Manuel Damásio

Manuel Damásio is a Tenured Professor at the University of Minho and Director of the Department of Cinema and Media Arts at Lusófona University in Lisbon, Portugal. He serves as Coordinator of the European University for Film and Media Arts (FILMEU), Chair of the European Association of Film and Audiovisual Schools (GEECT), and Member of the Executive Committee of CILECT. His academic work spans film studies, media arts, and communication, with a particular focus on European film markets and audience research.

Dr. Damásio earned his PhD in Communication from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. His academic journey has led him to prominent leadership roles in European film education initiatives, including coordinating the FilmEU project under the European Universities Initiative (EPP-EUR-UNIV-2020).

His research interests center on film and media studies with emphasis on European film markets, audience engagement, cultural diversity in audiovisual content, and digital media. Dr. Damásio has extensively studied Portuguese television, particularly soap operas, examining their cultural significance and production practices. His work also intersects with health communication, exploring how media technologies can promote health behavior change, and digital literacy, especially among older populations.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on European film markets, particularly examining how small European countries' films are represented on streaming platforms. His research increasingly incorporates AI-powered methods for audience research and explores the future of film education in Europe within the context of the European Universities Initiative.

Dr. Damásio leads multiple significant research projects including WIRE FilmEU (2023-2028), FilmMemory (2023-2029), FilmEU Plus (2023-2027), REPLAY (2023-2029), and CresCine (2023-2026), all focused on advancing film and media arts education and research across European institutions.

He is actively involved in numerous research collaborations through CICANT (Research Center for Applied Communication, Culture and New Technologies), ECATI (School of Communication, Architecture, Arts and Technologies), and COPELABS (Research Center for Human-Centered Computing and Cognition), where he contributes to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of media, technology, and society.