Director
João Rui Guerra da Mata
Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique · 16 films
João Rui Guerra da Mata was born in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique. He teached Art Direction at the Lisbon Film School from 2004 to 2011. In 1997 he co-starred in the short PARABÉNS!, directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, that won the Special Jury Mention at the 54th Mostra di Venezia. As an Art Director, he worked in several features and shorts, notably the ones directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, whose films he also co-scripted. This collaboration lately evolved to co-direction, namely in the shorts CHINA, CHINA (2007) – 39th Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes; Best Short Film and Audience Award, Belfort Film Festival and ALVORADA VERMELHA (2011) – Best Portuguese Short Film, IndieLisboa Film Festival; international premiere at Locarno Film Festival. O QUE ARDE CURA (2012) is his debut solo film.
Best known for
Filmography 16
13 Alfinetes
2026 · Director, Screenplay
Where Is This Street? or With No Before or After
2023 · Actor, Director
Will-o'-the-Wisp
2022 · Writer
On Kanopy
A Room in Town
2021 · Director
Where Do You Stand Now, João Pedro Rodrigues?
2016 · Actor
On DocAlliance Films
The Ornithologist
2016 · Screenplay
On Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
Here in Lisbon
2015 · Actor
IEC Long
2015 · Director, Screenplay
On DocAlliance Films
Mahjong
2013 · Actor, Director
On DocAlliance Films
The Last Time I Saw Macao
2013 · Actor, Director
As the Flames Rose
2012 · Director, Writer
A Portuguese Film
2011 · Himself
Red Dawn
2011 · Director, Writer
On DocAlliance Films
China, China
2007 · Writer, Director
On DocAlliance Films
O Fantasma
2000 · Police 2
On Tubi TV
Happy Birthday!
1997 · Francisco