Leo is short for Vladimiro Leopoldo, a freelance director based in Portugal, working across advertising, fashion films and branded content.
I was born in the Madeira Islands in 1986 and moved to Porto in 2005 to study architecture. Back in Madeira, my mom used to rent VHS tapes and we’d gather the whole family to watch them, week after week. We watched it all — from absurd comedies like Airplane! to heavy dramas like Forrest Gump, and action-packed classics like Die Hard.
Growing up in a small town, those films were a way to widen my world and dream beyond the borders of the island. They also taught me English.
Today I live between Porto and Lisbon, working mostly in advertising and fashion films. My first short film, Acrasia, is currently in the colour grading stage and set to be released in 2025. At the same time, I'm developing a documentary about a prolific Lithuanian artist whose life and work deserve to be seen.
Awards:
With SATG + This is Pacifica:
1 gold lion and 2 bronze at Cannes 2022.
1 Shortlist at Cannes 2022.
Gold Pencil at The One Show 2022.
Shortlisted at D&AD Awards 2022.
Best director GFFF 2022.
Best film GFFF 2021.
Best director GFFF 2020.
Best film GFFF 2019.
