Acclaimed actress, director, and singer Maria de Medeiros—one of the most versatile and refined figures in European cinema, and a leading talent of her generation in Portugal—will be honored at the 24th edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival (June 13–23, 2025). Best known to global audiences for her unforgettable role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, de Medeiros will receive the Transilvania Trophy for Special Contribution to World Cinema.
Maria de Medeiros’s career is marked by a rare elegance and a deep commitment to auteur cinema. She captivated both audiences and critics as Fabienne, the tender and dreamy girlfriend of Butch (Bruce Willis), in Pulp Fiction (1994)—a cult classic that redefined independent American filmmaking. The now-iconic line exchange, “Who’s Zed?” / “Zed’s dead, baby,” quickly became part of pop culture history.
Another standout performance in her filmography is her portrayal of writer Anaïs Nin in Henry & June (1990), directed by Philip Kaufman. Her nuanced and sensitive interpretation of this complex historical figure brought depth to a narrative exploring love, sexuality, and artistic creation.
In 1994, de Medeiros was awarded Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her role in Two Brothers, My Sister (Três Irmãos) by Teresa Villaverde. With a filmography of over 100 titles, she has worked with an impressive roster of directors including João César Monteiro (who gave her her screen debut at age 15 in Silvestre), Chantal Akerman, Susanne Schiffman, Manoel de Oliveira, István Szabó, Bigas Luna, Abel Ferrara, Antonietta De Lillo, Isabel Coixet, and Guy Maddin. Her screen partners have included Mark Ruffalo, Isabella Rossellini, and Charlotte Rampling. She also has an extensive background in theatre.
Her most recent work includes Reflet dans un diamant mort (dir. Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani), which premiered at the 2025 Berlinale, and Le Roi Soleil (dir. Vincent Maël Cardona) and Ange (dir. Tony Gatlif), both presented at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
In addition to her acting career, Maria de Medeiros is an accomplished director. She made her directorial debut with Capitães de Abril (2000), a film about Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, which was selected for the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. In 2001, she served as President of the Caméra d’Or jury at the same festival.
De Medeiros is also active in music, with three studio albums that reflect her love for jazz, fado, and French chanson.
At TIFF.24, audiences will have the unique opportunity to meet Maria de Medeiros not only on the red carpet at the festival’s closing gala, but also at a public masterclass open to both industry professionals and cinephiles. The festival will also screen her latest film, Uma Quinta Portuguesa (2025), directed by Avelina Prat. In this story about identity, friendship, and rediscovery, de Medeiros plays Amália, the enigmatic owner of a Portuguese quinta. The film was part of the official selection at the Málaga Film Festival, and both the actress and director will attend the screening in Cluj-Napoca.
