Andrés Wood Montt (born 14 September 1965) is a Chilean film director, producer and writer. Some of his most popular films include ''
Machuca'', ''
Violeta se fue a los cielos'', and ''Historias de Futbol''. He created his own production company known as Wood Producciones in 1993.
Early life and education
Born in
Santiago, Chile
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital (political), capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated Regions of Chile, region, t ...
, Wood is Chilean of Irish and Scottish descent. He grew up in a middle-class home and credits much of his artistic influence to his childhood in Chile based on the political climate of the country, specifically with the Pinochet dictatorship. Wood's father worked as an architect while his mother taught kindergarten. Both of his parents were
conservative and favored an end to the Allende government. However, Wood had the opportunity to study at elite but progressive institutions throughout his life.
Andres Wood attended
Saint George's College. He graduated as an
economist
An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics.
The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
from the
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (''PUC or UC Chile'') ( es, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two pontifical universities i ...
in 1988. In 1991 he attended
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
, majoring in
film production
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...
.
Career
While most of his work is focused on film, Andres Wood is also responsible for producing the most popular television series in Chile called "Los 80" (Wood Producciones). In addition, Andres Wood's most recent project involves directing a miniseries based on human rights lawyer
Carmen Hertz
Carmen Hertz Cádiz (born 19 June 1945) is a Chilean Communist Party politician and lawyer who participated in various institutions for the protection of human rights that arose as a result of the systematic violations committed during the dicta ...
, titled ''Ecos Del Desierto''. The film is a part of the special programming marking the 40th anniversary of the military takeover in Chile during the 1970s. "Ecos del Desierto" is the most expensive project in Chile costing $200 thousand per episode.
Cinema production in Chile is still dependent on production companies overseas. Many of Wood's projects are productions with international entities. His primary concern is preserving the authenticity of the films. Wood is part of the post-dictatorship generation whose filmmakers are concerned with highlighting the impact that the
Pinochet dictatorship
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...
between 1973 and 1989 had on Chilean society and how society can "work through" the trauma by reliving it on the screen.
Influence
Wood has always been a film lover and fell in love with the process of filmmaking. Wood describes his artistic process as the following: "First I get in love with the characters, then with small anecdotes and at the end something like the context. I do believe that film has to be very personal." Moreover, Wood believes that cinema can help to create discussion and with that, changes in society.
''
Machuca'', Andres Wood's most successful film by high box office sales and international recognition, takes place during the 1970s and is based on his own experiences at
Saint George's College. The film exemplifies the Pinochet dictatorship's influence on his films. When asked about the recurring political theme dealing with the Pinochet dictatorship in his projects, Andres Wood explained:
Andres Wood's Machuca was named one of the Top 20 Latin American films and as a result, some believe this places him as one of the greatest Latin American directors of his generation.
Filmography as director
* ''Historia del fútbol'' (1997)
* ''El Desquite'' (1999)
* ''Nuestro Siglo'' (1999)
* ''
La Fiebre del Loco
''La Fiebre del Loco'' (The '' Abalone'' Fever in Spanish) is a 2001 Chilean comedy film directed by Andres Wood. The film's tagline was "''Amor y avaricia en un mundo de buzos y moluscos''" (Spanish for: Love and greed in a world of scuba and m ...
'' (2001)
* ''
Machuca'' (2004)
* ''
The Good Life'' (2008)
* ''
Violeta Went to Heaven
''Violeta Went to Heaven'' ( es, Violeta se fue a los cielos) is a 2011 Chilean biopic about singer and folklorist Violeta Parra, directed by Andrés Wood. The film is based on a biography by Ángel Parra, Violeta's son with Luis Cereceda Aren ...
'' (2011)
* ''
Spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
'' (2019)
Awards and nominations
The following is a comprehensive list of all the awards and nominations for Andres Wood's projects:
Altazor Awards
The Altazor Award of the National Arts or simply Altazor, is a Chilean award which is awarded annually. The winners are chosen by the own creators and performers of the arts. They were established in 1958, but were not awarded until 1999. The a ...
:
* 2000: Best Director of a Motion Picture (''El Desquite'', nominated)
* 2000: Best Screenplay of a Motion Picture (''El Desquite'', nominated)
* 2014: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (''Ecos del Desierto'', won)
Argentinian Film Critics Association Awards:
* 2012: Best Foreign Film ''Violeta se fue a los cielos'', nominated)
Ariel Award:
* 2005: Best Latin-American Film (''Machuca'', nominated)
* 2012: Best Latin-American Film (''Violeta se fue a los cielos'', nominated)
Bogota Film Festival:
* 2004: Best Film (''Machuca'', won)
Cartagena Film Festival
The Cartagena Film Festival ( es, Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias), or FICCI, is a film festival held in Cartagena, Colombia, which focuses mainly on the promotion of Colombian television series, Latin American films and short ...
:
* 1998: Best First Work (''Historias de Futbol'', won)
* 1998: Best Film (''Historias de Futbol'', nominated)
* 2002: Best Film (''La Fiebre del Loco'', nominated)
* 2009: Best Film (''La Buena Vida'', nominated)
Cine Ceara- Ibero Americano Film Festival:
* 2012: Best Film (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
* 2012: Best Screenplay (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
Filmfest Hamburg:
* 2012: Art Cinema Award (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', nominated)
Ghent International Film Festival
Film Fest Ghent, spelt Film Fest Gent in Flemish and also known as International Film Fest Gent, is an annual international film festival in Ghent, Belgium. The festival held its first edition in 1974, under the name Internationaal Filmgebeuren ...
:
* 2004: Grand Prix (''Machuca'', nominated)
Gijon International Film Festival:
* 2001: Best Feature (''La Fiebre del Loco'', nominated)
Goya Awards:
* 2005: Best Spanish Language Foreign Films (''Machuca'', nominated)
* 2009: Best Spanish Language Foreign Film (''La Buena Vida'', won)
* 2012: Best Iberoamerican Film (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', nominated)
Gramado Film Festival:
* 1998: Best Film (''Historias de Futbol'', nominated)
Guadalajara Film Festival
The Guadalajara International Film Festival ( es, Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara) is a week-long film festival held each March in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara since 1986.
The presence in Guadalajara of dele ...
:
* 2012: Best Film (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
Havana Film Festival
The Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Latin American filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as ''Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana,'' and in English as International Festiva ...
:
* 1999: Best Unpublished Screenplay (''La Fiebre del Loco'', won)
* 2008: Best Film (''La Buena Vida'', won)
* 2012: Best Film (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
Huelva Latin American Film Festival
The Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival ( es, links=no, Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Huelva), held since 1975 in Huelva, Spain, is the oldest film festival in Europe dedicated to the Ibero-American cinema.
During the first editions, it wa ...
:
* 2008: Best Film (''La Buena Vida'', won)
Lima Latin American Film Festival:
* 2004: Elcine First Prize (''Machuca'', won)
Lleida Latin-American Film Festival:
* 2002: Best Director (''La Fiebre del Loco'', won)
* 2009: Best Director (''La Buena Vida'', won)
Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica
Premios MTV Latinoamérica (previously known as MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica or VMALA's) was the Latin American version of the Video Music Awards. They were established in 2002 to celebrate the top music videos of the year in Latin Ameri ...
:
* 2001: Favorite Film (''La Fiebre Del Loco'', nominated)
Miami Film Festival:
* 2012: Special Mention (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
* 2012: Grand Jury Prize (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
Oslo Films from the South Festival
Films from the South ( no, Film fra sør) is an international movie festival held annually in Oslo, Norway. Movies from Africa, Asia, and Latin-America are shown. The festival has its origin in the student film club of University of Oslo
The U ...
:
* 2012: Best Feature (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', nominated)
Peñíscola Comedy Film Festival:
* 1998: Best Latin Film (''Historias de Futbol'', won)
Philadelphia Film Festival
The Philadelphia Film Festival is a film festival founded by the Philadelphia Film Society held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The annual festival is held at various theater venues throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area.
Overview
The annual f ...
:
* 2005: Best Feature Film (''Machuca'', won)
San Sebastian International Film Festival:
* 1997: Best New Director- Special Mention (''Historias de Futbol'', won)
* 2012: Grand Jury Prize- World Cinema (''Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos'', won)
Valdivia International Film Festival
The Valdivia International Film Festival (Spanish: Festival Internacional de Cine de Valdivia (FICV o FICVALDIVIA)) is an international film exhibition and competition, held annually in the city of Valdivia, Los Rios region, Chile.
The festival ...
:
* 2004: Best Film (''Machuca'', won)
Vancouver International Film Festival:
* 2004: Most Popular Film (''Machuca'', won)
Viña del Mar International Film Festival
The Viña del Mar International Film Festival (Spanish: Festival Internacional de Cine de Viña del Mar, FICVIÑA) is a Latin American film festival held annually in Viña del Mar, Chile.
History
The idea for a Chilean film festival was born ...
:
* 2004: Grand Paoa (''Machuca'', won)
References
External links
Andrés Wood in Wood Producciones*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, Andres
1965 births
Montt family
Living people
Chilean people of Scottish descent
Chilean people of Irish descent
Saint George's College, Santiago alumni
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile alumni
Chilean film directors
Chilean screenwriters
Chilean male screenwriters
People from Santiago