Ricardo Branco (Amarante, 1992) holds a degree in Literature from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto and a Master’s degree in Film from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at NOVA University Lisbon. In 2010, he published his first novel, Amor Combate.

He directed three films in an academic context that achieved significant festival circulation: 1500 premiered at BFI Flare 2016; the documentary short Fora de Campo premiered at the Portuguese Cinematheque in 2017; and the fiction short Rute received a Special Jury Mention at Queer Lisboa 2017. Rute was also screened in contemporary art galleries. His first feature film, Nossos Ossos, currently in development, was selected for Torino Film Lab and the EAVE+ programme.

Ricardo Branco works regularly as a screenwriter, script editor, and assistant director. He is also the creator and curator of the cultural festival Escrever nas Margens. In 2021, he was invited to join the jury of Queer Lisboa. In 2023, he directed a music video for Filipe Sambado’s latest project.

Under The Influence is his most recent short film, which premiered at Frameline in San Francisco, California, and won Best Short Film at the ShortCutz Festival. It also had a commercial theatrical release in over 20 Portuguese cinemas on June 20, 2024, as part of the programme Ovnis, Monstros e Utopias. His films have been screened at international festivals worldwide, including in countries such as India, Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Ireland, among others.