I’m João Lages, a filmmaker and photographer based in Portugal, working across documentary production, creative film projects, and visual storytelling. I enjoy building narratives from concept to delivery—whether that means directing and cinematography, capturing documentary moments, or supporting projects with strong post-production and sound/colour finishing. Alongside my film work, I also create graphics and motion content that help projects communicate clearly across commercial, artistic, and cultural contexts. Through freelance media work and a co-founded multidisciplinary film collective, I’ve developed hands-on experience in filming, editing, and delivering promotional and event coverage—while increasingly focusing on documentary filmmaking, sustainability, and community-oriented creative initiatives.…

João Lages

I’m João Lages, a filmmaker and photographer based in Portugal, working across documentary production, creative film projects, and visual storytelling. I enjoy building narratives from concept to delivery—whether that means directing and cinematography, capturing documentary moments, or supporting projects with strong post-production and sound/colour finishing. Alongside my film work, I also create graphics and motion content that help projects communicate clearly across commercial, artistic, and cultural contexts. Through freelance media work and a co-founded multidisciplinary film collective, I’ve developed hands-on experience in filming, editing, and delivering promotional and event coverage—while increasingly focusing on documentary filmmaking, sustainability, and community-oriented creative initiatives.…

Available to hire

I’m João Lages, a filmmaker and photographer based in Portugal, working across documentary production, creative film projects, and visual storytelling. I enjoy building narratives from concept to delivery—whether that means directing and cinematography, capturing documentary moments, or supporting projects with strong post-production and sound/colour finishing.

Alongside my film work, I also create graphics and motion content that help projects communicate clearly across commercial, artistic, and cultural contexts. Through freelance media work and a co-founded multidisciplinary film collective, I’ve developed hands-on experience in filming, editing, and delivering promotional and event coverage—while increasingly focusing on documentary filmmaking, sustainability, and community-oriented creative initiatives.

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Language

Portuguese
Fluent
English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Intermediate

Work Experience

Freelance Filmmaker / Photographer / Graphic Designer
January 1, 2018 - Present
Delivered freelance projects across filmmaking, video editing, photography, graphic design, and motion graphics for commercial, cultural, and independent clients. Produced and edited promotional videos, social media content, documentaries, and event coverage from concept development to final delivery, handling filming, post-production, sound, color correction, exports, and supporting visual assets such as branding materials, posters, and digital content.
Freelance Media Assistant (Internship) at Sporting Clube de Braga
January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018
Produced photo, video, and graphic content for matchdays, training sessions, and club media channels in a fast-paced environment. Edited promotional content for upcoming fixtures, events, and digital platforms, and captured matchday atmosphere, supporters, and behind-the-scenes moments for club communication.

Education

Master in Cinematographic Project Development (specialization in Film Directing) at Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema (ESTC), Lisbon
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2021
Bachelor in Multimedia Communication Technologies at Universidade da Maia, Porto
January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2017

Qualifications

Green Skills Certificate Course (Green Gen, Organizational Sustainability & Climate Careers)
January 1, 2026 - September 1, 2026
Erasmus+ Training Course: Beyond the Lens (LPS de Madrid)
January 1, 2026 - September 1, 2026
ESC Volunteering Programme (Modern Odyssey, Roes Cooperativa)
January 1, 2025 - September 1, 2026
Erasmus+ Training Course: Build Up: Resilience Design (Associação Quinta das Relvas)
January 1, 2025 - September 1, 2026

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Non-Profit Organization
    Modern Odyssey Year 2 Documentary

    Modern Odyssey tells us the story of a group of volunteers who set to travel across Greece supporting local eco-projects while searching for an Ithaca of their own. From community to community, they discover slower, more sustainable ways of living and cultivate a deeper connection with nature and themselves.

    A documentary developed within a European Solidarity Corps volunteering programme, following a group of participants engaged in a journey around sustainability, community, and personal development.

    I was responsible for the full audiovisual process, including filming and editing, working closely with participants and facilitators to capture both the collective experience and more intimate, day-to-day moments.

    The process involved adapting to a constantly changing environment, balancing observation with participation, and responding to the dynamics of a group-based experience.

    The result is a body of documentary material that reflects the atmosphere of the project, focusing on presence, relationships, and lived experience, while supporting both the internal memory of the project and its external dissemination.