João Amorim is a multi-talented individual who has made a name for himself in the world of animation and documentaries. As the son of Celso Amorim, Brazil's Defense Minister and former Foreign Minister, João comes from a family with a rich history in the film industry. His father was an assistant director on the film "os Cafajestes" in the 1960s and later became the President of Embrafilme, the state-owned financier of all film in Brazil.
João's brothers, Vicente and Pedro, are also accomplished filmmakers. Vicente has been working in the industry since the 1980s, and Pedro's romantic comedy "Mato sem Cahorro" was a box office hit in 2013. The Amorim family is one of the most connected in Brazil, and the three brothers have produced content for various market segments of Brazilian TV and film.
João has directed and produced animation and documentaries in Brazil and abroad for many years. His first animated feature documentary, "2012 Time for Change," was released in 2010 and featured a star-studded cast, including David Lynch, Sting, Ellen Page, Gilberto Gil, and Paul Stamets. The film was praised by the news agency Reuters, which called it one of the 10 films behind the Occupy Wall Street movement.
In addition to his work in animation and documentaries, João has also directed commercials for clients such as BMW, Panasonic, and Oceana. He has worked as an animation director on several films, including "Chicago 10," which opened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. João was nominated for an Emmy in 2009 for his work on "Chicago 10" and won the CinemaEye award for best animation.
João has also worked as an environmental education activist, leading a team to train young people at risk in permaculture and organic agriculture techniques in one of the toughest favelas in Rio. The project was turned into a short film, "Permaculture in the Favelas, Rio+20 Rio+Green," which was featured at the Earth Summit in Rio.
João is currently finishing his second feature documentary, "Water and Cooperation, reflections for a new time," which features Vandana Shiva, Dr. Amit Goswami, Masaru Emoto, Rajendra Singh, and Benke Ashaninka. He is also developing the environmental literacy preschool show "EcoBaby, Biomes of Brazil," which highlights the richness and diversity of Brazilian music, fauna, and flora through music and animation.
In his personal life, João speaks five languages, practices permaculture and yoga, and is married with three children aged 1-12.
