Daniel Soares

Daniel Soares is a Portuguese screenwriter, filmmaker and photographer. He is best known for his acclaimed short films O Que Resta, awarded the Grand Prix at the Premiers Plans d’Angers Festival, Bad for a Moment, which earned a Special Mention at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and A Few Things Happening by a River, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Early life & background Soares was born in Germany, though his family is Portuguese. He spent childhood summers with his grandparents in a small rural village in Portugal, an experience that influenced his later filmmaking. Before starting his career as a director, he worked as a creative at various agencies.

Career Soares’s body of work spans several kinds of media: documentary, short fiction, music videos, and fashion films. and he has received several international creativity awards, including being named a Young Gun in 2017 by the Art Directors Club in New York, an honour recognizing leading creative talents under the age of 30.

In 2018, Soares documentary film Forgotten screened at numerous festivals in North America, including Brooklyn Film Festival. His first narrative short, O Que Resta, premiered at Clermont Ferrand Film Festival in 2022. It screened at numerous festivals, including Telluride Film Festival and won the Grand Prix at the Premiers Plans d’Angers Festival and Best Portuguese Short Film at the IndieLisboa International Film Festival.

In 2024, his short film Bad for a Moment produced by O Som e a Fúria and Kid with a Bike, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. It screened in competition for the Short Film Palme d’Or and received a Special Mention from the jury.

In 2025, Soares took part in the 11th edition of Ikusmira Berriak, using the residency to develop his debut feature, 900 Tons. The year before, he had also participated in a screenwriting and project-development programme at Le Groupe Ouest, where he began earlier stages of work on the film.

In 2026, Soares returned to the Cannes Film Festival with his short film A Few Things Happening by a River, which was selected for the Short Film Competition and is scheduled to have its world premiere in May, competing for the Short Film Palme d'Or.

Filmography

Short films

Feature films YearFilmRoleNotesRef.TBD900 TonsDirector, Writer