Walter Salles

Biography

Walter Moreira Salles Júnior (/ˈsɑːlɪs/; Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈvawteʁ ˈsalis]; born 12 April 1956) is a Brazilian filmmaker. A major figure of the Resumption Cinema in Brazil, Salles is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian filmmakers of all time. His accolades include an Academy Award accepted for Best International Film, three Cannes Film Festival prizes, three Venice Film Festival prizes, two British Academy Film Awards, a Golden Bear and a Golden Globe. He first became internationally known for his film Central Station (1998), which earned two Academy Awards nominations, for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress for Fernanda Montenegro, winning a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film as well as the Golden Bear at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. His subsequent works include Behind the Sun (2001), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), Dark Water (2005) and On the Road (2012). At the 97th Academy Awards, his critically acclaimed film I'm Still Here (2024) received a rare double nomination for Best Picture and Best International Feature; it won the latter, becoming the first Brazilian film to win an Academy Award in any category. Heir to…

Directed

1. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) — Director
2. Dark Water (2005) — Director
3. I'm Still Here (2024) — Director
4. Central Station (1998) — Director
5. On the Road (2012) — Director
6. Paris Je T'aime (2006) — Director
7. To Each His Own Cinema (2007) — Director
8. Behind the Sun (2001) — Director
9. Foreign Land (1996) — Director
10. Linha de Passe (2008) — Director
11. Venice 70: Future Reloaded (2013) — Director
12. High Art (1991) — Director
13. Midnight (1998) — Director
14. Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang (2016) — Director
15. Socorro Nobre (1995) — Director
16. Stories on Human Rights (2008) — Director
17. Where Has Time Gone? (2017) — Director
18. Marisa Monte: MM ao Vivo (1989) — Director
19. Adão ou Somos Todos Filhos da Terra (1999) — Director
20. When the Earth Trembles (2017) — Director
21. Vozes de Paracatu e Bento (2018) — Director
22. Castanha e Caju Contra o Encouraçado Titanic (2002) — Director
23. Antonio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute (1995) — Director
24. Chico, or the Country of the Lost Delicacy (1989) — Director
25. Circuladô (1992) — Director
26. João & Antônio (1992) — Director
27. Krajcberg - O Poeta dos Vestígios (1987) — Director
28. 8,944 km from Cannes (2007) — Director

Also appeared in

1. The Oscars (1953) — Self
2. Critic (2008) — Self
3. At the Edge of the Earth (2002) — Self
4. Traveling with Che Guevara (2004) — Self
5. Beneath the Surface: The Making of 'Dark Water' (2005) — Self
6. A Linguagem do Cinema (2001)
7. Conquista Central Station - The 7 days of creation (2002) — Self
8. VINTE - RioFilme, 20 anos de cinema brasileiro (2013) — Self
9. Films to Die For (2025) — Self - Interviewee