Heloisa Passos, ABC, DAFB

Heloisa Passos, the award-winning cinematographer, has traveled the world photographing critically acclaimed documentaries, features, and shorts.

Most recently she lensed two narrative films, Cyclone and As Vitrines, both by Flavia Castro.

She was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast Cinematography by Cinema Eye Honor 2024  for Nothing Lasts Forever (2022 Berlinale) by Jason Kohn.

Eneida by Heloisa Passos, Official selection of  It´s all True (27˚ International Documentary Film Festival). In 2023, Eneida was released in movie theaters in Brazil and Portugal.

In 2021, she received Best Director of Photography at the 11th FICBC for Fortaleza Hotel by Armando Praça.

Heloisa was twice nominated for Best Director of Photography (narrative film) by the 2020 Brazilian Cinematography Association (ABC) and for the Grand Prize of the Brazilian Academy of Cinema for Deslembro / Unremember by Flavia Castro (2018 Venice Film Festival.)

She has twice won Best Director of Photography in the Rio de Janeiro IFF for I travel because I need, I come back because I love you (2009 Venice FF) by Karim Aïnouz and Marcelo Gomes and for Nalu on the Border (2017 Berlinale) by Cristiane Oliveira.

She received the Excellence in Cinematography for Manda Bala by Jason Kohn at the 2007 Sundance FF and 2008 Cinema Eye Honor.

In 2016, she collaborated with Marcia Faria on the first season of the TV series, Me Chama de Bruna / Call me Bruna, which had the largest audience in FOX’s history for Latin America.

Heloisa was an Additional Cinematographer for Petra Costa, 2020 Oscar-nominated documentary The Edge of Democracy and Ross Kauffman’s Taken by the Tiger (2019 Sundance FF), as well as an Additional Camera on the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary Citzenfour by Laura Poitras. She was a co-cinematographer for the Oscar-nominated documentary, Wasteland which premiered at the 2009 Sundance FF and Berlinale.

Heloisa enjoys lending her expertise to installations and visual arts with relevant and important themes and has collaborated with Wendelein van Oldenborgh , Janaina Tschäpe and Karim Aïnouz. In 2021 she participated in a group exhibition “I Am New Here” with her Installation Water’s Desert at the Galerie Ron Mandos (Amsterdam).

She is a director and producer of several short films, including two shorts on the Field of Vision platform and one short in the Focus Forward Project. Her first documentary feature as director, Construindo Pontes / Building Bridges, premiered in IDFA 2017 and it is in the GuideDoc catalog.

Heloisa is the founder of her own production company called Maquina Filmes.

As a Brazilian and Portuguese citizen, she has been working in the film industry around the world for many years. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, the Brazilian Cinematography Association (ABC), the Brazilian Collective of Female and Transgender Cinematographers (DAFB), and the Cinematographersxx (CXX).

AWARDS

Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast Cinematography by Cinema Eye Honor 2024  for Nothing Lasts Forever by Jason Kohn.

Best Director of Photography at the 11th FICBC (Festival Internacional de Cinema em Balneário Camboriu), FORTALEZA HOTEL by Armando Praça,

Premio de la crítica CAMIRA, VIII Festival Márgenes, España, CONSTRUINDO PONTES (Building Bridges) by Heloisa Passos,

Honorable mention, CineEco 2018, Portugal, CONSTRUINDO PONTES (Building Bridges) by Heloisa Passos,

Best Film, Cora Coralina Award, XX FICA, 2018 – CONSTRUINDO PONTES (Building Bridges) by Heloisa Passos,

Marco Antônio Guimarães Award, 50˚ Festival de Brasilia do Cinema Brasileiro, 2017 – CONSTRUINDO PONTES (Building Bridges) by Heloisa Passos,

Best Director of Photography – 10˚ Festival de Cinema de Triunfo, 2017 – MULHER DO PAI (Nalu on the border) by Cristiane Oliveira,

Best Director of Photography – Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, 2016 – MULHER DO PAI (Nalu on the border) by Cristiane Oliveira,

Best Director of Photography – Rainbow Film Festival, 2011 – COMO ESQUECER (So hard to forget) by Malu de Martino,

Best Director of Photography – 3˚ Festival de Cinema de Triunfo, 2010 – VIAJO PORQUE PRECISO, VOLTO PORQUE TE AMO (I travel because I have to, I come back because I love you) by Karim Aïnouz & Marcelo Gomes,

Best Director of Photography – Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, 2009 – VIAJO PORQUE PRECISO, VOLTO PORQUE TE AMO (I travel because I have to, I come back because I love you) by Karim Aïnouz & Marcelo Gomes,

Best Cinematography – Cinema Eye Honor, 2008, MANDA BALA (Send a Bullet) by Jason Kohn,

Best Director of Photography – 36˚ Festival de Cinema de Gramado, 2008 – AREIA (Sand) by Caetano Gotardo,

Excellence in Cinematpgraphy – Sundance Film Festival, 2007 – MANDA BALA (Send a Bullet) by Jason Kohn,

Grande Prêmio Canal Brasil 2007, VIVA VOLTA (Turning) by Heloisa Passos,

Best Short Film Latin America, Cancun Film Festival 2007, VIVA VOLTA (Turning) by Heloisa Passos,

Best Director and Best Film – 16˚ Cine Ceará, 2006 – VIVA VOLTA (Turning) by Heloisa Passos,

Best Director of Photography – Jornada Internacional de Cinema da Bahia, 2003 – VISIONÁRIOS by Fernado Severo,

Special Jury Prize Photography – 30º Festival de cinema de Gramado, 2002 – O FIM DO CIÚME by Luciano Coelho,

Best Cinematography – Eclipse Film Festival, 2002 – DO TEMPO QUE EU COMIA PIPOCA by Heloisa Passos,

Best Director of Photography – Brazilian Film Festival of Miami, 2001 – BRENNAND – de ovo omnia by Liz Donovan,

Best Director of Photography – Cine Ceará, 2001 – BRENNAND – de ovo omnia by Liz Donovan.