Rodrigo Cortés

Rodrigo Cortés Giráldez (born 31 May 1973) is a Spanish film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, writer and occasional actor.[1] He is best known for directing the 2010 psychological thriller Buried.

Rodrigo Cortés
At the 33rd Goya Awards in 2019
Born
Rodrigo Cortés Giráldez

(1973-05-31) 31 May 1973 (age 51)
Cenlle, Galicia, Spain
Occupation(s)Film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, actor

Early life

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Rodrigo Cortés was born in Pazos Hermos (Cenlle, province of Ourense) on 31 May 1973,[2][3] but soon moved to Salamanca, where he spent most of his childhood and his early 20s.

Career

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Cortés' fondness for film making started at an early age. At 16 he had already directed his first short film in Super 8. In 1998 he directed the short Yul that won over 20 awards and in 2001 he released 15 Days, a fake documentary in the form of a large short film that earned over 57 awards at festivals, becoming the most awarded Spanish short film of the time.

In 2007 he directed The Contestant, his first feature film that was released with critical applause and earned several awards, including the Critic's prize at Málaga Film Festival.[4] He directed and edited the 2010 thriller Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and has received considerable acclaim.[5]

In 2012 Cortés released Red Lights, a film about a physicist and a psychology professor who specialise in debunking supernatural phenomena, it stars Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy and Elizabeth Olsen.[6]

He reunited with Buried screenwriter Chris Sparling for his 2018 movie Down a Dark Hall, based on the novel of the same name by Lois Duncan and produced by Twilight writer Stephenie Meyer.

Philosophy

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In a 2012 interview, following the release of Red Lights, Cortés explained his perspective on independent filmmaking in an online interview:

... I don’t believe in indie or studio as labels. As an audience member, what I want is to hear strong voices and clear personalities and to feel challenged; not to feel reaffirmed on my own decisions or whatever... it’s never about where you shoot. It’s about what and about how. I mean that. This is not a pro-Hollywood or anti-Hollywood position. I learned to love cinema via the studio movies and of course Scorsese films, Spielberg films, and Hitchcock. All of them did studio pictures with very strong voices. It’s about finding this margin of expressing and exploring the things that touch your sensitive points.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerEditorMusical
director
Notes
2007The ContestantYesYesNoYesYesAlso song writer: "Cyrus Honey Blues" and "Cajas"
2010BuriedYesNoExecutiveYesYesAlso song writer: "In the Lap of the Mountain"
2011Apartment 143NoYesYesYesYesAlso Music editor and second unit director
2012Red LightsYesYesYesYesYes
2013Grand PianoNoNoYesUncreditedNoAlso second unit director
2018Down a Dark HallYesNoNoYesYesAlso additional voices (credited as Gonzalo Giráldez)
2021Love Gets a RoomYesYesExecutiveYesYesAlso song writer "Without You", "Little Bride"
and "Little Bride-Stefcia Solo"
2024EscapeYesYesTBATBATBA[8]

Short films

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YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerEditorNotes
1998YulYesYesYesYes
200015 díasYesYesYesYesAlso composer
La Ley de MurphyNoNoNoYesAlso dialogue supervisor
2001DentroYesYesNoYesSegment of Diminutos del calvario
Also composer and sound designer
2002Los 150 metros de CallaoYesYesYesYesAlso sound, sound designer and sound editor
2003El Niño MillonYesNoNoNoDocumentary short film
Co-directed with Abril Balderrama and Ricardo Díaz
InterruptusNoNoNoYesAlso dialogue supervisor
2007Dirt DevilYesYesYesYesAlso sound designer and sound editor
ImpavidoNoNoNoYesAldo dialogue supervisor
2010AloneNoOriginal IdeaNoNo
2013Por activa y por pasivaYesYesYesYes
20141:58YesYesNoYesAdvertising short
2022Tierra NuevaYesNoNoNo

Acting roles

YearTitleRole
1998YulNarrador (as "Gonzalo Giraldez")
200015 díasRuben Salas
La Ley de MurphyEl Holandés (voice)
2002Los 150 metros de CallaoNarrador #1 (voice)
2003InterruptusHombre Calvo #1
2007Dirt DevilNarrador

Television

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YearTitleDirectorWriterEditorMusical
Director
Notes
2021Stories to Stay AwakeYesYesYesYesWrote, directed, edited and produced music for episode "La Broma"
Co-wrote and co-edited episode "El Asfalto"

Awards and nominations

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YearWorkAwardCategoryResultRef.
200015 DaysOurense Independent Film FestivalCanal+ Audience AwardWon[9]
Alcalá de Henares Short Film FesrtivalPixel Coop Award - Special MentionWon
Zaragoza Film FestivalBest EditingWon
2001Medina Film FestivalYouth Jury AwardWon
Best EditingWon
L'Alfàs del Pi Film FestivalBest Short Film3rd award
2007The ContestantMálaga Film FestivalGolden Biznaga for Best Spanish FilmNominated[10]
Critic's AwardWon
2008Goya AwardsBest Original Song for "Circus Honey Blues"Nominated[11][12]
Mestre Mateo AwardsBest DirectorNominated[13][14]
Best ScreenplayNominated
Best EditingWon
2010BuriedMéliès International Festivals FederationMéliès d'OrWon[15]
2011Gaudí AwardsBest DirectorNominated[16]
Best EditingWon[17]
CEC MedalsBest DirectorNominated[18]
Best EditingWon
Goya AwardsBest DirectorNominated[19]
Best EditingWon
Best Original Song for "In the lap of the mountain"Nominated
2013Red LightsGaudí AwardsBest Non-Catalan Language FilmNominated[20]
2014Grand PianoFeroz AwardsBest DramaNominated
Gaudí AwardsBest Non-Catalan Language FilmNominated
2015Saturn AwardsBest Independent FilmNominated
2022Love Gets a RoomFeroz AwardsBest DirectorWon[21]
Best ScreenplayNominated
CEC MedalsBest DirectorWon[22]
Best Original ScreenplayWon
Best EditingWon

References

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  1. ^ Emma Brown (July 2012). "RODRIGO CORTÉS PUTS ON THE RED LIGHTS". Interviewmagazine.com. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  2. ^ Lakunza, Rosana (14 December 2021). "Rodrigo Cortés: "¿Extranjeros o españoles? Lo difícil es trabajar con actores malos"". Deia.
  3. ^ García-Ferrón, Eva (2020). "Los delirios y balas de Rodrigo Cortés, aforismos del siglo XXI". Dicenda. Estudios de lengua y literatura españolas. 38. Madrid: Ediciones Complutense: 24. doi:10.5209/dice.70148. hdl:10045/109597. ISSN 1988-2556.
  4. ^ "嫌がらせ、ストーカー対策にお悩みを解決! | 【あなたの症状が酷くなる前に】盗聴/盗撮/嫌がらせ/ストーカー対策サイトは初めてご利用を考える方の全国対応サポートサイトです。東京総合探偵興信社".
  5. ^ "Buried (2010)". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  6. ^ "De Niro, Weaver to Star in "Red Lights"". abcnews.go.com. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  7. ^ Nigel M Smith (9 July 2012). "'Red Lights' Writer/Director Rodrigo Cortes On Following Up 'Buried' and Indie Vs. Studio Fare". Indiewire.com. A SnagFilms Co. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  8. ^ Hopewell, John (24 May 2023). "Martin Scorsese Executive Produces Rodrigo Cortes' 'Escape,' Starring Mario Casas (Exclusive)". Variety.
  9. ^ "15 Days (Awards)". IMDb. 12 April 2024.
  10. ^ "MÁLAGA 2007" (PDF). Festival de Málaga. 11 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Los ganadores de los Goya 2008". 20minutos.es. 4 February 2008.
  12. ^ "Concursante". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  13. ^ "A Academia Galega do Audiovisual anunciou esta mañá a listaxe de nomeados". Academia Galega do Audiovisual. 7 March 2008.
  14. ^ "Entregados os Premios Mestre Mateo 2007 no Teatro Jofre de Ferrol". Academia Galega do Audiovisual. 16 April 2008.
  15. ^ Hopewell, John (October 25, 2010). "Buried wins Europe's Melies d'Or". Variety. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  16. ^ "'Pa negre', 'Herois' y 'Buried', grandes favoritas en los III Premios Gaudí". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). January 17, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  17. ^ "'Buried' engalana su carrera hacia los Premios Goya". La Nueva España (in Spanish). January 18, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  18. ^ "También la lluvia, favorita a las medallas del CEC con ocho nominaciones". RTVE. Madrid. EFE. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Premios Goya 2011 en EL PAÍS". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  20. ^ "V Premis Gaudí". www.academiadelcinema.cat. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  21. ^ "Palmarés completo de los Premios Feroz Zaragoza 2022". Cinemanía. 30 January 2022 – via 20minutos.es.
  22. ^ "'El amor en su lugar' arrasa en las Medallas CEC con hasta seis premios, todos los principales". Cine con Ñ. 10 February 2022.
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