Born in 1971 in Coimbra, Portugal, Catarina Ruivo studied at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School in 1995/1996, where she specialised in editing. She worked as an editor on a number of films, including ‘Mal’ (Venice Film Festival competition 1999) and ‘The Girl with the Dead Hand’ (Short Super-Short section of the 2005 Venice Film Festival), both by Alberto Seixas Santos, and ‘The Policewoman’, by Joaquim Sapinho (Panorama, Berlin International Film Festival, 2003).
Her first venture into filmmaking as a director was in 1998 with the short ‘A Kind of Blue’, which was selected for the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival. In 2004 she made her first feature film, ‘André Valente’. The film was premiered at the Locarno Festival, where it won the FICC/IFFS’s Don Quixote award, before going on to win a number of prizes at other festivals. Her second feature film was co-produced by the French television channel Arte. ‘My Grandmother Trelotótó’ is her fourth feature film.
Filmography
2018 ‘A Minha Avó Trelotótó’ [‘My Grandmother Trelotótó’] feature film, 174 min
Writer, director and editor
Premiere IndieLisboa international film festival, 2019 - Award for Best Portuguese Feature Film.
2012 ‘Em Segunda-Mão’ [‘Second Hand’] feature film, drama, 114 min
Writer, director and editor
Premiere IndieLisboa international film festival, 2012
Awarded the 2014 Sophia Prize by the Academia Portuguesa de Cinema for Best Actor
in a Leading Role (Pedro Hestnes) and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Rita Durão)
Globos de Ouro 2014 for Best Actor (Pedro Hestnes)
Nominated by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores for Best Film, Best Script
and Best Actor
São Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil, 2012
Lima Film Festival, Peru, 2013
Sguardi Altrove Film Festival, Milan, Italy, 2014
Festival Peliculatina, Belgium, 2014
Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival, Portugal, 2015
Seoul Art Cinema, Portuguese Film Festival, South Korea, 2017
Commercial release 2013 in Lisbon and Porto
2007 ‘Daqui p’rá frente’ [‘From Now On’] feature film, drama, 97 min
Writer, director and editor
Rio de Janeiro Film Festival, Brazil, 2007 – Perspectiva Section –
Istanbul Internacional Meeting of Cinema & History Film Festival, Turkey - International Competition
Caminhos do Cinema Português, 2008, Portugal - Award for Best Film
Co-produced by Unité Fictions Arte, France
Screened on Arte France and Germany TV
Commercial release 2008 in Portugal
2004 ‘André Valente’, feature film, drama, 71 min
Writer, director and editor
Locarno Festival, Switzerland, 2004 – International Competition - FICC/IFFS Don Quixote award
Gwangju International Film Festival, South Korea, 2004 – Critics Award and ‘Young Cinema Jury Award’
Infinity Festival, Italy, 2005 – Official Selection – Alba Cinema Award for Best Director and Signis Award for Best Film
Belfort Entrevues International Film Festival, France, 2004 – Official Selection Competition
Festival d’Angers, France, 2005 – Premiers Plans – Official Selection
Montreal International Festival of New Cinema and New Media, 2004 – Official Selection
Viennale – Vienna International Film Festival, Austria, 2004
Torino Film Festival, Italy, 2005
European Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland, 2005
International Women’s Film Festival, Rehovot, Israel, 2005
Released in Portugal in 2004
Released in France in 2005
Screened on Cinecinema (France)
1998 ‘Uma cerveja no Inverno’ [‘A Kind of Blue’], short film
Director and editor
Premiere at Vila do Conde Short Film Festival, Portugal
Selected for the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, Germany.