spain & portugal (directors)
List activity
145 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
105 people
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Álex de la Iglesia is one of the most popular and respected European filmmakers of his generation. Considered a genre of his own, based on his skill and originality in a range of cinematographic art styles, he has currently finished shooting the second season of "30 Coins", the successful HBO Max series. 2022 saw the release of two feature films directed by de la Iglesia: the slasher "Veneciafrenia" (part of The Fear Collection) and the romantic road movie "Four's a Crowd", alongside "Venus" by Jaume Balagueró, which was produced by Álex de la Iglesia, in association with Sony Pictures and Amazon Prime Video.
Born in Bilbao, Álex de la Iglesia started out in the world of comics and he has never lost this side to him throughout his career in film. He began as a director in "Mutant Action" and "The Day of the Beast", movies that changed the face of Spanish fantastique genre forever. Among his most renowned works are "The Last Circus" - praised by The New York Times the same day it was released in the US -"Ferpect Crime", "Witching and Bitching", "My Big Night" and "The Bar".
With Pokeepsie Films, the production company De la Iglesia created with his wife, prestigious producer Carolina Bang, he has contributed as a producer to nurturing a new generation of filmmakers, such as Paul Urkijo, Eduardo Casanova, Zoe Berriatúa, Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel.
With Bang and De La Iglesia as producers, Pokeepsie Films had great success with movies such as "70 Big Ones" by Koldo Serra and "Perfect Strangers" and "Veneciafrenia", both directed by Álex de la Iglesia himself. "Four's a crowd" is his latest release as a feature director, while as a producer he has also been part of "La Pietà", by Eduardo Casanova, and the aforementioned "Venus", directed by Jaume Balagueró.
In 2023, Pokeepsie Films has released the HBO Max series, "Headless chickens", starring Hugo Silva, the Prime Video original feature film "My fault" (the most watched non-English language movie in the history of the platform), and has started shooting "1992", a Netflix series directed by Álex de la Iglesia.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Spanish director, writer, producer (2 films) and actor (2 films). His interest in cinema started when he was very young. His mother, who was a pianist, instilled in him the liking for music, and his brother, Antonio, who was a painter, the passion for art. When he was an teenager he started to practice photography, and in 1950 he made his first illustrated feature films with a 16 mm camera. Carlos Saura is an excellent photographer, an activity that he shares in a sporadic way with the making of films.
He then moved to Madrid to continue his Industrial Engineering career, but his vocation for photography, cinema and journalism made him leave his studies and matriculate at the Instituto de Investigaciones y Estudios Cinematográficos (Cinematographic Study and Research Institute). Sporadically, he combined his cinematographic studies with the courses at the Escuela de Periodismo (Journalism School). In 1957 he finished studying and got the director diploma. At the same time, he finished his end-of-career short film La tarde del domingo (1957). He continued as a professor until 1963. In that year he was removed from the school for strictly political reasons (Franco's censorship).
In 1959 he filmed The Delinquents (1960). In this film he tried to create a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the juvenile delinquency in the Madrid's poor quarters from a sociological point of view. In his first stage as director he tried to take a position in favour of outcast people, and he got to make a both lyric and documentary-style cinema.
Saura is a well accepted director both nationally and internationally, and in proof of it he won many awards among which there are the following ones: Silver Bear in the Berlin Festival for The Hunt (1966), in 1965, and for Peppermint Frappé (1967), in 1967. Special Jury Awards in Cannes for Cousin Angelica (1974), in 1973, and for Cría Cuervos (1976), in 1975. Also, the film Mama Turns 100 (1979) got an Oscar nomination in 1979 as the best foreign film, and it also won the Special Jury Award at the San Sebastian Festival. In 1990, he won two Goya awards as best adapted screenplay writer and best director.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Julio Medem was born in San Sebastian in northern Spain. As a teenager Medem made short movies with a super-8 camera owned by his father. Some of those films are "El ciego" (1976), "El jueves pasado" (1977) and "Fideos" (1979.) Wanting to know more about the darkest corners of the human mind, Medem studied psychiatry. In 1985 Medem received a degree in medicine from the University of the Basque Country. In 1986 Medem directed "Patas en la cabeza," a 35MM short that won an award in the international Festival of Bilbao. In 1987, after winning the Telenorte prize for another short movie, "Las seis en punta", he decided to become a professional filmmaker. Medem worked as assistant, editor and screenwriter in differents projects for cinema and TV. He also wrote several screenplays, but they were all refused by most of production companies in Spain. Finally, in 1991, Medem received a call from a new production company called SOGETEL. They were interested in his script titled "Vacas," about the fight between two families during three generations, from 1875 until 1936. Medem directed the film for SOGETEL and it was released in 1992. "Vacas" was brilliantly received and became a big success. It won the Goya Award from the Spanish academy for best new director, and won prizes in the festivals of Tokyo, Torino and Alexandria. In 1993 Medem made his second movie, "La ardilla roja." "La ardilla roja" confirmed Medem's talents and won prizes in Fort Lauderdale, Bogota and Bucarest. His third movie, "Tierra," released in 1996, was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. In 1998 Medem released "Los amantes del Circulo Polar," considered his best movie by most of his fans. It also became a box-office hit with more than one million spectators in Spain. "Los amantes del Circulo Polar" was also released worldwide. In 2001 his fourth movie, "Lucia y el sexo," became a huge hit and began the career of actress Paz Vega who won the Goya for best new actress. In 2003 the release of "La pelota vasca," a documentary that portrays the phenomenon of nationalism in the Basque Country of northern Spain, was very polemical.
Julio Medem is for sure the most important and original Spanish filmmaker.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
The most internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker since Luis Buñuel was born in a small town (Calzada de Calatrava) in the impoverished Spanish region of La Mancha. He arrived in Madrid in 1968, and survived by selling used items in the flea-market called El Rastro. Almodóvar couldn't study filmmaking because he didn't have the money to afford it. Besides, the filmmaking schools were closed in early 70s by Franco's government. Instead, he found a job in the Spanish phone company and saved his salary to buy a Super 8 camera. From 1972 to 1978, he devoted himself to make short films with the help of of his friends. The "premieres" of those early films were famous in the rapidly growing world of the Spanish counter-culture. In few years, Almodóvar became a star of "La Movida", the pop cultural movement of late 70s Madrid. His first feature film, Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom (1980), was made in 16 mm and blown-up to 35 mm for public release. In 1987, he and his brother Agustín Almodóvar established their own production company: El Deseo, S. A. The "Almodóvar phenomenon" has reached all over the world, making his films very popular in many countries.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
The father of cinematic Surrealism and one of the most original directors in the history of the film medium, Luis Buñuel was given a strict Jesuit education (which sowed the seeds of his obsession with both religion and subversive behavior), and subsequently moved to Madrid to study at the university there, where his close friends included Salvador Dalí and Federico García Lorca.
After moving to Paris, Buñuel did a variety of film-related odd jobs in Paris, including working as an assistant to director Jean Epstein. With financial assistance from his mother and creative assistance from Dalí, he made his first film, the 17-minute Un chien andalou (1929), in 1929, and immediately catapulted himself into film history thanks to its shocking imagery (much of which - like the sliced eyeball at the beginning - still packs a punch even today). It made a deep impression on the Surrealist Group, who welcomed Buñuel into their ranks.
The following year, sponsored by wealthy art patrons, he made his first feature, the scabrous witty and violent L'Age d'Or (1930), which mercilessly attacked the church and the middle classes, themes that would preoccupy Buñuel for the rest of his career. That career, though, seemed almost over by the mid-1930s, as he found work increasingly hard to come by and after the Spanish Civil War he emigrated to the US where he worked for the Museum of Modern Art and as a film dubber for Warner Bros.
Moving to Mexico in the late 1940s, he teamed up with producer Óscar Dancigers and after a couple of unmemorable efforts shot back to international attention with the lacerating study of Mexican street urchins in The Young and the Damned (1950), winning him the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival.
But despite this new-found acclaim, Buñuel spent much of the next decade working on a variety of ultra-low-budget films, few of which made much impact outside Spanish-speaking countries (though many of them are well worth seeking out). But in 1961, General Franco, anxious to be seen to be supporting Spanish culture invited Buñuel back to his native country - and Bunuel promptly bit the hand that fed him by making Viridiana (1961), which was banned in Spain on the grounds of blasphemy, though it won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
This inaugurated Buñuel's last great period when, in collaboration with producer Serge Silberman and writer Jean-Claude Carrière he made seven extraordinary late masterpieces, starting with Diary of a Chambermaid (1964). Although far glossier and more expensive, and often featuring major stars such as Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve, the films showed that even in old age Buñuel had lost none of his youthful vigour.
After saying that every one of his films from Belle de Jour (1967) onwards would be his last, he finally kept his promise with That Obscure Object of Desire (1977), after which he wrote a memorable (if factually dubious) autobiography, in which he said he'd be happy to burn all the prints of all his films- a classic Surrealist gesture if ever there was one.
- Writer
- Director
- Composer
Is the son of a Spanish mother and a Chilean father. His family moved back to Spain when he was 1 year old, and he grew up and studied in Madrid. He wrote, produced and directed his first short film La cabeza at the age of 19, and he was 23 when he directed his feature debut Thesis (1996). His film Open Your Eyes (1997) was a huge success in Spain and was distributed worldwide. It was remade in Hollywood by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky (2001), starring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz (also the star of the original version) and Cameron Diaz. The Others (2001) is Amenábar's first English language film.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Víctor Erice was born on 30 June 1940 in Karrantza, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Close Your Eyes (2023), El Sur (1983) and The Spirit of the Beehive (1973).- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Ladislao Vajda was born on 18 August 1906 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a director and writer, known for It Happened in Broad Daylight (1958), The Miracle of Marcelino (1955) and Mi tío Jacinto (1956). He died on 25 March 1965 in Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Pedro Costa was born on 30 December 1958 in Lisbon, Portugal. He is a director and writer, known for Horse Money (2014), Vitalina Varela (2019) and Colossal Youth (2006).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Born in Figueira da Foz, a cosmopolitan beach resort, moved to Lisbon at the age of 15. In 1963 studies cinema at London School of Technique and starts his first movie at 1965 only concluded five years later. "Silvestre" from Portuguese short stories was presented at Venice Film Festival, where he returns with "Souvenirs from the Yellow House - Recordações da Casa Amarela" and wins the Silver Lion. Again in Venice with "God's Comedy" and another prize (Il Gran Premio Speciale della Giuria da Mostra). Known as provocative, performs in all his film usually as the main character.- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Manoel de Oliveira was born on 11 December 1908 in Oporto, Portugal. He was a director and writer, known for The Cannibals (1988), I'm Going Home (2001) and Christopher Columbus, the Enigma (2007). He was married to Maria Isabel Brandão de Meneses de Almeida Carvalhais. He died on 2 April 2015 in Oporto, Portugal.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francisco Rovira Beleta was born on 25 September 1912 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Los Tarantos (1963), Los atracadores (1962) and Bewitched Love (1967). He died on 23 June 1999 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Berlanga commenced his studies in Valencia in1928, although in 1929 his family sent him and his brother Fernando (due to a lung disease) to the Beau-soleil hospital school in Switzerland. In 1930, he returned to the San José School in Valencia where he stayed until 1931, the year in which the Jesuits were expelled from Spain. In 1936, while he was studying at the Academia Cabanilles, the Spanish Civil War began, and he saw active service in the riflemen's 40th Division. After the war Franco's dictatorship imprisoned his father, then a member of the Spanish Parliament for the 'Frente Popular' (Popular Front). In an attempt to improve his father's situation in jail, he joined the División Azul (Blue Division) in 1941, and fought in Russia at the Novgorod front, returning to Spain in 1942.
Towards 1943 he began to take an interest in poetry and cinema, and started to write a screenplay entitled 'Cajón de perro', together with his first cinematographic reviews. In 1947 he entered the 'Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográficas' (IIEC) (Institute of Cinematographic Research and Experiences). During his second year at the institute, he filmed a short entitled 'Paseo por una guerra antigua', {which he finished with the help of Juan Antonio Bardem, Florentino Soria and Agustín Navarro}. In 1951, he directed (together with Bardem) the film Esa pareja feliz (1953), starring Fernando Fernán Gómez and Elvira Quintillá.
After being expelled from the Falange, Berlanga started to adopt an individualistic and libertarian position, far removed from politics and considered fairly permissive. However, his open and conciliatory nature kept him out of trouble during the post-war period. Sadly his father died six months after being released from prison.
Berlanga and Bardem continued to collaborate on Welcome Mr. Marshall! (1953); this film received an International Award and a Special Mention Award at the Cannes Festival. It was also shown at the Venice Festival, where the president of the Jury, Edward G. Robinson, expressed his indignation at what he interpreted as an anti-American film.
Berlanga's conceptual and political audacity, so evident in Welcome Mr. Marshall! (1953) continued in his other films during the 50s, which tended not to be very well received by the censor. In fact, his film Los jueves, milagro (1957), was modified by the censors and was delayed for several years before its eventual release.
In 1955 he participated in the 'Conversaciones de Salamanca' (Salamanca's Discussions) where the future of Spanish cinema was debated. In 1956 he filmed Calabuch (1956), and in 1958 began lecturing at the IIEC. His subsequent film Se vende un tranvía (1959) was his first professional liaison with Rafael Azcona. Their next joint venture was Placido (1961), which received an Oscar nomination in 1963. That same year, Berlanga made of his best films: The Executioner (1963); however, his cruel portrait of Spanish society didn't please the pro-Franco authorities, although the film was well-received at the Venice Festival. In 1973 he went to Paris to begin filming _Grandeur nature (1973)_, another polemic film, focussing this time on the fetishism of a man who falls in love with a doll.
Several years later, after Franco's death, he filmed a trilogy comprising La escopeta nacional (1978), Patrimonio nacional (1981) and Nacional III (1982), where he clarified the disorders evident in the Spanish upper middle-class upon being confronted with a new political status quo. Following the same theme he filmed La vaquilla (1985), set in the Spanish Civil War and also beset by difficulties with the censors.
The quality of his cinematography and independence of criteria was welcomed during the years following the end of the dictatorship. In 1978 he was made president of the 'Filmoteca Nacional' (National Archive), in 1980 he won the 'Premio Nacional de Cinematografía' (National Cinematography Award), in 1982 he received the 'Medalla de Oro a las Bellas Artes' (Gold Medal to Arts), in 1986 he won the 'Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Artes' (Príncipe de Asturias Arts' Award), in 1988 he was named member of the 'Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando' (San Fernando's Art's Real Academy), and in 1997 he was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title by the 'Universidad Politécnica de Valencia' (Valencia's Politechnical University). In addition he was made president of the 'Asociación de Titulados en Cinematografía' (Graduates in Cinematography's Association) and he was the first president of the Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (Spanish Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences).
In 1994, his film Todos a la cárcel (1993) won three Goya Awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Sound. In 2002, the 'Asociación de Directores de Cine' (Cinema Directors' Association) gave him an honorary award.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Juan Antonio Bardem was born on 2 June 1922 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Main Street (1956), Los inocentes (1963) and Vengeance (1958). He was married to María Aguado Barbado. He died on 30 October 2002 in Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Edgar Neville was born on 28 December 1899 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for El último caballo (1950), La vida en un hilo (1945) and The Crime of Bordadores Street (1946). He was married to Ángeles Rubio Argüelles y Alessandri. He died on 23 April 1967 in Madrid, Spain.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Spanish actor and director of cinema and theater. Son of the actress Carola Fernán Gómez. When he was three years old he comes back to Spain from Argentina. He has written comedies, novels and poem books. He plays a wide repertoire of roles from comedy to drama.- Director
- Writer
- Actress
Born to a military family. Attends law studies before starting a newspaper career. In 1960 starts on TV. Joins the Socialist Party in 1976 and conducts the electoral campaign in 1982 and in the same year she is designated General Director of Cinema. Resigning in 1985, the next year she joins the State Television (RTE). The last work was the coverage of the Royal Wedding of Infanta Cristina in Barcelona (October 1997 ).- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Director and screenwriter Jaime Chávarri, who modestly defines himself as a "passionate craftsman", was a professional lawyer who enjoyed experimenting with his Super 8 camera. Then one day he realized he had to follow a new professional path, and entered the Escuela Oficial de Cine in Madrid. His first film, Los viajes escolares (1976), dealt with some interesting family issues and included a most personal touch, but it was misunderstood by the critics. Later he worked with producer Elías Querejeta and carried out one of his most memorable works, El desencanto (1976), about the Paneros family, and then with Alfredo Matas he shot the period movie Bearn o la sala de las muñecas (1983), adapted from the novel by Llorenç Vilallonga. Subsequently he managed to adapt Bicycles Are for the Summer (1984) from the theatre play by Fernando Fernán Gómez. With this last film he achieved great success in the box office. Over a three-decade career, this versatile filmmaker has captured many genres, including the musical: The Things of Love (1989) and its sequel The Things of Love: Part 2 (1995).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Jaime de Armiñán was born on 9 March 1927 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for My Dearest Senorita (1972), The Nest (1980) and El amor del capitán Brando (1974). He was married to Elena Santonja. He died on 9 April 2024 in Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Gonzalo Suárez was born on 30 July 1934 in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Rowing with the Wind (1988), El extraño caso del doctor Fausto (1969) and El detective y la muerte (1994).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
José Luis Sáenz de Heredia was born on 10 April 1911 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Faustina (1957), Don Juan (1950) and Historias de la radio (1955). He was married to María Ascensión Casado Iturbide. He died on 4 November 1992 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Ricardo Franco was born on 24 May 1949 in Madrid, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Lucky Star (1997), Berlín Blues (1988) and Lágrimas negras (1998). He died on 20 May 1998 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Camus started studying Law, but soon left his studies to enter the IIEC (now EOC) in 1956, where he got a director's diploma in 1963 with the training film El borracho (1962) and, finally, ended up as a professor. He worked with Carlos Saura in several screenplays during the early 60s (The Delinquents (1960), Llanto por un bandido (1964)), and also directed some shorts. His first feature films were Los farsantes (1963) and Young Sánchez (1964), a film about boxing -one of his passions- which won the Best Film Award at the Buenos Aires Film Festival in 1964. This way he started a three decade filmography full of great works, varying from romantic comedies and musicals to splendid adaptations from famous novels, as is the case of the prestigious TV series Fortunata y Jacinta (1980) or the film La colmena (1982), which won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1983 he was given the 'Medalla de Oro de las Bellas Artes' (Arts Gold Medal), and one year later he prepared his most successful work both with public and critic: The Holy Innocents (1984), an adaptation from the novel by Miguel Delibes. This film won the Best Actor Award for Francisco Rabal and Alfredo Landa (ex- aequo) at the Cannes Film Festival. It also won the 'Premio Nacional de Cinematografía' (National Cinematography Award) in 1985 and the 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts des Lettres' Award in 1986.
Camus's filmography combines films made with others with a more personal style, where he tells stories closer to him that let him go through less worn themes. That is the case of Con el viento solano (1966), Los pájaros de Baden-Baden (1975) or The Days of the Past (1977).
In the 90s he continued working with great actors and telling dramatic stories made up from complex characters living rebel or broken lives, or entering other genres like noir. Examples of this stage are La rusa (1987), Después del sueño (1992), Sombras en una batalla (1993) and Adosados (1996), a film which won the International Critic Award.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Born on January 20th of 1944 in Madrid, Spain, José Luis Garci is without a doubt one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film in Spain and perhaps the best known writer in the country. He has left a distinguished talent in his successful movies throughout the years: La Cabina (1972), Las Verdes Praderas (1979), El Crack (1981), Volver a empezar (1982), Canción de cuna (1994), La Herida luminosa (1997), El Abuelo (1998), Tiovivo c. 1950 (2004) and Ninette (2005) among others. Nowadays José Luis Garci lives a quiet life along with his wife, his daughter and friends somewhere in Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Fernando León de Aranoa was born on 26 May 1968 in Madrid, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for A Perfect Day (2015), The Good Boss (2021) and Mondays in the Sun (2002).- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Trueba studied Imagen at the Facultad de Ciencias de la Información, was cinema critic for the newspaper 'El País' and for 'La Guía del Ocio' and also founded the journal "Casablanca". At the movies his first success was Opera Prima (1980) following the style of the "comedia madrileña". He had major success with Sé infiel y no mires con quién (1985) starting a longer colaboration with the producer Andrés Vicente Gómez.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Agustí Villaronga was born on 4 March 1953 in Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Moon Child (1989), Black Bread (2010) and The Belly of the Sea (2021). He died on 22 January 2023 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Editor
José Luis Guerín was born in 1960 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Tren de sombras (1997), The Academy of Muses (2015) and En construcción (2001).- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Bigas Luna was born on 19 March 1946 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Jamón, Jamón (1992), Caniche (1979) and Anguish (1987). He was married to Celia Orós. He died on 6 April 2013 in La Riera de Gaià, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José Antonio Nieves Conde was born on 22 December 1915 in Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Todos somos necesarios (1956), Surcos (1951) and El diablo también llora (1963). He was married to María Luisa Mascuñán. He died on 14 September 2006 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Isabel Coixet was born on 9 April 1960 in Sant Adrià de Besòs, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She is a director and writer, known for My Life Without Me (2003), The Secret Life of Words (2005) and The Bookshop (2017).- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rafael Gil was born on 22 May 1913 in Madrid, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Teatro Apolo (1950), La calle sin sol (1948) and I Was a Parish Priest (1953). He died on 10 July 1986 in Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Alberto Rodríguez was born on 11 May 1971 in Seville, Seville, Andalucía, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Marshland (2014), Unit 7 (2012) and Prison 77 (2022).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
José Luis Cuerda was born on 18 February 1947 in Albacete, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Los girasoles ciegos (2008), Butterfly (1999) and The Others (2001). He died on 4 February 2020 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Montxo Armendáriz was born on 27 January 1949 in Olleta, Navarra, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Broken Silence (2001), Secrets of the Heart (1997) and Stories from the Kronen (1995).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
David Trueba was born on 10 September 1969 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for The Good Life (1996), Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed (2013) and Soldiers of Salamina (2003).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
José María Forqué was born on 8 March 1923 in Zaragoza, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Amanecer en Puerta Oscura (1957), 091 Policía al habla (1960) and De espaldas a la puerta (1959). He was married to Carmen Vázquez Vigo. He died on 17 March 1995 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Imanol Uribe was born on 28 February 1950 in San Salvador, El Salvador. He is a director and writer, known for Numbered Days (1994), Miel de naranjas (2012) and Bwana (1996).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Daniel Monzón was born in 1968 in Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Cell 211 (2009), El corazón del guerrero (1999) and El nino (2014).- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Juan Antonio García Bayona is a Spanish film director. He directed the 2007 horror film The Orphanage, the 2012 drama film The Impossible, and the 2016 fantasy drama film A Monster Calls. Bayona's latest film is the 2018 science fiction adventure film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the fifth installment of the Jurassic Park film series. He has also directed television commercials and music videos. He will direct the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Miguel Picazo was born on 27 March 1927 in Cazorla, Jaén, Andalucía, Spain. He was a director and actor, known for Aunt Tula (1964), Oscuros sueños de agosto (1968) and Beyond the Walls (1985). He died on 23 April 2016 in Guarromán, Jaén, Andalucía, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón was born on 2 January 1942 in Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Demonios en el jardín (1982), Maravillas (1981) and Habla, mudita (1973).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Jaime Rosales is not the run-of-the-mill kind of filmmaker. Always trying to find new ways of expressing his art and his technique, he may disconcert those who, having seen one of his films, think he can be classified in one category or another. Unfortunately for them, but luckily for those who are in search of authentic artists, Jaime Rosales is outright unclassifiable. One of his films can be in black in white, the next one will be in color. In one of his works the dialogue will be almost inaudible whereas in the following one it will be as clear and significant as can be. At times he will favor fixed shots while at others tracking shots (including circular ones) will be the norm. In some sequences the time will be stretched, in some others contracted. So, do not try to label Jaime Rosales, you are bound to fail. Simply because the man loves experimentation and whether one likes his body of work or not, it cannot be denied that he is is a sincere, demanding artist constantly renewing himself.
Born in Barcelona in 1970, the future darling of film festivals paradoxically began by studying economics. But more passionate about the seventh art, he changed course and joined two different film schools, EICTV in Cuba first and then AFTRSBE in Sydney, Australia. He soon found himself directing, three shorts for starters, which would be followed by eight features, all selected and awarded in film festivals, one of which, 'La Soledad' , even proving a surprise public success.
If, as I said, Rosales never makes the same film twice, he does have one recurring theme, Plus a sub-theme, the harmful effects of violence on the (seemingly) well ordered everyday life of people, generally described beforehand, minutely and... slowly. Which is best exemplified by his first effort, 'Las horas del dia' (2003), with its belated revelation that the main protagonist, whose ordinary daily life has been described in detail, is... a serial killer. Violence will later upset the characters of all of his films, that inherent in solitude and cancer in 'La soledad' (2007), the ruthlessness of an ETA commando in 'Tiro en la cabeza' (2008), the loss of a child' in 'Sueño y silencio' (2014). It is the brutality of society against young people that induces the couple of 'Hermosa Juventud' (2014) to try and make a porn movie and the cruelty of a narcissistic pervert that causes the personal tragedies of 'Petra' (2018).
Not for all tastes, Jaime Rosales' ambitious work nevertheless honors not only Spanish cinema but the world cinema as well.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Martín Patino studied philosophy and arts but also attended the School of Cinema. He debuted at the movies with "Nueve cartas a Berta" (1967), one of the most important films of the New Spanish Cinema (nuevo cine español). The film "Canciones para después de una Guerra" (1971) which reconstructs Spain from 1939 until 1953 by the means of graphical and musical documents was forbidden by the censorship until the death of Franco.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Born in Zaragoza (Spain). 1949. He began to study law in Zaragoza. 1952. He began to publish articles about cinema in the newspaper "El Heraldo de Aragon". April 1954-January 1956. Critic of cinema in the same newspaper. 1957. Enters the spanish Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematograficas in Madrid (Official Cinema School) where he later become a teacher. 1964. Direction classes in the Cathedra of Cinema in the University of Valladolid. 1967. He funded his own production company, El Iman.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Jaime Camino was born on 11 June 1936 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Las largas vacaciones del 36 (1976), Los niños de Rusia (2001) and The Old Memory (1978). He died on 4 December 2015 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Vicente Aranda was born on 9 November 1926 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Lovers: A True Story (1991), El Lute: Run for Your Life (1987) and The Maidens' Conspiracy (2006). He was married to Teresa Font. He died on 26 May 2015 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Gracia Querejeta was born on 13 August 1962 in Madrid, Spain. She is a director and writer, known for Siete mesas de billar francés (2007), 15 Years and One Day (2013) and Cuando vuelvas a mi lado (1999).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Spanish director Florian Rey began his career in the film industry in the 1920s as an actor, but he soon switched careers and directed his first film in 1924. His 1927 film La hermana San Sulpicio (1927) starred Spanish actress Imperio Argentina, whom he later married. His best-known film is La aldea maldita (1930), considered by many film historians to be a masterpiece of early Spanish cinema. His career as a writer and director lasted for more than 30 years, and he directed his last film in 1957. He died in Valenciana, Spain, in 1962.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Juanma Bajo Ulloa was born in Vitoria, a small town in northern Spain where he has set most of his movies.
From his childhood he has been in contact with the audiovisual business. His family owns a popular magazine in Vitoria specialized in photography.
At 14 he started making short movies in super-8 with his younger brother Eduardo. With titles like "Cruza la puerta" (1984), "El ultimo payaso" (1985), "A kien pueda interesar" (1986) or "100 aviones de papel" (1987) he won a huge number of awards in many festivals. Some producers of the spanish TV saw those movies and offered him to produce his next short movie called "Akixo" and shot in 16 mm.
In 1989 he shot his first short movie in 35 mm, "El reino de Victor" that won the Goya of the Spanish academy to the best short movie.
In 1991, after two years of writing, he produced and directed his first long movie "Alas de mariposa". Released in the Festival de Cine de San Sebastian it won the first prize. Later came 3 Goyas of the spanish academy (best first movie, actress and original screenplay). That movie caught the attention of the Spanish media and audience because of its shocking visual style and the crude description of a drama inside a problematic family.
In 1993, he directed his second movie, considered his best by many of his fans, "La madre muerta". It won awards in many international festivals like Venice and Montreal.
After the release of "La madre muerta" he started directing music videos for many popular spanish singers and groups like Joaquínn Sabina, Barricada or Golpes Bajos.
In 1996, his third movie, "Airbag", an action road-movie, became the biggest Spanish box-office hit of all time. However it disappointed some of his longtime fans who preferred the darkness of his first movies.
However this success, he has been unable to make any other movie in the last 8 years. He tried to adapt the spanish comic heroe "Capitán Trueno" but the producers turned him down. Others projects couldn't be financed due to creative differences with producers. In all those years he has make a living working in music videos and commercials.
In 2004 he shot in secret, and with his own money, his fourth movie, "Fragil", that will be released in 2005.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Born in Madrid, Iciar Bollain has worked as an actress in films such El Sur (1983), directed by Víctor Erice; Sublet (1991) directed by Chus Gutiérrez, Malaventura (1988) directed by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón; El Mejor de los Tiempos (1990) and Un Paraguas para Tres (1992) directed by Felipe Vega, Tierra y Libertad (1995) directed by Ken Loach, LEO (2000) directed by Jose Luis Borau, Nos Miran (2002) directed by Norberto Pérez, La Balsa de Piedra (2003) directed by Geogre Sluiezer and La Noche del Hermano (2005) directed by Santiago García de Leániz. As a director, Icíar has written and directed many renowned films. Flowers from Another World, her second film, was awarded at Cannes Film Festival in 1999 (Best Film in the International Critics' Week). Take my eyes (2003), her following film as writer and director, won 7 Goyas (Spanish Academy Awards), including Best Film, among many other international awards. She directed a script by Paul Laverty in 2009, Even the Rain. The film obtained national and international recognition: 13 nominations to the Goya Awards, Panorama Award at the Berlinale, Ariel Award to best Latin-American film and it was in the short list of the foreign films selected for the Academy Awards in 2010 representing Spain. In 2011 she directed and co-wrote Katmandú, un Espejo en el Cielo. The film was nominated to the Goya Awads in the categories of Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2014 it was released En Tierra Extraña, a documentary that Iciar directed about the life of young Spanish immigrants in Edinburgh, Scotland, who had to leave Spain due to recession and unemployment Iciar Bollain is currently in pre-production of his next film, The Olive Tree, a new collaboration with the writer Paul Laverty and Morena Films. The film will start principal photography in May 2015.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Iván Zulueta was born on 29 September 1943 in Donostia-San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Arrebato (1979), Un, dos, tres... al escondite inglés (1970) and A MAL GAM A (1976). He died on 30 December 2009 in Donostia-San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Jaume Balagueró was born on 2 November 1968 in Lleida, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for REC (2007), Sleep Tight (2011) and The Nameless (1999).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Javier Fesser was born in 1964 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Camino (2008), Champions (2018) and Bienvenidos (2015).- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1950, his childhood was marked by the republicanism of his family opposed to dictator Francisco Franco, winner of the Spanish civil war. He spent his childhood in schools run by republican teachers where he received a liberal education. In the seventies he got a degree in history and worked for years as a literary critic. Interested by cinema he wrote some screenplays. Some of then were adapted in the mid-eighties. Those films were thrillers involving strong female characters. For "Baton Rouge" and "A solas contigo" both starred by spanish actress Victoria Abril he was nominated for best original screenplay by the Spanish Academy.
In 1990 he was assistant to director Pedro Almodovar in the shooting of "Atame" played by Spanish stars Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril.
Thanks to his reputation as screenwriter and the support of Victoria Abril he was able to set up his first film as director: "Nadie hablara de nosotras cuando hayamos muerto". It became the greatest hit of spanish cinema at its release in 1995. In the Festival de San Sebastian that movie won several awards (including best actress). "Nadie hablara de nosotras cuando hayamos muerto" also won 8 awards from the Spanish academy (including best film, best new director, and best actress). Inspired by filmmakers like Martin Scorsese or Paul Schrader, "Nadie hablará de nosotras ..." stunned audiences and critics by its violence and by the dark story of redemption of Gloria Duque, the main character of the movie.
In spite of the success of his first movie, Diaz Yanes spent a few years trying to make a new picture, titled "Madrid Sur", a science-fiction movie set up in the capital of Spain, but was unable to make it due to financial problems.
In 2001, he was able to feature together the two most international spanish actresses in his second movie "Sin noticias de Dios" a fantastic comedy that received 11 nominations for the Spanish Academy awards (including best picture and director) but disappointed many of the fans of his first movie.
In March 2006, he will started the shooting of his third movie "Capitán Alatriste", an adaptation of Arturo Perez Reverte's best-seller. Starred by LOTR's star Viggo Mortensen it tells the story of Alatriste a pessimistic Spanish soldier that will have to survive in the dangerous and decadent Spain of the XVIIth century.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Fernando Colomo was born on 2 February 1946 in Madrid, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Isla Bonita (2015), Tigres de papel (1977) and Alegre ma non troppo (1994).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Of aristocratic origin, while attending college, and theatergoers will soon begin to combine classroom with on stage performances. Adding to the Society of Emilio Thuiller, debuting on camera in 1924 with "The House of Troy, and forming his own company shortly thereafter. Although Juan de Orduña is best known for his work in director, not be neglected juvenile stage actor. With director Florian Rey formed the production company "Goya Films."- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Francisco Regueiro was born in 1934 in Valladolid, Castilla y León, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Padre nuestro (1985), Madregilda (1993) and El buen amor (1963).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Born in 1966, Achero Mañas first followed in the steps of his mother, actress Paloma Lorena (who played in two of his films), but he soon turned from thespian to film director. He made three shorts before meeting with success - both public and critical - with Pellet (2000), the sensitive portrait of a pair of big city kids, reminiscent of François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959). His second feature Noviembre (2003) also garnered least five awards but he was less successful with Blackwhite (2004). After five years in the wilderness, Mañas is making a come back with Todo lo que tú quieras (2010).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Jorge Grau was born on 27 October 1930 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Noche de verano (1963), El espontáneo (1964) and Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974). He died on 26 December 2018 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Nacho Vigalondo was born in 1977 in Cabezón de la Sal, Cantabria, Spain. He is a writer and actor, known for Timecrimes (2007), Colossal (2016) and Extraterrestrial (2011).- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José Luis García Sánchez was born on 22 September 1941 in Salamanca, Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Belle Epoque (1992), Tramway to Malvarrosa (1996) and La corte de Faraón (1985).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Enrique Urbizu was born in 1962 in Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for La caja 507 (2002), No Rest for the Wicked (2011) and La vida mancha (2003).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Mariano Barroso was born on 26 December 1959 in San Just Desvern, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Todas las mujeres (2013), Mi hermano del alma (1994) and Los lobos de Washington (1999).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Emilio Martínez Lázaro was born in 1945 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Spanish Affair (2014), The Other Side of the Bed (2002) and Lulú de noche (1986). He was previously married to Sol Alameda.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Pedro Olea was born on 30 June 1938 in Bilbao, Basque Provinces, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for The Fencing Master (1992), The Ancines Woods (1970) and Akelarre (1984).- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Manuel Huerga was born on 20 October 1957 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and editor, known for Salvador (Puig Antich) (2006), Les variacions Gould (1992) and Antarctica (1995).- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Manuel Gómez Pereira was born on 8 December 1958 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Between Your Legs (1999), All Men Are the Same (1994) and El amor perjudica seriamente la salud (1996).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Madrid, Santiago Segura started his career by making his first short movie at the age of fourteen. After studying Arts in Madrid, he finally decided to become a filmmaker. His first short film Relatos de la medianoche (1989) was made with a budget of only 7.000 pts. (about 60 dollars).
After that, he appeared as a contestant in several Spanish TV quiz shows, such as Locos por la tele (1990) and No te rías, que es peor (1990). With the money he made of those appareances, he directed Evilio. (1992) and shortly after, Perturbado (1993), winning a Goya for the best short film in 1994. His last short film is the sequel Evilio vuelve (El purificador) (1995).
He's a very good friend of the Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia and he has appeared in all of his films. In 1998, he directed his firt feature film, the smashing hit Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law (1998).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Gonzalo Herralde was born on 22 October 1949 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for El asesino de Pedralbes (1978), La febre d'Or (1993) and La muerte del escorpión (1976).- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Pablo Berger was born in 1963 in Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Snow White (2012), Torremolinos 73 (2003) and Robot Dreams (2023). He is married to Yuko Harami. They have one child.- Writer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Felipe Vega was born in 1952 in León, Castilla y León, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for El mejor de los tiempos (1989), Summer Clouds (2004) and El techo del mundo (1995).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Benito Perojo was born on 14 June 1894 in Madrid, Spain. He was a producer and director, known for Goyescas (1942), Marianela (1940) and A Prisoner Has Escaped (1934). He died on 11 November 1974 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Josefina Molina was born on 14 November 1936 in Córdoba, Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain. She is a director and writer, known for Esquilache (1989), The Most Natural Thing (1991) and Entre naranjos (1998).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Born in the South of Spain, Benito Zambrano first studied drama for three years with a view to becoming a theater director. He then worked for the Spanish television as a photographer and a camera operator. After a while, he felt the urge to turn to movie-making. This was the early 1990s and, as there was no film school in Spain yet, he was awarded a fellowship to study at the San Antonio de Los Banõs, in Havana, Cuba. That event changed his life. He who, by his own admission, did not know anything about film making, spent two wonderful years there and not only did he learn the ropes of his trade but inspiration visited him as well, allowing him to write three scripts and direct a short The Charm of the Full Moon (1995). Back in Spain, Zambrano had difficulty in finding a producer for his first feature film, but after two long years, he was finally backed by 'Antonio P. Perez', who did not shy away at such 'unbusinesslike' material as _Solas(1999)_. A bold but nice move since this sensitive story of a woman at bay proved a hit in Spain as well as a favorite of the festival circuit and of film critics. Since then the gifted but uncompromising director has made - besides a TV series - only two films, both of which full of humanity: Habana Blues (2005), the portrait of two Cuban musicians, and The Sleeping Voice (2011), a war drama.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Spanish director, author of great success TV series and several award-winning films. His father, a staff chief in a local tyre factory, was shot by the anarchists in the Spanish Civil War when he was only 6 months old. His mother wanted him to study Law, and that's what he did. He starting studying at the University of Valladolid, but that wasn't his real vocation, which was, as he himself says, 'to tell stories'. Every summer he used to go back to Lasarte, his home village, and make festivals, sketches and parodies. Once he finished his Law studies, in 1959, he decided to enter the Escuela Oficial de Cinematografía, where he made four short films: 'La oveja negra', 'Pis', 'La muerta' and Trotín Troteras (1962). In 1962, after finishing his cinematographic studies, he directed his first work as a professional, _Lección de arte (1961)_, and it won the Golden Seashell at the Festival of San Sebastián. His first attempt to make a feature film ('Está lloviendo y te quiero', about his childhood at the Basque Country which also touched on the Basque problems) failed due to the refusal of the Basque producers, and so he continued directing short films: 'La balada de los cuatro jinetes', 'Universidad de Navarra', 'Un pueblo en apuros', 'Adiós al Price'.
In 1970 he started working for TV. He directed several documentaries and some chapters for the series Crónicas de un pueblo (1971) (a great success in Spain despite its deep ideological content, risky for the period it was made in) and, La cabina (1972), which won 10 national and international awards, including the Emmy Award in 1973. Then he made Los pajaritos (1974), Don Juan (1974) (which won an award at the Festival of Montreux), La Gioconda está triste (1977), the series Este señor de negro (1975), La noche del licenciado (1979), and his two biggest successes: Verano azul (1981) (which became a social phenomenon) and Farmacia de guardia (1991).
His film La hora de los valientes (1998) was defined by himself as a 'realistic tragicomedy, a romantic history, a historic fresco and a sociopolitical fable'. His last works in cinema were Planta 4ª (2003), a film about children with cancer treated with a touch of humor, and ¿Y tú quién eres? (2007), a drama about a grandfather with Alzheimer.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Ventura Pons was born on 25 July 1945 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a director and producer, known for Anita no perd el tren (2001), To Die (or Not) (2000) and What's It All About (1995). He died on 8 January 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Manuel Summers was born on 26 March 1935 in Seville, Seville, Andalucía, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Del rosa al amarillo (1963), Juguetes rotos (1966) and La niña de luto (1964). He was married to Consuelo Rodriguez Marquez. He died on 12 June 1993 in Seville, Seville, Andalucía, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
He was only six years old when he started composing music under the protection of his brother Enrique. After the Spanish Civil War he was able to continue his studies at the Real Conservatorio de Madrid, where he finished piano and harmony. Being a Bachelor of Law and an easy-read novel writer (under the pseudonym David Khume), he signed on to enter the Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográicas (IIEC), where he stayed for only two years, while he worked simultaneously as a director and theater actor. Later he went to Paris to study directing techniques at the I.D.H.E.C. (University of Sorbonne), where he used to go into seclusion for hours to watch films at the film archive. Back in Spain he began rted his huge cinematographic work as a composer, with Cómicos (1954) and El hombre que viajaba despacito (1957), and later worked as an assistant director to Juan Antonio Bardem, León Klimovsky, Luis Saslavsky, Julio Bracho, Fernando Soler and Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent, among others. He also worked at Ágata Films S.A. as production manager and writer. His first works as a director were industrial and cultural short films. However, he soon applied all his knowledge and experience to his feature directorial debut, Tenemos 18 años (1959). From that moment on all his work was supported by co-production. His Succubus (1968) was nominated for the Festival of Berlin, and this event gave him an international reputation. His career got more and more consolidated in the following years, and his endless creativity enabled him to tackle films in all genres, from "B" horror films to pure hardcore sex films. His productions have always been low-budget, but he nevertheless managed to work extraordinarily quickly, often releasing several titles at the same time, using the same shots in more than one film. Some of his actors relate how they they were hired for one film and later saw their name in two or more different ones. As the Spanish cinema evolved, Jesús managed to adapt to the new circumstances and always maintained a constant activity, activity that gave a place in his films to a whole filming crew. Apart from his own production company, Manacoa Films, he also worked for companies like Auster Films S.L. (Paul Auster), Cinematográfica Fénix Films (Arturo Marcos), the French Comptoir Français du Film (Robert de Nesle), Eurociné (Daniel Lesoeur and Marius Lesoeur), Elite Films Productions (Erwin C. Dietrich), Spain's Fervi Films (Fernando Vidal Campos) or Golden Films Internacional S.A. He acted in almost all of his films, playing musicians, lawyers, porters and others, all of them sinister, manic and comic characters. Among the aliases he used--apart from Jesús Franco, Jess Franco or Franco Manera--were Jess Frank, Robert Zimmerman, Frank Hollman, Clifford Brown, David Khune, Frarik Hollman, Toni Falt, James P. Johnson, Charlie Christian, David Tough, Cady Coster, Lennie Hayden, Lulú Laverne and Betty Carter. Lina Romay has been almost a constant in his films, and it's very probable that in some of them she has been credited as the director instead of him. In many of the more than 180 films he's directed he has also worked as composer, writer, cinematographer and editor. His influence has been notable all over Europe (he even contacted producer Roger Corman in the US). From his huge body of work we can deduce that Jesús Franco is one of the most restless directors of Spanish cinema. Many of his films have had problems in getting released, and others have been made directly for video. His work is often a do-it-yourself effort. More than once his staunchest supporters have found his "new" films to contain much footage from one or more of his older ones. Jesús Franco is a survivor in a time when most of his colleagues tried to please the government censors. He broke with all that and got the independence he was seeking. He always went upstream in an ephemeral industry that fed opportunists and curbed the activity of many professionals. Jess Franco died in Malaga, Spain, on April 2, 2013, of a stroke.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Spanish movies director. He studied cinema in Paris at the IDHEC. He began working in cinema in 1966, though he became famous in the years of the spanish transition to the democracy with provoking films. Drugs, delinquence, terrorism and generational problems are the common subjects in his films.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was born on 5 December 1967 in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. He is a producer and director, known for 28 Weeks Later (2007), Intacto (2001) and Linked (1996).- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
During the 1940s, Antonio Román was Spain's most celebrated filmmaker and went on to become one of the managers of the Cooperativa Cinematográfica Castilla. Originally planning to be a pharmacist, he instead turned to film criticism, writing for some of Spain's most distinguished journals. By 1934, he had also begun directing, starting with a few short documentaries. His first full length film, 1941's "Escuadrilla" (Squadron), was made in collaboration with Sáenz De Heredia. Other features directed by Román include 1944's "Lola Montes" and 1947's "La Fuentovejuna". Román went on writing reviews and directing films throughout the '60s and into the 70s, although his output slowed. In 1970, he was fired from the set of "Ringo Del Nebraska", after having filmed less than 10%, because the producer did not like his slow and meticulous pace. He was replaced by Mario Bava, his friend and protégé. Out of respect for Román, Bava refused to accept credit on the film.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Azucena Rodríguez was born in 1955 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. She is a director and writer, known for Entre rojas (1995), Atlas of Human Geography (2007) and Cuéntame cómo pasó (2001).- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi was born on 22 March 1927 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and producer, known for That Man in Istanbul (1965), They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968) and Summertime Killer (1972). He died on 27 September 2017 in Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain.- Production Designer
- Costume Designer
- Director
Gerardo Vera was born on 10 March 1947 in Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain. He was a production designer and costume designer, known for Second Skin (1999), Una mujer bajo la lluvia (1992) and La Celestina (1996). He died on 20 September 2020 in Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Pere Portabella was born on 11 February 1927 in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for The Silence Before Bach (2007), Warsaw Bridge (1990) and No compteu amb els dits (1967).- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Rodrigo Cortés was born in 1973 in Pazos Hermos, Ourense, Galicia, Spain. He is a director and editor, known for Buried (2010), Love Gets a Room (2021) and Red Lights (2012).- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Visual Effects
Alejandro Ulloa was born on 14 September 1926 in Madrid, Spain. He was a cinematographer, known for El príncipe encadenado (1960), Horror Express (1972) and The Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983). He died on 27 April 2004 in Barcelona, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Antonio Drove was born on 1 November 1942 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for ¿Qué se puede hacer con una chica? (1970), Tocata y fuga de Lolita (1974) and La verdad sobre el caso Savolta (1980). He died on 24 September 2005 in Paris, France.- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francesc Betriu was born on 18 January 1940 in Organyà, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Corazón solitario (1973), Sinatra (1988) and Bolero de amor (1970). He died on 7 October 2020 in Spain.- Producer
- Director
Jaume Collet-Serra was born on March 23, 1974 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. At the age of 18, he moved to Los Angeles and attended Columbia College Hollywood, working as an editor on the side. Upon graduation, he began shooting music videos and caught the eye of several production companies. From there he began directed various commercials for companies such as Playstation, Budweiser, Mastercard and Verizon. Since then, he has directed and produced movies such as The Shallows (2016), Orphan (2009) and Unknown (2011).- Director
- Writer
Manuel Iborra was born in 1952 in Alicante, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for La dama boba (2006), El baile del pato (1989) and Pepe Guindo (1999).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Luis Guridi is known for Justino (1994), La isla de los nominados (2010) and Matías, juez de línea (1996).- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
- Casting Director
Miguel Albaladejo was born on 20 August 1966 in Pilar de la Horadada, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain. He is an assistant director and director, known for The First Night of My Life (1998), Cachorro (2004) and El cielo abierto (2001).- Director
- Writer
- Art Department
Santiago Tabernero was born in 1961 in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Vida y color (2005), Presentimientos (2013) and El blog de Cayetana (2007).- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Menkes was born in 1963 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Atómica (1998), Sex, Party & Lies (2009) and I Will Survive (1999).- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Antonio Giménez Rico was born on 20 November 1938 in Burgos, Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for El disputado voto del Sr. Cayo (1986), Tres palabras (1993) and Jarrapellejos (1988). He died on 12 February 2021 in Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Vicente Escrivá was born on 1 June 1913 in Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Girl from La Mancha (1962), El hombre de la isla (1960) and El ángel (1969). He was married to Teresa Almirón. He died on 18 April 1999 in Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Julio Coll was born on 7 April 1919 in Campodrón, Girona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Fifth District (1958), Tarde de toros (1956) and Ensayo general para la muerte (1963). He died on 17 January 1993 in Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Pedro Masó was born on 26 January 1927 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Una chica y un señor (1974), Vacaciones para Ivette (1964) and La gran familia (1962). He died on 23 September 2008 in Madrid, Spain.