Vasco Mendes (Porto, 1987) is a Portuguese filmmaker and documentarist.

He began filming by documenting music festivals. From that moment on, music became a central element of his relationship with cinema and remains a defining presence in his work.

He later developed a career as a music video director, working over several years with Portuguese artists and bands such as Clã, Capicua and White Haus, among others. This period was formative in shaping his sensitivity to rhythm, sound and montage, and continues to inform his visual language.

Gradually, his practice shifted toward documentary filmmaking, understood as a space for duration, observation and attentive listening. His documentary work often follows artistic processes, collective practices and forms of cultural participation, exploring how music, architecture and people intersect within specific territories.

Since 2016, he has collaborated with the Cultura em Expansão programme of the Porto City Council, producing documentary work focused on artistic practices developed in decentralised urban contexts. He also works regularly with the art platform Mistaker Maker, documenting urban art projects and interventions in public space across different regions.

In the context of the European Capitals of Culture, he collaborated with Guimarães 2012 and Valletta 2018, working on collective music creation projects developed with Ondamarela and conductor Tim Steiner.

His films and audiovisual works have been presented and awarded in national and international festivals, including the Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival, the New York International Film Awards, the Los Angeles International Film Festival and the Rome Short Film Festival. His work has taken him to film in cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York – places that continue to fuel his interest in urban life and imagined futures.

Vasco Mendes is also one half of Gattopardo (wearegattopardo.com), a directing duo based in Porto, Portugal, together with filmmaker João Marques. Gattopardo brings together more than a decade of experience working across formats that include commercials, fashion films, documentary and music videos. As a duo, they combine their individual practices in scripting, treatment development, production and editing, adapting their approach to a wide variety of creative projects and scales.

If you’d like to discuss a project or collaborate, feel free to get in touch at: vasco07@gmail.com