Fernando Meirelles was born on November 9, 1955 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is an Academy Award-nominated Brazilian film director.

He was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing in 2004 for his direction of the Brazilian film City of God, which was released in 2002 and received an American release in 2003 by Miramax Films. He was also nominated for Golden Globe Best Director in 2005, for his first international film, The Constant Gardener. In both occasions, however, he did not win.

As he was studying architecture at the University of São Paulo, Meirelles became involved in experimental film making. After several years in independent television, he became an advertising film director and is still one of the partners of o2 Filmes, the biggest Brazilian ad producer, which also produced City of God, Maids and Viva Voz. As of late, Meirelles is rumored to be in the running to direct yet another espionage film, a biopic about notorious international terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Spanish actor Javier Bardem is slated to star in the film, set for release in 2007. Mirelles will direct Blindness the movie version of the Nobel-prize winner José Saramago's book, expected to be screened in 2008.

Credits by www.wikipedia.com

Director

• Blindness (2008) 
• "Antônia" (2006) TV Series
• "Cidade dos Homens" (4 episodes, 2002-2005)
• The Constant Gardener (2005)
• Cidade de Deus (2002)
• Palace II (2002)
• Domésticas (2001)
• "Brava Gente" (1 episode, 2000)
• Menino Maluquinho 2: A Aventura (1998)
• E no meio passa um trem (1998)
• "A Comédia da Vida Privada" (1 episode, 1997)

Awards

• ShoWest Award International Filmmaker of the Year 2003
• Berlin International Film Festival Panorama Award of the New York Film Academy "Golden Gate (Palace II)" 2002
• Cinema Brazil Grand Prize Best Director (Melhor Diretor) "Cidade de Deus" 2002
• Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Breakthrough Filmmaker "Cidade de Deus" 2002
• Toronto International Film Festival Visions Award "Cidade de Deus" 2002