Denise Fernandes
Denise Fernandes is a Portuguese film director born in 1990 in Lisbon, Portugal. She grew up in Switzerland and has Cape Verdean parents. As a child she loved reading and at age 12 she tried to write a novel, but she soon wanted to bring stories to life through cinema.
Her short film Nha Mila premiered at Locarno and was nominated for a European Film Award. It played at more than 40 festivals worldwide.
Her first feature film, Hanami (2024), screened at many festivals, including the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Red Sea International Film Festival. At Locarno, Hanami earned her a Best Director award and also won the Best Emerging Director Award with a special mention in the First Feature Awards.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:03 (CET).