Fernando León de Aranoa

Fernando León de Aranoa, born on 26 May 1968, is a highly acclaimed Spanish screenwriter and film director. As a youth, he was impassioned by comics, music, and sports, initially aiming to become a professional artist. The course of his career path, however, swerved due to an administrative mistake that led him to study Image and Sound instead of Fine Arts. This unexpected turn sparked his interest in the world of films. On top of this, he studied literature and writing as well. He had a brief stint working for an advertising agency creating illustrations but decided to apply his skills to screenwriting, marking the onset of his illustrious journey in the film industry.

His debut feature film 'Familia' (1996) earned him the Goya Award for Best New Director. Among his noteworthy works are 'Barrio' (1998), 'Mondays in the Sun' (2002), and 'The Good Boss' (2021), each of these projects honored with the Goya Awards for Best Director making him one of the most renowned directors in Spain alongside Pedro Almodóvar. Apart from directing, he has also made exceptional contributions as a screenwriter for other directors and has been published as a short-story author. His knack for storytelling has twice won him the Antonio Machado Prize. His prowess also extends to documentaries, his project 'Walkers' (2001) has fetched awards in Havana, Los Angeles, New York City, and Alcalá de Henares. His film 'A Perfect Day' was chosen to be screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.