Paulo Mendel is a Brazilian filmmaker and artist. He explores audiovisual possibilities in different media, especially the interface between art and video and between video art and documentary. His hybrid works – webdocumentaries, video installations, multimedia stage designs, videodances – have been exhibited at major festivals, such as the Bienal de Sao Paulo, the Contemporary Art Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil and the Prague Quadrennial, and are included in collections such as those of Circuito Videodanza Mercosur, Centre de Vidéo-danse de Bourgogne and Videobrasil Collection.
In recent years, a short documentary directed by him won the Prémio APA 2019 Margot Dias e Benjamim Pereira, the most important recognition in the field of visual anthropology in Portugal, and he won in two categories at Rio Webfest 2021 for Best Directing (Non-fiction) and Best Diversity Series.
AWARDS
- Best Visual Effects | The Artist Forum Festival of the Moving Image | New York, United States | 2023
- Best Directing (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 – Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Ciências Sociais | IMS – Instituto Moreira Salles | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2020
- Best Ethnographic Film | Prémio APA – Margot Dias e Benjamim Pereira | Associação Portuguesa de Antropologia | Lisbon, Portugal | 2019
- Best Director | London Fashion Film Festival | London, England | 2019
- Best Photography | Barcelona Fashion Film Festival | Barcelona, Spain | 2019
- Best Musical | Croatia Fashion Film Festival | Dubrovnik, Croatia | 2019
- Poetic Expression Award | 11º Festival Brasileiro de Cinema Universitário | 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 – 11º FBCU edition | Cine Odeon | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Best Videodance | Festival Tápias | Conjunto Cultural da Caixa | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2005
ART EXHIBITIONS
- “Arte, Audiovisual e NFT” | MIS – Museu da Imagem e do Som | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2022
- “The Art of Fake News” | Rich Mix | London, England | 2022
- “Pulsões” | 12º Prêmio Diário Contemporâneo de Fotografia | Museu UFPA | Pará, Brazil | 2021
- “MASS” | Outburst Queer Arts Festival | Belfast, Ireland | 2021
- “Imagined Communities” | 21st Contemporary Art Biennal Sesc_Videobrasil | Sesc 24 de Maio | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2019-2020
- “Des/re/organizações afetivas” public program | 33rd Bienal de São Paulo – Affective Affinities | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2018
- “Reverta – Art and Sustainability” | OCA – Museu da Cidade de Sao Paulo | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2015
FESTIVALS AND SCREENINGS
- Official Selection | LGBTQ+ Short | The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image | New York, United States | 2023
- Official Selection | Experimental Short | Vienna Independent Film Festival | Vienna, Austria | 2023
- Finalist | Experimental Short | Richmond International Film Festival | Virginia, United States | 2023
- Official Selection | “Futur/e/s Queer Utopia” program | Image+Nation Festival Film LGBTQUEER Montreal | Montreal, Canada | 2022
- Official Selection | Experimental Short and Best Soundtrack | Buenos Aires International Film Festival | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2022
- Official selection | Experimental Short | Darkroom Festival | IKLECTIK | London, England | 2022
- Official Selection | Non-fiction Series | Webfest Berlin | Berlin, Germany | 2021
- Official Selection | Web Series | BUEIFF Web Series | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2022
- Official Selection | Best Variety Series | Rio Webfest | Cidade das Artes | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2021
- “The Rainbow Reel” (shorts program) | RAI@USC 2020 | Los Angeles, United States | 2020
- SPFW – Sao Paulo Fashion Week | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2020
- Official Selection | “Queer Brazil” program | 16º Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival | 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 | Bokeh South Africa International Lifestyle and Fashion Film Festival | Cape Town, South Africa | 2019
- Official Selection | Fashion Film | Berlin Commercial Shortlist | Berlin, Germany | 2019
- Official Selection | Porto Fashion Film Festival | Porto, Portugal | 2019
- Official Selection | Chelsea Fashion & Film Festival | New York, United States | 2019
- Personagens e Fronteiras – Território Cenográfico Brasileiro | Salisbury International Arts Festival | Salisbury, England | 2012
- Palavras Cruzadas | Espaço Oi Futuro Ipanema | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2012
- Prague Quadrennial Of Performance Design And Space | Personagens e Fronteiras – Território Cenográfico Brasileiro | Prague, Czech Republic | 2011
- Personagens e Fronteiras – Território Cenográfico Brasileiro | Funarte | São Paulo, Brazil | 2011
- Animation film | Galeria Emma Thomas | São Paulo, Brazil | 2009
- Official Selection | Dans Kamera İstanbul – II. Uluslararası Dans Film Festivali | Istanbul, Turkey | 2009
- Official Selection | Eku’e – Muestra Internacional de Videodanza | Centro Cultural de España Juan de Salazar | Assunción, Paraguai | 2009
- Official Selection | VI Foro de Teatro Danza y Artes Escénicas Contemporáneas | Sala Galán | San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina | 2009
- Official Selection | Mostra de Videodança | Sesc Teresópolis | Teresópolis, Brazil | 2009
- Official Selection | Mostra Internacional de Videodança | Teatro Sesc Prainha | Florianópolis, Brazil | 2009
- Official Selection | FIVC 09 | MAVI – Museo de Artes Visuales – and Centro de Extensión Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes | Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile | 2009
- Official Selection | Projeto Lanterninha | Galeria Olido | São Paulo, Brazil
- Official Selection | Videodance screening | Festival de Inverno | Sesc Quitandinha | Petrópolis, Brazil | 2009
- Official Selection | Video and Dance Screening | Sesc Centro | Alagoas, Brazil | 2009
- Official Selection | Belgrade Dance Screen | O3ONE | Belgrade, Serbia | 2009
- Animation film | Galeria Emma Thomas | São Paulo, Brazil | 2008
- Official Selection | Dance Camera West Film Festival | REDCAT Theater | Los Angeles, United States | 2008
- Official Selection | Latin American program | Play Rec 2008 – Corpo X Imagem | Centro Cultural Apolo Hermilo | Pernambuco, Brazil | 2008
- Official Selection | Festival Internacional de VideoDanza de Buenos Aires – edicion Bahía Blanca | Bahía Blanca, Argentina | 2008
- Official Selection | Festival Internacional danzalborde | Teatro Mauri | Valparaíso, Chile | 2008
- Official Selection | Circuito Videodanza Mercosur | Semana SESC de Vídeo e Dança | Teatro SESC Jofre Soares | Alagoas, Brazil | 2008
- Official Selection | Dança em Foco ON TOUR 2007 | CineUFSCar | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2008
- Performance Presente Futuro | Espaço Oi Futuro | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2008
- Prague Quadrennial | Secenofest | Design As Performance | Nod Gallery | Prague, Czech Republic | 2007
- Riocenacontemporânea | IAB – Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- Official Selection | International Shorts | Floating World Animation Festival | Portland, United States | 2007
- Official Selection | Student Film program | 5ª Bienal de Arte, Ciência e Cultura da UNE | Fundição Progresso | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- Official Selection | Student Film – Program III – Diversity | Festival de Curtas Universitários – “Cultura, Memória e Cidadania” | Bahia, Brazil | 2007
- Award Winners’ Retrospective | Student Film | Cachaça Cinema Clube – 5th year | Cine Odeon | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- Official Selection | FRAME | Escola Superior Artística do Porto | Galeria Central | Porto, Portugal | 2007
- Official Selection | Dance screen _ the hague 2007 | 11th International Competitive Festival for dance Films and Vídeos | IMZ Internationales Musik + Medienzentrum | Vienna, Austria | 2007
- Official Selection | IX VideodanzaBA | Auditorio de la Embajada del Brasil | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2007
- Official Selection | Digitalizar lo Efimero | Faculdad de Filosofia y Letras, Universidad de Alcalá and Faculdad de Bellas Artes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha | Alcalá de Henares and Cuenca, Spain | 2007
- Official Selection | VD _ Observatorio | Universidad Santo Tomás | Puerto Montt, Chile | 2007
- Official Selection | coLABoratório | Centro Cultural Dragão do Mar, Casa do Conde and Fundição Progresso | Ceará, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2007
- Official Selection | Emerging Latin-American Artists – Nuevas Miradas sobre el Cuerpo en Movimiento program | Coleccion Mercosur Cultural | Loop Festival | Centro Cívico Barceloneta | Barcelona, Spain | 2007
- Official Selection | Cuerpo y Tecnologia | Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes | Montevideo, Uruguai | 2007
- Official Selection | FIVU 07 | Centro Cultural de España | Montevideo, Uruguai | 2007
- Official Selection | Videoart screening | 6º Tandil Cine | Tandil, Argentina | 2007
- Official Selection | Iberoamerica En Videodanza | Santiago, Chile | 2007
- Finalist | Best Cinematography (Student Film category) | ABC Cinematography Award and Kodak Film School Cinematography Competition – Brazil | Cinemateca Brasileira | São Paulo, Brazil | 2006
- Award Winners’ Retrospective | Student Film | Cachaça Cinema Clube – 4th year | Cine Odeon | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2006
- Official Selection | Competitive Screening | Primeiro Plano – Festival de Cinema de Juiz de Fora | Espaço Unibanco Palace and Alameda | Minas Gerais, Brazil | 2006
- Official Selection | “Cultura y Media” program | Encuentro Multidisciplinario sobre el uso de lãs Nuevas Tecnologias y el desarrollo de las Nuevas Tendências en el Arte y la Producción Multimedia | Centro Cultural General San Martin | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2006
- Official Selection | Nu2’s – Dance, Image And New Medias | Barcelona, Spain | 2006
- Official Selection | Tensdansa’ 06 | Festival Internacional de Danza de Terrassa | Sala Muncunill | Terrassa, Spain | 2006
- Official Selection | Dança Em Foco | Espaço Oi Futuro and Sesc Vila Mariana | Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2006
- Official Selection | Student Film | 16º Festival Internacional de Curtas Metragem de São Paulo | Centro Cultural São Paulo and CineUSP | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2005
- Official Selection | FRAME | Porto, Portugal | 2005
- Official Selection | Move Berlin | Berlin, Germany | 2005
- Official Selection | FIVU 05 | Cinemateca Uruguaya | Montevideo, Uruguai | 2005
- Official Selection | VII Videodanzaba – Festival Internacional de Buenos Aires | Museo de Arte Latinoamericano and Centro Cultural de Espanã | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2005
- Official Selection | Festival de Três Fronteras | Puerto Iguazú and Posadas, Argentina; Foz do Iguaçú and Curitiba, Brazil; Ciudad del Este and Assunción, Paraguai | 2005
- Official Selection | Internationales Festival Für Video Und Tanz | Halle-Tanzbühne | Berlin, Germany | 2004
- Official Selection | Jornada Internacional Videodanza | Cineteca Nacional | Mexico City, Mexico | 2004
- Official Selection | Videodance | Dança Brasil | Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil | Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, Brazil | 2004
PUBLICATIONS AND MENTIONS
- Chapter 4 of the book Exploring Ibero-American Youth Cultures in the 21st Century: Creativity, Resistance and Transgression in the City | Canton of Zug, Switzerland | 2022
- 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
- ProyectoIDIS.org – Research in Image and Sound Design | Facultad de Arquitectura Diseño y Urbanismo – Universidad de Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2018
- Chapter 5 of the book The Oxford Handbook of Screendance Studies | Oxford, England | 2016
- Redes curatoriais: procedimentos comunicacionais no sistema da arte contemporânea | PUC-SP | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2014
- Monocromo Artfanzine #11 | Morelia, México | 2010
- Numeridanse.tv | Maison de la Danse | Lyon, France | 2008
- Circuito Videodanza Mercosur – 2001-2007 collection | South America | 2007
- 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, the film
explores like no other the feelings of exclusion.“
BEST DENSE FILM | CACHAÇA CINEMA CLUBE JURY
- Circuito Videodanza Mercosur – 1993-2005 collection | South America | 2005
