | Prague, Czechia | 2007
- The Perfect Cook of Souls in This World (O Perfeito Cozinheiro das Almas deste Mundo) | Sesc Avenida Paulista | São Paulo, Brazil | 2007
- The Perfect Cook of Souls in This World (O Perfeito Cozinheiro das Almas deste Mundo) | Darcy Ribeiro Cinema School | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Zero Gravity (Gravidade Zero) | Sesc Copacabana Space | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Where the Eyes can’t See (Por onde os Olhos Não Passam) | Nelson Rodrigues Theater | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Noisescape | Sesc Tijuca Theater and Cacilda Becker Theater | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2004
- Where the Eyes can’t See (Por onde os Olhos Não Passam) | Castro Alves Theater – 2nd Brazilian Choreographers Workshop | Salvador, Brazil | 2003
- Immaterial Body (Corpo Imaterial) | Dança em Trânsito- Lagoa and CEP 20000 at Sérgio Porto Theater | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2003
- Macbeth | Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2004
- Electricity (Eletricidade) | Sérgio Porto Theater | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2002
FESTIVALS AND SCREENINGS
- Official Selection | 23rd The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image – Body Political | LGBTQ+ Short | New York, United States | 2023
- Official Selection | Vienna Independent Film Festival | Experimental Short | Vienna, Austria | 2023
- Finalist | Richmond International Film Festival | Experimental Short | Virginia, United States | 2023
- Official Selection | 35th Image+Nation LGBTQUEER Film Festival Montreal | Futur/e/s Queer Utopia | Montreal, Canada | 2022
- Official Selection | Buenos Aires International Film Festival | Experimental Short and Soundtrack | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2022
- Official Selection | Darkroom Festival | Experimental Short | IKLECTIK | London, England | 2022
- Official Selection | Webfest Berlin | Non-Fiction Web Series | Berlin, Germany | 2021
- Official Selection | BUEIFF Web Series | Web Series | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2022
- Official Selection | Rio Webfest | Non-Fiction, Diversity, and Variety Categories | Cidade das Artes | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2021
- The Rainbow Reel | RAI@USC 2020 | Los Angeles, United States | 2020
- Official Selection | 16th Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival | Queer Brazil Program | Bristol, England | 2019
- Official Selection | Miami Fashion Film Festival | Miami, United States | 2019-20
- Official Selection | Fashion Film Festival Milano | Milan, Italy | 2019
- Official Selection | Fashion Film Festival Chicago | Chicago, United States | 2019
- Official Selection | Best Fashion Film | Bokeh South Africa International Lifestyle and Fashion Film Festival | Cape Town, South Africa | 2019
- Official Selection | Berlin Commercial Shortlist | Fashion Film | Berlin, Germany | 2019
- Official Selection | Porto Fashion Film Festival | Porto, Portugal | 2019
- Official Selection | Chelsea Fashion & Film Festival | New York, United States | 2019
- Plataforma Iberoamerikanisches Festival | DOCK 11 | Berlin, Germany | 2016
- Pixel Póro Show | Funarte | Brasília, Brazil | 2016
- Official Selection | Dans Kamera İstanbul – II. International Dance Film Festival | Istanbul, Turkey | 2009
- Eku’e – International Videodance Show | Juan de Salazar Cultural Center | Asunción, Paraguay | 2009
- VI Forum of Theater, Dance, and Contemporary Performing Arts | Sala Galán | San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina | 2009
- Videodance Show | Sesc Teresópolis | Teresópolis, Brazil | 2009
- International Videodance Show | Sesc Prainha Theater | Florianópolis, Brazil | 2009
- FIVC 09 | MAVI – Museum of Visual Arts and Extension Center, National Council of Culture and Arts | Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile | 2009
- Lanterninha Project | Olido Gallery | São Paulo, Brazil | 2009
- Videodance Show | Winter Festival | Sesc Quitandinha | Petrópolis, Brazil | 2009
- Video and Dance Show | Sesc Centro | Alagoas, Brazil | 2009
- Official Selection | Belgrade Dance Screen | O3ONE | Belgrade, Serbia | 2009
- Official Selection | Dance Camera West Film Festival | REDCAT Theater | Los Angeles, United States | 2008
- Play Rec 2008 – Body X Image | Latin American Program | Apolo Hermilo Cultural Center | Pernambuco, Brazil | 2008
- Official Selection | Buenos Aires International Videodance Festival – Bahía Blanca Edition | Bahía Blanca, Argentina | 2008
- Official Selection | Danzalborde International Festival | Mauri Theater | Valparaíso, Chile | 2008
- Mercosur Videodance Circuit | SESC Week of Video and Dance | SESC Jofre Soares Theater | Alagoas, Brazil | 2008
- Dance in Focus ON TOUR 2007 | CineUFSCar | São Paulo, Brazil | 2008
- Official Selection | Habana International Videodance Festival – Danza a la Calle | Havana, Cuba | 2008
- Official Selection | Floating World Animation Festival | International Shorts | Portland, United States | 2007
- Official Selection | 5th UNE Biennial of Art, Science, and Culture | University Cinema Program | Fundição Progresso | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- Official Selection | Culture, Memory, and Citizenship – University Short Films Festival | Program III – Diversity | Bahia, Brazil | 2007
- Retrospective of Award-Winning Films | Cachaça Cinema Clube – 5th Year | Cine Odeon | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- FRAME | Porto Art School | Central Gallery | Porto, Portugal | 2007
- Official Selection | Dance Screen _ The Hague 2007 | 11th International Competitive Festival for Dance Films and Videos | IMZ International Music + Media Center | Vienna, Austria | 2007
- IX VideodanzaBA | Embassy of Brazil Auditorium | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2007
- Digitalizing the Ephemeral | Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, University of Alcalá and Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Castilla-La Mancha | Alcalá de Henares and Cuenca, Spain | 2007
- VD _ Observatory | Universidad Santo Tomás | Puerto Montt, Chile | 2007
- coLABoratório | Dragão do Mar Cultural Center, Casa do Conde, and Fundição Progresso | Ceará, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- Emerging Latin American Artists – New Perspectives on the Body in Motion Program | Mercosur Cultural Collection | Loop Festival | Civic Center Barceloneta | Barcelona, Spain | 2007
- Body and Technology | National School of Fine Arts | Montevideo, Uruguay | 2007
- Official Selection | FIVU 07 | Spanish Cultural Center | Montevideo, Uruguay | 2007
- Official Selection | 6th Tandil Cine | Videoart Program | Tandil, Argentina | 2007
- Iberoamerica in Videodance | Santiago, Chile | 2007
- Official Selection | Primeiro Plano – Juiz de Fora Film Festival | Competitive Show | Unibanco Palace and Alameda | Minas Gerais, Brazil | 2006
- Multidisciplinary Meeting on the Use of New Technologies and the Development of New Trends in Art and Multimedia Production | Culture and Media Program | General San Martin Cultural Center | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2006
- Nu2’s – Dance, Image, and New Media | Barcelona, Spain | 2006
- Official Selection | Tensdansa’ 06 | Terrassa International Dance Festival | Muncunill Hall | Terrassa, Spain | 2006
- Dance in Focus | Oi Futuro Space and Sesc Vila Mariana | Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil | 2006
- Finalist | ABC Award – Brazilian Cinematography Association – and Kodak Film School Cinematography Competition – Brazil Stage | Best Cinematography (University Film) | Brazilian Cinematheque | São Paulo, Brazil | 2006
- Retrospective of Award-Winning FBCU Films | Cachaça Cinema Clube – 4th Year | Cine Odeon | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Official Selection | 11th FBCU – Brazilian University Film Festival | Correios Cultural Center, Banco do Brasil Cultural Center, and Arts Center – UFF | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Official Selection | 16th KINOFORUM – São Paulo International Short Film Festival | Cinema in Progress | São Paulo Cultural Center and CineUSP | São Paulo, Brazil | 2005
- FRAME | Porto, Portugal | 2005
- Move Berlin | Berlin, Germany | 2005
- Official Selection | FIVU 05 | Uruguayan Cinematheque | Montevideo, Uruguay | 2005
- Official Selection | VII Videodanzaba – Buenos Aires International Festival | Museum of Latin American Art and Spanish Cultural Center | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2005
- Official Selection | Three Frontiers Festival | Puerto Iguazú and Posadas, Argentina; Foz do Iguaçu and Curitiba, Brazil; Ciudad del Este and Asunción, Paraguay | 2005
- Official Selection | Internationales Festival Für Video Und Tanz | Halle-Tanzbühne | Berlin, Germany | 2004
- International Videodance Day | National Cinematheque | Mexico City, Mexico | 2004
- Dance Brazil | Banco do Brasil Cultural Center | Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, Brazil | 2004
PUBLICATIONS AND MENTIONS
- The book Performing Grief in Pandemic Theatres | Elements in Contemporary Performance Texts series – Cambridge University | Cambridge, England | 2024
- The book Exploring Ibero-American Youth Cultures in the 21st Century: Creativity, Resistance and Transgression in the City | Chapter 4 – Urban Experience, Youth, Render and Sexuality in a LGBT Family on the Periphery os São Paulo | London, England | 2022
-
How Screendance Embraces What Cannot Be Done on Stage | A critical essay by Maya Reddy – Degree of Bachelor of Arts – Theatre and Dance Department – Macalester College | Minnesota, USA | 2022
- Corpos, Família e Afetos: Reflexões sobre o documentário Domingo | A paper by Daniela Guedes dos Santos, Ketti Maria Cardozo da Rosa, Guilherme Vieira Bertollo, Mario Ferreira da Silva – Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Iluminuras magazine | São Paulo, Brazil | 2021
- Juventude Periférica, Gênero, Sexualidade e Violência de Estado: Notas a partir de uma família LGBT na cidade de São Paulo | A paper by Vitor Grunvald – Universidade de São Paulo, Núcleo de Antropologia Urbana da USP, Ponto Urbe magazine | São Paulo, Brazil | 2021
- Por uma Montagem da Sensação: Os vídeos de Brígida Baltar | Ph.D. thesis by Fernanda Bastos Braga Marques – Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Escola da Comunicação, Programa de Pós Graduação em Comunicação | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2021
- Anthropology and Art: on the dynamics and the polemics of situating definitions of ‘art’ [Anthropology and the Arts network]. – EASA2020 panel: New anthropological horizons in and beyond Europe | Lisbon, Portugal | 2020
- Ser ou Não Ser Família, Eis a Questão | A paper by Vitor Grunvald – Nossa Voz magazine – Casa do Povo | São Paulo, Brazil | 2019
- Coletas Afetivas e Evidências de Memória: Um fazer artístico permeado por fotografia e gravura | Bachelor’s thesis by Mariana Faria de Medeiros Lemos – Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Centro de Artes, Curso de Artes Visuais | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil | 2019
- The book Curaduría en Videodanza | Chapter – Reflexiones sobre Historia, Conceito y Curadoria de la Videodanza | Universidad de las Américas Puebla | Puebla, Mexico | 2018
- ProyectoIDIS.org – Investigación en Diseño de Imagen y Sonido | Facultad de Arquitectura Diseño y Urbanismo – Universidad de Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2018
- The book The Oxford Handbook of Screendance Studies | Chapter 5 – Brazilian Videodance: A Possible Mapping | Oxford, England | 2016
- The book Todas as Artes | Chapter – Dança e Representação | Brazil | 2016
- The book Elogio de la Low-Tech – Historia y Estética de las Artes Electrónicas en América Latina | Chapter – Videoarte y Videodanza en una (In)cierta América Latina | Argentina | 2015
- Redes Curatoriais: Procedimentos comunicacionais no sistema da arte contemporânea | Ph.D. thesis by Ananda Carvalho – Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Comunicação e Semiótica | São Paulo, Brazil | 2014
- Formas do Dançar o Impossível: Um salto do cinema de 1930 em direção à videodança | Master’s thesis by Luciana Cão Ponso – Universidade Federal Fluminense, Programa Pós-Graduação em Estudos Contemporâneos das Artes | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2013
- Outro Cinema: A imagem na estética convergente do cinema, da performance e do vídeo | Master’s thesis by Flavio Almeida Ribeiro da Silva – Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Escola da Comunicação, Programa de Pós Graduação em Comunicação | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2011
- Monocromo Artfanzine #11 | Morelia, Mexico | 2010
- Cinema, Dança, Videodança: (entre-linguagens) | Master’s thesis by Ana Paula Nunes – Universidade Federal Fluminense, Escola de Comunicação, Programa de Pós Graduação em Comunicação | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2009
- Numeridanse | Maison de la Danse | Lyon, France | 2008
- Circuito Videodanza Mercosur – 2001-2007 Collection | Coleción Mercosur Cultural | Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay | 2007
- Circuito Videodanza Mercosur – 1993-2005 Collection | Coleción Mercosur Cultural | Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay | 2005
EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS
- Urbanities – Journal of Urban Ethnography | Kent, England, and New York, USA | May 2021
“This documentary is of great value for urban studies (…)
a powerful narrative about the political participation of an LGBTQI+ group”
- ArtReview magazine | London, England | December 2019
“A video by Brazilian artists Paulo Mendel and Vitor Grunvald stands out (and)
demonstrate the extent to which the state will act in order to protect its sovereignty”
- Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland | London, England | 2019
“Ryan Trecartin meets “Paris is Burning” meets “A Grin Without a Cat”,
we think “Sunday” is something really special”
- Portuguese Anthropological Association | Lisbon, Portugal | 2019
“In short, it is a film that reveals a Brazil that resists new tyrannies that impose
themselves on the collective and on individuals in their multiple subjectivities”
WINNER – APA AWARD 2019 – ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM
- 11º Brazilian Student Film Festival | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
“By the subtlety in visually elaborating the complexity of the protagonist,
allowing the identification of their private conflict and the affirmation of otherness”
POETIC EXPRESSION AWARD | OFFICIAL JURY
“With beautiful performances by Anne Berg and Giulia Gam, this film
explores like no other the feelings of exclusion.“
BEST DENSE FILM | CACHAÇA CINEMA CLUBE JURY
