Fernando Meirelles is the (Chap)man of the hour…

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts has named the 67-year-old Brazilian Oscar-nominated film director as its next Marion Knott Distinguished Artist.

Meirelles follows Asghar Farhadi, Dodge’s most recent Distinguished Artist.

He’ll spend three full days on campus (March 14-16) helping graduates and undergraduates develop story ideas, while also discussing production, casting, and analyzing rough cuts of their films. Additionally, he’ll take part in a live Q&A open to the entire Chapman community.

“I still vividly remember the shock and wonder of seeing City of God for the first time,” said Dodge College Dean Stephen Galloway. “It changed my — and everyone else’s — views on the possibilities of film. Having Fernando here will be a life-changing experience for all of us.”

This continues a relationship between Chapman and Meirelles that began last year when the director took part in Dodge’s Master Class series.

Recent Master Classes have featured such guests as Colin Farrell, Joel Coen, Ke Huy Quan, Todd Field, Brendan Fraser, Damien Chazelle and Austin Butler.

Meirelles developed his love of film while studying at the University of Sao Paulo. After producing numerous television shows, he made 2002’s City of God, about life in Rio de Janeiro’s slums, which earned him a best director Oscar nomination.

In 2005, he directed Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz in The Constant Gardener, earning a Golden Globe nomination for best director (and an Oscar for Weisz). He also directed Netflix’s acclaimed The Two Popes in 2019. His other films include Blindness and 360.