Biography

João Salaviza (Portuguese: João Salaviza Manso Feldman da Silva; born 19 February 1984; Lisbon) is a Portuguese film director, screenwriter, editor, producer, and former actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including the Short Film Golden Bear, the Short Film Palme d'Or, and the Un Certain Regard.

João Salaviza was born on 19 February 1984, in Lisbon, Portugal. His father is José Edgar Feldman, a film director, and his mother is a producer. He studied at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School and at the Universidad del Cine de Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His film Arena won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, his film Rafa won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. Salaviza worked as assistant editor in Manoel de Oliveira's Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl.