Miguel Gaudencio, a Mozambique-born director, had already created over 200 music videos by the time he was 30 years old. He has received numerous accolades, including the SOL TV Music Video award for Best Music Video of the Year 2000 for his work on "Try Again".
By 2001, advertising agencies were eager to work with Miguel, and he began creating commercials for prominent multinational clients such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Mercedes. By 2003, he was directing commercials across Europe, working with agencies in Poland, Germany, Russia, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, and North Africa.
In 2004, Miguel directed his first short feature, "The Hole", a 30-minute film that was featured in a ten-part Christmas special on Portuguese television. His commercial work continued to flourish, and he went on to direct his second 30-minute feature, the psycho-sexual thriller "Same Room Same Time", in 2006.
In 2008, Miguel directed his first full-length feature film, "Second Life", which boasted an international all-star cast, including Piotr Adamczyk, Liliana Santos, and Claudia Vieira. The film was the most commercially successful Portuguese film in the first six months of 2009 and was shot on location in Portugal and Italy.
In 2010, Miguel directed the first-ever Polish feature documentary, "Desire for Beauty", which explored the themes of beauty and self-perception. The film featured a number of renowned members of the Polish social scene, including Piotr Najsztub, Zbigniew Lew-Starowicz, and Maria Czubaszek, and received support from top experts in various fields. The film stars Agata Kulesza and was released in cinemas in the spring of 2013.
"Down, But Not Out!" and "No Excuses", both documentaries shot simultaneously in the summer of 2014, offer a personal look at the world of feminine sport. "Down, But Not Out!" follows four amateur women boxers as they step into the ring for the first time, while "No Excuses" captures imagery in a Crossfit atmosphere set to a diverse selection of commentators on gender equality. Both films will be available in selected cinemas and VOD outlets starting in the spring of 2015.
