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Joana Caiano is a Portuguese director, based between Lisbon and London, who is in love with humour, social dilemmas and above all, a perfectly timed awkward silence. After graduating from Bournemouth Film School, she completed further courses at the National Film and Television School in the UK, including Comedy Writing and Directing Actors. She’s a director across all formats – from commercial to narrative, all the way to music video – bringing a storyteller’s perspective to set.
Her distinctive and highly motivated approach is evident in her commercial work. This has not gone unnoticed: she has been recognised at awards such as the Berlin Commercial, the Shiny Awards and the 1.4 Awards, and featured in publications such as 1.4 Magazine. She has been praised by critics such as English journalist Selena Schleh, describing her style as “melding the bold colours of Lisbon’s vibrant streets with London’s experimental and boundary-pushing vibes”.
On the other end, she’s currently having her feature film debut with the documentary No Mind is a Safe Place (2026), with the support of the Portuguese Film Institute (ICA) and RTP. Her first short film, 42, was awarded at several international festivals, including the Quito International Film Festival, Four River Film Festival, and Porto Femme. Her most recent short film, Lives at Steak, written by the multi-award-winning Julia Grogan, has just begun its festival circuit. Currently, Joana is developing a feature film to be shot in Iceland and two short films in London and Lisbon.
With a sensitive yet provocative gaze, Joana Caiano is establishing herself as a rising director in the cinema and commercial landscape, interested in aesthetic rigour, social awareness, and a satirical approach to human relationships.