Nalini was born in Lisbon and moved to Goa in 1998. She opened an NGO by the name of “Communicare Trust” where she conceptualized several innovative projects, amongst them a television quiz involving different languages, conceptualization and design of theatres in orphanages to popularize languages (other than local Indian languages) and stop motion movies using waste.
She teaches Portuguese, publishes books and translates others but, nothing gives her more joy than bringing a new story to the screen.
The first short documentary directed by her was in 2010 titled “Water,” which was selected for the International Film Festival of India, Vasudha Awards (2010) among other Film Festivals. The second short documentary was in 2012 titled “Dances of Goa,” which won the audience award in Bulgaria at In the Palace Short Film Festival (2013) and was part of other film festivals.
The first Mid-length documentary was in 2018 titled “Special Envoy” which won the award of merit in the category “Literation/social justice/protest” at Accolade Global Film Competition (2018) and participated in other film festivals. The second Mid-length documentary was in 2021, titled “The Club,” which won the second prize for best documentary at the 16th Jaipur IFF (2022) and participated in other film festivals.
Nalini has directed and produced 72 episodes for the series “Contacto Goa” from 2008 to 2011 and presently is directing “Hora dos Portugueses” broadcasted on RTPi and RTPAfrica.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Maria deep-rroted love for her hometown, coexists harmoniously with her passion for globetrotting, ensuring she is never tethered to one place for too long. Growing up as the daughter of two artists - her father is a renowned Art Director in cinema and advertising, and her mother with a background in Executive Production – Maria was immersed in a world of artistic inspiration from an early age. The eclectic exposure to music, literature, and cinema shaped Maria’s upbringing, fostering a shared artistic inclination among her four siblings.
Maria's early years led her down a path of exploration, initially delving into her skills as a designer and scenographer. She pursued Graphic Design at the Art School in Lisbon and later embarked on a Film & Scenography degree at Aberystwyth University, in Wales. Simultaneously, she found her voice in choirs, developing a profound appreciation for choral music, eventually prompting her to shift her focus to Music at 19.
Overcoming challenges, Maria holds degrees in Music in the Community and Choral Conducting/Musical Training, from Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, along with completing a Classical Singing course at Lisbon Conservatory of Music. As a professional choir singer, she has collaborated with esteemed groups like Coro de Câmara Lisboa Cantat, and Ensemble Vocal Desafinados. Working with distinguished conductors such as Paulo Lourenço, Artur Carneiro, Vasco Pearce de Azevedo, Theodor Guschlbauer, Santiago Lusardi and Zane Dalal.
Since 2012, she has been a member of the Ricercare Choir and works regularly with maestro Pedro Teixeira. It features collaborations with renowned artists and musical groups in Portugal and internationally, such as Mariza, Camané, José Cura, Andrea Bocelli or world-famous band The Rolling Stones.
She has performed as a solo soprano in countries such as Tunisia, India, Hungary and Portugal. Recently, she was resident soprano and assistant conductor of the Goa University Choir and the Stuti Choral Ensemble, both based in Goa, led by maestros Santiago Lusardi Girelli and Parvesh Java, respectively.
Currently on the verge of completing her degree at the prestigious Hot Club Jazz School in Lisbon, Maria has not only honed her skills as a performer but has also been invited to teach at the school since 2023. Her multifaceted musical journey reflects a continuous commitment to artistic exploration and community engagement.
Graduated in 1994 from the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration of Porto, in Accounting and Administration, and registered with the Order of Certified Accountants in 1995. Attended workshops on Cinévideo and Multimedia, as well as Copyright and Related Rights at the CCB Training Center. In 1998, served as Executive Coordinator of the Video and Multimedia Technicians Course at Praça Sony for Expo'98. During Expo'98, held the position of Deputy Director of Image at Praça Sony, where she was also responsible for the continuity of the Jumbotron broadcast. In 1999, became a partner at Real Ficção, where she has been working as a Producer for all films since then.
Rui Simões (Lisbon, 1944) studied Film and Television Directing at the Institut des Arts de Diffusion in Brussels. He returned to Portugal in 1974, starting his film career by producing and directing two documentaries about the post-revolutionary period: "Deus, Pátria, Autoridade" (God, Homeland, Authority) and "Bom Povo Português" (Good Portuguese People). In 1986, he founded the production company Real Ficção, focusing on documentary work closely tied to social issues and the arts. In 2023, he directed his first fiction feature film titled "Primeira Obra" (First Work).
Sigrid Pfeffer worked for 35 years as a sound technician at the radio station Hessischer Rundfunk in Frankfurt. In the early 1990s, she also alternated with radio DJ and music journalist Klaus Walter in selecting the music for the "Radio Unfrisiert" program on hr2-Kultur, the cultural channel of Hessischer Rundfunk.
In the mid-1990s, she discovered the music of the so-called "Asian Underground," a fusion of South Asian rhythms and harmonies with Western electronic dance music. Under the alias DJ Chai FX, she and DJ Eastenders hosted the club night "New Asian Dance Music" in Frankfurt. Since 1997, she has traveled to India almost every year.
In 2001, she fell in love with the Goan cantaram. In 2009, she released the album Konkani Songs/Music from Goa - Made in Bombay through Trikont/Munich, and in 2008, she produced a feature on the topic for the series "Music of the World" on hr2-Kultur. In 2015, she co-curated the "Mother India" festival at the House of Cultures of the World in Berlin.
She has created several other programs on Indian music, including Blue Notes of Bombay on the early history of jazz in India, India Obscura on unique musical discoveries from India, India Indie on the independent music scene in India, Ladies Compartment about women in the Indian music industry, and, in 2023, a one-hour feature on India and the Beatles for the radio station WDR in Cologne.
A rolling stone. That could sum up Gasper's career projectile. But while other stones gather all the moss, Gasper has been out learning new tricks, seeking new adventures, and moving boundaries.
At the core, Gasper has always loved storytelling, ever since he first wrote short stories for the school magazine. At the turn of the millennium, Gasper joined an English daily to head the web edition. Over the course of his 7-year newspaper stint, he coded the website, redesigned the newspaper, wrote features for the Sunday edition and produced photo-documentaries for print and web editions.
Then, in 2007, at the start of the DSLR revolution, he decided to test the waters in video. Soon, he was shooting and producing video features from across India for France-based Euronews Television. He felt just as much at home in rural India as in corporate boardrooms, telling untold stories of development, education and healthcare in an India that was seeing rapid growth and change.
Working with other filmmakers as editor, Gasper soon realised he loved finding connections and helping bring more stories to life. In the dark confines of the edit suite, he found new adventures, pursuing through hours of rushes and building sequences. So, he turned his attention to documentary film editing.
Today, he has set up a boutique post-production studio in his hometown on the coast of Goa, where he quietly helps directors bring visions to the screen. The rolling stone continues to roll, and each day brings new interests to pursue and adventures to seek.
Douglas Victor Gracias is a freelance filmmaker, photographer and musician based in Goa, India. He began his practice in media in the year 2010, and had primarily contributed as a cinematographer and film&video editor in a number of films ,honing his craft in a medley of independent as well as commercial productions, ranging from environmental and socio-politico-cultural documentaries to experimental short films and video art, promotions & advertisements, music videos, live multicam concert coverage and vision mixing, corporate films, educational films&video, and other web content.
He has worked as Editor, Cinematographer and Photographer with eminent filmmakers from India and abroad like Nalini Elvino de Sousa, Qaushik Mukherjee (Q), Hina Saiyada, Rakesh Sharma, Kai Reimmer Watts (to name a few)
His most recent work included being the local producer for the third season of Swedish TV show “Världens sämsta indier” ( World's Worst Indian) which is a 6 episode series recently released on svt, as well as being the cinematographer on “I am Lawrence Wilson”, a short documentary which has been screened at 5 international film festivals : Independent Cinema Film Festival “Art Club Pavlos Paraschakis” Greece 2022, Bengal International Film Festival 2022, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022, Dharamshala International Film Festival 2022 and won Best Documentary at Mumbai International Cult Film Festival 2023.
A rolling stone. That could sum up Gasper's career projectile. But while other stones gather all the moss, Gasper has been out learning new tricks, seeking new adventures, and moving boundaries.
At the core, Gasper has always loved storytelling, ever since he first wrote short stories for the school magazine. At the turn of the millennium, Gasper joined an English daily to head the web edition. Over the course of his 7-year newspaper stint, he coded the website, redesigned the newspaper, wrote features for the Sunday edition and produced photo-documentaries for print and web editions.
Then, in 2007, at the start of the DSLR revolution, he decided to test the waters in video. Soon, he was shooting and producing video features from across India for France-based Euronews Television. He felt just as much at home in rural India as in corporate boardrooms, telling untold stories of development, education and healthcare in an India that was seeing rapid growth and change.
Working with other filmmakers as editor, Gasper soon realised he loved finding connections and helping bring more stories to life. In the dark confines of the edit suite, he found new adventures, pursuing through hours of rushes and building sequences. So, he turned his attention to documentary film editing.
Today, he has set up a boutique post-production studio in his hometown on the coast of Goa, where he quietly helps directors bring visions to the screen. The rolling stone continues to roll, and each day brings new interests to pursue and adventures to seek.
Tanya Távora’s journey into film production has been shaped by a blend of journalistic zeal and creative storytelling. After earning a degree in Mass Communication from St. Xavier’s College in Goa, Tanya cultivated an early interest in media that seamlessly integrated writing, editing, and the art of storytelling. During her time in college, she became increasingly drawn to the behind-the-scenes aspects of media production, marking the start of her transition into filmmaking.
Writing for a global journalism society, helped sharpen her storytelling abilities and allowed her to explore diverse narratives on a global scale. Her internship at O Heraldo Newspaper in Goa played a pivotal role in refining her writing. These formative experiences laid the foundation for building both her technical skills and keen editorial eye.
Tanya’s true passion for production emerged during her college years, and it wasn’t long before she pivoted toward filmmaking. This led her to Lotus Film & TV Production, where Tanya currently works as an editor. At Lotus Film, she has been integral to the production of Hora dos Portugueses, a compelling television program about Portuguese living in India, airing on RTPi (International Portuguese television). Over the course of 10 episodes, Tanya played a pivotal role in filming, editing and shaping the final product, working closely with the director to bring the vision to life with precision.