Famed filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is set to kick off the upcoming May Festivities in the capital of Tenerife, as announced by the city’s mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez. The official proclamation will be read on April 18, at 8:30 p.m. in front of the San Carlos Barracks situated at the Government Presidency Square.
Bermúdez praised Fresnadillo, hailing him as “an embodiment of local pride, a steadfast advocate for the town’s interests, and a Santa Cruz ambassador wherever he goes.” Additionally, the mayor highlighted that “he is an artist from Tenerife who has truly earned the recognition he holds today. We have an internationally renowned director who extends beyond our local boundaries.”
On March 5, Santa Cruz hosted the national premiere of Fresnadillo’s latest creation, Damsel, a Netflix production that skyrocketed to the top spot on the platform in its debut weekend. The film, in English, emerged as the most-watched in 79 countries worldwide, including Spain.
Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1967, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo relocated to Madrid in 1985 for further studies. He pursued Sociology at Complutense University and delved into photography and film at the TAI University School of Arts, where he crafted his initial short films. Establishing a production company for short films and commercials in 1987, he collaborated on the short film The final judgement with Gustavo Fuertes in 1990.
In 1996, he made his directorial debut with Handcuffed. This 27-minute short film garnered around 40 awards worldwide and was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Fiction Short Film category at the 1997 ceremony.
His first feature film arrived in 2001 with Intact. The movie received eight Goya Award nominations, clinching two wins for Best New Actor and Best New Director. It earned selection at prestigious festivals like Sundance, Cannes, and Toronto, enthralling audiences and critics worldwide.
Between 2002 and 2005, Fresnadillo balanced his film pursuits with directing advertising campaigns with Lee Films and agencies like TAPSA.
In 2007, he captivated audiences with his second film, 28 weeks later, produced by Danny Boyle and 20th Century Fox. This critically acclaimed movie debuted in second place at the US box office and gained massive popularity globally.
The success of this film paved the way for his subsequent work, Intruders (2011), starring Clive Owen. A Spanish-US co-production, the film premiered at the San Sebastián International Festival and featured at numerous international film events.
From 2013 onwards, Fresnadillo ventured into creating two successful TV series for the US audience, distributed globally with immense acclaim: Salvation (Netflix) and Falling Water (Amazon), serving as executive producer for both.
In 2022, he embarked on filming his latest project, Damsel, a medieval fantasy film starring Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett, and Robin Wright.
