Meet Brazilian Cinematographer Adolpho Veloso, Oscar Nominee for 2026

Brazilian cinematographer Adolpho Veloso, 37, received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography on Thursday, February 22, 2024, for his work on Clint Bentley's film Sonhos de Trem. He is nominated alongside Claudio Miranda, Dan Laustsen, Łukasz Żal, Michael Bauman, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw for films such as Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, A Battle After Another, and Sinners. Prior to the Oscar nomination, Veloso won Best Cinematography at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards on January 10. Following the win, his catchphrase "Vai, Brasil Vai, Corinthians" became a social media trend. Born in São Paulo and currently residing in Lisbon, Portugal, Veloso's early work in Brazil included cinematography for Mosquito (2020), El Perfecto David (2021), and Rodantes (2021). He then expanded into international projects, including Becoming Elizabeth (2022) and the short film American Cancer Story (2024), as well as music videos like Pabllo Vittar's "Ameianoite" and BK's "Diamantes, Lágrimas e Rostos Para Esquecer."

Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer Adolpho Veloso's Stunning Sonhos de Trem Earns Critics Choice Award and Sparks Social Media Frenzy

This trajectory led to his acclaimed work on Sonhos de Trem, available on Netflix. The film, adapted from Denis Johnson's novel, stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a silent lumberjack working on railway construction in early 1900s America. Sonhos de Trem explores themes of isolation, love, and loss against the backdrop of railway development; critics have praised Veloso's cinematography for capturing beauty within the landscape's vast loneliness. Veloso celebrated his Critics Choice Award win on Instagram with a photo alongside actor Wagner Moura, captioned "Nothing Else Matters." According to Veja, Veloso is slated to film M. Night Shyamalan's upcoming movie, Remain, adding to Shyamalan's filmography, which includes The Sixth Sense and The Village.