Paulo Branco was born in Lisbon, and attended the undergraduate program in chemical engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico, but did not graduate.

[3] So far, he has produced over 300 films and has worked with film directors such as David Cronenberg, Jerzy Skolimowski, Wim Wenders, Chantal Akerman, Alain Tanner, Werner Schroeter, André Téchiné, Andrzej Zulawski, Christophe Honoré, Olivier Assayas, Sharunas Bartas, Cédric Kahn, Lucas Belvaux, Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi, João César Monteiro, Paul Auster, Philippe Garrel, Mathieu Amalric... among many others.

His career has particularly been branded with an intense collaboration, during more than 20 years, with Raúl Ruiz (Time Regained, Three Lives and Only One Death) and with Manoel de Oliveira (Francisca, Abraham's Valley, The Satin Slipper).

Established in 2006, Alfama Films Production extends Paulo Branco's commitment for independent cinema with directors he's been supporting for a long time but also with emerging talents, always taking on new challenges like Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis.

[citation needed] Paulo Branco is President of the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival, event that he founded in 2007.