The influential trade publication Variety has unveiled its annual list of ‘10 Directors to Watch,’ which in its 2019 edition featuring a mix of recent festival breakouts and movies yet to premiere in the coming year, includes two Mexican filmmakers: Alonso Ruizpalacios and Alejandra Márquez Arbella.
Alonso Ruizpalacios was born in Mexico City and he studied acting at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. His short films include Café Paraiso (2008), El último canto del pájaro Cú (2010), Green (2016). Before directing Museo (2018), winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the last edition of the Berlin Film Festival, he directed the feature Güeros (2014) which won the award for Best First Film also at the German festival.
Alejandra Márquez Abella was born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and raised in Mexico City. She studied film at the Centre d’Estudis Cinematographics de Catalunya in Barcelona. Her films include the shorts 5 Memories (2009) and Perra (2012), and the documentary feature Mal de tierra (2011). Her debut fiction feature, Semana Santa (15), made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Good Girls / Las niñas bien (2018) is her latest film.
The directors selected for this year’s Variety list will be honored in person at the Palm Springs International. Film Festival, where the publication will host a brunch in their honor on Friday, January 4, and profiles of the filmmakers will run in the January 1 print edition. Other Mexican directors included in past editions of Variety’s list include Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos López Estrada.
