He was born in Costa Rica and studied film in Belgium. His graduation film, “Paul is Here”, won the Cinéfondation Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. Her second short film, “Lucía in Limbo”, had its world premiere at the 58th edition of La Semaine de la Critique and has won several awards, including the top prize at the Guanajuato Film Festival. “I Have Electric Dreams” is her first feature film as a screenwriter and director, winning the award for Best Latin American Film at the San Sebastián Film Festival, considered the premier showcase for the region’s cinema in Europe, and at Locarno the film took home the awards for Best Director, Best Actress (Daniela Marín Navarro), and Best Actor (Reinaldo Amién Gutiérrez).
Special Mention at the RIFF (Reykjavik International Film Festival), an award winner at the Bogotá International Film Festival, and a Special Mention at Film Fest Gent in Belgium. During the 38th edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival, Valentina Maurel won the Best Ibero-American Feature Film award for “Tengo sueños eléctricos.”
Valentina is currently set to release her second feature film “I Will Always Be Your Mother Animal” at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. “Siempre soy tu animal materno” tells the story of the relationship between an artist mother and her two daughters, in a context where “a tension arises between pursuing a career and maintaining a family life.” The film also features Mexican actress Marina de Tavira in the role of the mother.
