Alfonso Cuarón

Award-winning director Alfonso Cuaron, native of Mexico City, Mexico, began making short-films while in college. After graduation, he began working in a variety of roles within the Mexican film and television industry. He was allowed behind the camera to direct, as well as write, multiple episodes of the horror anthology television show "Hora Marcada" (Las Estrellas, 1988-90). He graduated to directing features when he helmed the sex comedy "Solo con Tu Pareja" (1991). He entered the U.S. market when he directed an episode of the anthology series "Fallen Angels" (Showtime, 1993-95). He followed with his first English-language feature, "A Little Princess" (1995), an adaptation of the popular children's book. His next project was also based on a famous piece of literature when he brought a modernization of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" (1998) to the screen. He returned to Mexico and set himself apart from many of his contemporaries when he wrote and directed "Y Tu Mama Tambien" (2001). The story of a pair of teenage boys on a road trip with an older, married woman found an audience across languages and earned international notice. It also earned Cuaron his first Academy Award nomination for writing. He jumped into big budget fare when he was tabbed to direct the third film in the "Harry Potter" series, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004). He joined a host of directors, including Alexander Payne and Gus Van Sant, in directing a segment of the film "Paris, je t'aime" (2006). His adaptation of the P.D. James dystopian novel "Children of Men" (2006) earned him a fresh round of acclaim. His next feature, though, helped him make history. Working from a script that he co-authored with his son, Jonas Cuaron, he directed Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in the space drama "Gravity" (2013). The film went on to win seven Oscars, including a win for its director. That made Cuaron the first Latin American filmmaker to achieve that honor. Turning to television, he created the short-lived fantasy drama "Believe" (NBC, 2014), which proved to be a rare misfire. He rebounded in grand fashion, however, in his return to feature directing. Based in part on his own experience as a youngster, "Roma" (2018), which he produced, wrote, directed, and edited, was hailed across the world. The film earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Cuaron's second nods for both writing and directing.