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Alejandro Amenábar

Birth Name:
Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos
Birth Place:
Santiago de Chile, Chile
Profession
Writer, Composer, Director, Producer, Actor, Music department, Editor
Alejandro Amenábar

Fast Facts

  • Quote: "In Hollywood you always feel a bit like a hake․ The publicists march people up and down in front of you and they interview you․․․․ You feel like the turbot and the sea bream go by, and you're the hake․"
  • A self-taught composer, he often scores all of his feature films
  • He would go on to pen most of the scripts on many of his own titles after years of struggling with a college professor who refused to pass him in Film Writing
  • While studying cinematography in Spain, he would begin his filmmaking career with several short films in the early '90s
  • Steven Spielberg sent him a letter of congratulations after his film "The Sea Inside" was released in 2004
  • Worked as a gardener and stock boy in order to purchase his first handheld camera

Awards

  • 1996Golden Kikito - Latin Competition: Best Film (Competição Latino: Melhor Filme):Nominated
  • 1996Best FilmNominated
  • 1996Film Award - Best Director (Mejor Director):Winner
  • 1997Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in SilverWinner
  • 1997CEC Award - Best New Artist (Premio Revelación):Winner
  • 1997Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in GoldNominated
  • 1997Goya - Best New Director (Mejor Director Novel):Winner
  • 1997Goya - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Winner
  • 1997Best of PuchonNominated
  • 1997Rosa de Sant Jordi Audience Award - Best Spanish Film (Mejor Película Española):Winner
  • 1997Audience AwardWinner
  • 1998C.I.C.A.E. Award - Honorable Mention - Panorama:Winner
  • 1998Butaca - Best Art House Film (Millor película d'autor):Nominated
  • 1998Tokyo Grand PrixWinner
  • 1998Student Jury Award - Special MentionWinner
  • 1999Goya - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Nominated
  • 1999Goya - Best Director (Mejor Director):Nominated
  • 1999Canal22 Best Ibero-American Film AwardWinner
  • 2000Chainsaw Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
  • 2000Goya - Best Original Score (Mejor Música Original):Nominated
  • 2001Bram Stoker Award - Screenplay:Nominated
  • 2001Fright Meter Award - Best Director:Winner
  • 2001FIPRESCI PrizeWinner
  • 2001Grand PrixNominated
  • 2001GoldSpirit Awards - Best Horror Soundtrack:Nominated
  • 2001Golden Schmoes - Best Screenplay of the Year:Nominated
  • 2001Golden LionNominated
  • 2002ALMA Award - Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture:Nominated
  • 2002ALMA Award - Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted):Nominated
  • 2002ASCAP Award - Top Box Office Films:Winner
  • 2002ASECAN Award - Best Spanish Film:Winner
  • 2002Saturn Award - Best Director:Nominated
  • 2002Saturn Award - Best Writing:Nominated
  • 2002BAFTA Film Award - Best Screenplay - Original:Nominated
  • 2002CEC Award - Best Director (Mejor Director):Winner
  • 2002CEC Award - Best Original Score (Mejor Música Original):Nominated
  • 2002CEC Award - Best Screenplay, Original (Mejor Guión Original):Winner
  • 2002Independent Spirit AwardWinner
  • 2002Goya - Best Original Score (Mejor Música Original):Nominated
  • 2002Goya - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Winner
  • 2002Goya - Best Director (Mejor Director):Winner
  • 2002OFTA Film Award - Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:Nominated
  • 2002OFCS Award - Best Original Screenplay:Winner
  • 2002PFCS Award - Best Screenplay - Original:Nominated
  • 2002Rosa de Sant Jordi Audience Award - Best Spanish Film (Mejor Película Española):Winner
  • 2002Golden Satellite Award - Best Screenplay, Original:Nominated
  • 2004Audience AwardWinner
  • 2004European Film Award - European Director:Winner
  • 2004European Film Award - European Film:Nominated
  • 2004European Film Award - European Screenwriter:Nominated
  • 2004Hollywood European AwardWinner
  • 2004Cinemania AwardWinner
  • 2004Golden LionNominated
  • 2004Young Cinema Award - Best International Film:Winner
  • 2004Grand Special Jury PrizeWinner
  • 2005Golden Kinnaree Award - Best Film:Winner
  • 2005CEC Award - Best Editing (Mejor Montaje):Nominated
  • 2005CEC Award - Best Score (Mejor Música):Nominated
  • 2005CEC Award - Best Screenplay, Original (Mejor Guión Original):Nominated
  • 2005CEC Award - Best Director (Mejor Director):Nominated
  • 2005David - Best European Film (Miglior Film dell'Unione Europea):Winner
  • 2005Audience Award - Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero):Winner
  • 2005Youth AwardWinner
  • 2005FCCA Award - Best Foreign Language Film:Winner
  • 2005Independent Spirit Award - Best Foreign Film:Winner
  • 2005Fotogramas de Plata - Best Spanish Film (Mejor Película Española):Winner
  • 2005Goya - Best Original Score (Mejor Música Original):Winner
  • 2005Goya - Best Director (Mejor Director):Winner
  • 2005Goya - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Winner
  • 2005Guild Film Award - Gold - Foreign Film (Ausländischer Film):Winner
  • 2005Audience AwardWinner
  • 2005Audience Award - Best Narrative Feature:Winner
  • 2005Premio ACE - Cinema - Best Director:Nominated
  • 2005Rosa de Sant Jordi Audience Award - Best Spanish Film (Mejor Película Española):Winner
  • 2005Sant Jordi - Best Film (Mejor Película Española):Winner
  • 2005Audience Award 'Silver Sea-Gull'Winner
  • 2005Audience AwardWinner
  • 2005Music Award - Best Score (Mejor Álbum de Banda Sonora de Obra Cinematográfica):Winner
  • 2005Audience Award - Best Spanish Film:Winner
  • 2005World Soundtrack Award - Best Original Soundtrack of the Year:Nominated
  • 2005Yoga Award - Worst Spanish Score:Winner
  • 2006Silver Condor - Best Foreign Film, Spanish Language (Mejor Película Iberoamericana):Winner
  • 2006Silver Ariel - Best Latin-American Film (Mejor Película Iberoamericana):Nominated
  • 2006César - Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger):Nominated
  • 2009Feature Film Prize in Science and TechnologyWinner
  • 2010ASECAN Award - Best Spanish Film:Nominated
  • 2010CinEuphoria - Top Films of the Decade - International Competition:Winner
  • 2010CinEuphoria - Top Ten of the Year - International Competition:Winner
  • 2010CEC Award - Best Director (Mejor Director):Nominated
  • 2010EFA People's Choice AwardNominated
  • 2010Goya - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Winner
  • 2010Goya - Best Director (Mejor Director):Nominated
  • 2010Goya - Best Film (Mejor Película):Nominated
  • 2016Yoga Award - Worst Spanish Director:Winner
  • 2019Carmel Award - Best International Film:Winner
  • 2019Golden Seashell - Best Film:Nominated
  • 2020CEC Award - Best Film (Mejor Película):Nominated
  • 2020CEC Award - Best Director (Mejor Director):Nominated
  • 2020CEC Award - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Nominated
  • 2020Días de Cine Award - Best Spanish Film:Nominated
  • 2020Feroz Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
  • 2020Fotogramas de Plata - Audience Award - Best Spanish Film:Winner
  • 2020Goya - Best Director (Mejor Director):Nominated
  • 2020Goya - Best Original Screenplay (Mejor Guión Original):Nominated
  • 2020Goya - Best Original Score (Mejor Música Original):Nominated
  • 2020José María Forqué Award - 25th Anniversary:Nominated
  • 2020Knight Marimbas AwardNominated
  • 2020Platino Award - Best Screenplay:Nominated
  • 2020Platino Award - Best Original Music:Nominated
  • 2020Platino Award - Best Director:Nominated
  • 2022Silver Condor - Best Film in Coproduction with Argentina (Mejor Película en Coproducción con Argentina):Nominated
  • 2022Feroz Award - Best Drama Series:Nominated
  • 2022Platino Award - Best Creator of a Miniseries or TV-Series:Nominated
  • 2026CEC Award - Best Score (Mejor Música):Nominated
  • 2026Feroz Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
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