HUGO DE SOUSA is an LA-based filmmaker whose latest short, Best Friends with the Devil, a comedy-thriller, World Premiered at SXSW 2026. His films blend deadpan comedy with emotional unease, following characters in everyday situations that gradually slip into the strange or uncomfortable.
His debut short, The Event, screened at Slamdance, Palm Springs International ShortFest, Rooftop Films and Fantastic Fest in 2022, later premiering online as a Vimeo Staff Pick and being named one of NoBudge’s Top 12 Films of 2023. His follow-up, Je Ne Suis Pas Une Star De Cinéma, premiered at FEST — New Directors | New Films, continuing his shift toward darker, more unsettling comedy.
He is currently developing his debut feature.
Media
SXSW 2026 Guide: 14 Emerging Filmmakers You Need to Know - Directors Notes
SXSW Announces First Wave of 2026 Film and TV Lineup - IndieWire
“Feeling Vulnerable is a Good Thing”: Hugo De Sousa - Back To One Podcast with Peter Rinaldi for Filmamker Magazine
Getting Friends and Strangers to Watch Your Short Film, Interview with Patrick Brice for Filmmaker Magazine
An Actor Auditions for a Secretive Project in Hugo De Sousa’s Satire ‘Je Ne Suis Pas Une Star de Cinéma’ - Directors Notes
A Filmmaker Asks His Roommate to Watch His Short in Frank Mosley & Hugo De Sousa’s Comedy ‘The Event’ - Directors Notes