Born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1967, graduating Dramaturgy at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. His theatre plays, performed in Croatia and abroad, have garnered numerous awards. 
From 1996 till 2005 he was working as a dramaturge editor in Drama Program of Croatian National Broadcaster. 
2006 together with Dražen Žarković, he co-directed the film «Trešeta»/ (Tressette – a Story of an Island»). Marinković was also the script writer. The film won 6 international and 2 domestic awards and has been screened on more then 30 international festivals. In 2009 he has written and directed a feature „Ljubavni život domobrana“ („Love Life of a Gentle Coward“) which was premierly shown on Pula Film Festival where it won 3 Golden Arenas. It was also shown on lot of international festivals and won Special Jury Award on Worldfest Houston. In 2013 he finished a Czech-Croatian documentary „Occupation, the 27th Picture“. World Premiere was on IFF Karlovy Vary in June 2013 and it was the opening film of Documentary Program on Sarajevo FF.
His film “Ministry of Love” is a Croatian-Czech coproduction with the support of Eurimages. Film opened internationally on Montreal World Film Festival in August 2016. The film was screened on some important international festivals as: Chicago IFF, Transilvania IFF Cluj, Arras FF, Raindance FF, IFF of Kerala, Jeonju IFF, Pula FF, Minneapolis St. Paul IFF, TIFF Cluj-Napoca. On Mostar Film Festival the film won Best Main Actor Award and Best Supporting Actress Award. On Worldfest Houston, the film won PLATINUM REMI AWARD for the best romantic comedy film and at Alexandria Meditteranean FF in 2017 won Grand Prix for the Best Film.  
At the beginning of 2018, the film caused lot of national and international attention. It was almost banned from broadcast on national television because of the protest of some political groups. 
In 2021 he was appointed the artistic director of Pula Film Festival for the next two editions. 
Pavo Marinković is currently living in Vienna and Zagreb. 

• 2006 — TRESSETTE – A STORY OF AN ISLAND | writer co-director, long feature
• 2009 — LOVE LIFE OF A GENTLE COWARD | writer director, long feature
• 2013 — OCCUPATION, THE 27th PICTURE | writer director, documentary feature
• 2016 — MINISTRY OF LOVE | writer director, long feature
• 2023 — BOSNIAN POT | writer director, long feature – In post production