NJ Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal, where his fascination with moving images began at a very young age. His love for writing his own stories started when he was just five years old, and as he grew older, his desire to tell stories to people led him to pursue a career in journalism. At the tender age of 13, NJ wrote his first-ever screenplay, titled "The Highschool", a 20-minute short film that captured his state of mind and surroundings. With the help of his friends and a teacher, NJ directed his first-ever short film, although unfortunately, it was never completed. However, this experience sparked the filmmaking bug within him.
It wasn't until he finished high school that NJ realized that journalism didn't satisfy his ever-growing imagination. At the age of 17, he enrolled in the film course at Universidade Lusofona, where he discovered his own potential as a storyteller. However, he soon realized that film education in Portugal wasn't enough to fulfill his ambitions. In 2006, NJ decided to take a one-month intensive course at the prestigious London Film Academy in the UK.
It was during this month-long course that NJ decided to make "Drops of a Soul". After returning to Portugal, he was determined to make a professional short film. His goal was finally achieved in December 2007, when "Drops of a Soul" was shot and premiered for the first time in Lisbon on February 14th, 2008.
Following the success of "Drops of a Soul", NJ returned to the London Film Academy to undertake a one-year course. During this time, he directed two other short films: "Puny Earthlings", his first-ever comedy, starring Charlotte Coy and Marco Costa, and "Yael", a World War II film featuring Nadia Malamud and Steffan Boje.
