Vítor Gonçalves was born in 1951 in the Portuguese islands of Azores.
After graduating in civil engineering, he became a filmmaker.

Vítor Gonçalves was one of the founders of Trópico Filmes, a film production company which had considerable influence in Portuguese cinema during the 80s, and where he made his first film as a director in 1986 -  A GIRL IN SUMMER. 
The film had its world premiere at the 1987 Rotterdam Film Festival and was selected that same  year for the Berlin Film Festival.

Vítor has been teaching at the Cinema School since 1982 where he currently runs the directing course.

THE INVISIBLE LIFE is his most recent feature film.  It had its world premiere in the International Competition of Rome Film Festival 2013, and subsequently screened in selection for the Rotterdam Film Festival 2014. The UK premiere was at the Edinburgh Film Festival in June 2014.
Lives in Lisbon where he is preparing his new film project.