Sebastián Cordero Espinosa (; born 23 May 1972) is an

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

ian film director, screenwriter and editor, often recognized for his work in '' Ratas, Ratones, Rateros'' (1999), ''

Crónicas ''Crónicas'' ("chronicles") is a 2004 Ecuadorian thriller film, written and directed by Sebastián Cordero. The film was produced by, among others, Guillermo del Toro, director of '' Pan's Labyrinth'', and Alfonso Cuarón, director of '' Chil ...

'' (2004), and ''

Europa Report ''Europa Report'' is a 2013 American science fiction film directed by Sebastián Cordero and written by Philip Gelatt. It stars Christian Camargo, Anamaria Marinca, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Karolina Wydra, and Sharlto Copley. A found ...

'' (2013). His films have been exhibited in festivals such as the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

and

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

among others.

Career

He first became interested in

filmmaking Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

when he saw ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...

'' at the age of 9. At the age of 18 he began his studies in film and script making in the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. After his graduation he moved back to Ecuador with the idea of filmmaking in a country where there was practically no movie industry. His first movie, '' Ratas, Ratones, Rateros'' (1999), which portrays the life in a poverty-stricken

, led to his first appearance at

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

. It later appeared in film festivals such as

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...

and

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, and been recognized with awards and honors at Huelva and La Habana film festivals. His second film, ''

'', was recognized with the Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award, and first appeared at Cannes in the

Un Certain Regard (; 'A Certain Glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films with unusua ...

section in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, and was nominated to the Grand Jury Prize at

. He was attached to direct the motion picture ''Manhunt'' that tells the story of what occurred in the lapse of the 48 hours that followed the assassination of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

and was to star

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...

. The project was later cancelled. Sebastian Cordero at 2017 MIFF

'' Rabia'', his third film, was filmed in Spain. It is based on a novel from the writer Sergio Bizzio. His fourth film ''Pescador'', filmed once again in Ecuador, was released in 2011. ''

'' was Cordero's first full English language film. The film was shot over the course of 18 days in Brooklyn in 2011. ''Europa Report'' was officially launched with a screening at the

Hayden Planetarium The Rose Center for Earth and Space is a part of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Center's complete name is The Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space. The main entrance is located on the ...

on August 1, 2013, and was released on demand and in theaters a day later. He finished development of his sixth film, '' Such Is Life in the Tropics'' in 2016.

Filmography

*'' Ratas, Ratones, Rateros'' (1999) *''

'' (2004) *'' Rabia'' (2009) *''Pescador'' (2011) *''

'' (2013) *'' Such Is Life in the Tropics'' (2016) *'' Behind the Mist'' (2023)

References

External links

*
HESO Interview with Sebastián Cordero and Martina García
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordero, Sebastian 1972 births Living people Ecuadorian film directors People from Quito