Issa López
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Issa López is a Mexican director, writer and producer. Twelve Spanish language features have been produced from her scripts, four of them directed by herself. She has won several literary awards, including the National Novel Award granted by Mexico's Institute of Fine Arts and Literature in 2007. In 2017, '' Tigers Are Not Afraid'' (''Vuelven'' in Spanish) premiered at
Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas, focused on fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action and cult films, the largest genre festival in the United States. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse. Lisa Dreyer ...
, in Austin, Texas. Written and directed by López, the film received the Best Horror Director Award, and went on to collect fifty-one awards in film festivals around the world, three
Diosas de Plata The Silver Goddesses () is a film award granted annually by the Mexican Film Journalists Association (PECIME) in recognition of professionals and excellence in the Mexican film industry as assessed by the association's voting membership. The firs ...
, including Best Picture and Best Director, and received ten
Ariel Awards The Ariel Award () is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award recognizes artistical and technical excellence in the Mexic ...
nominations, of which it won two. The film earned multiple positive reviews by major trades and critics, and a rating of 97% on
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. Currently, López is developing projects with
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, Gothic fiction, gothicism and horror fiction, horror often blending the genres ...
, Noah Hawley and
Jason Blum Jason Ferus Blum (; born February 20, 1969) is an American producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, best known for horror franchises such as ''Paranormal Activity (film series), Paranormal Activity'' (2007–2021), ''Insidi ...
. She directed and co-wrote all episodes of the fourth installment of HBO's TV series ''
True Detective ''True Detective'' is an American Anthology series, anthology Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto for the premium cable network HBO. The series premiered on January 12, 2014, and ...
'', which aired in January and February of 2024, as '' True Detective: Night Country''.


Early life

Issa López was born in Mexico City, where she was raised by her father after her mother died when she was eight years old. Her father was a semiotics academic and a college professor. During her childhood her family faced economic hardships, since academia is not a high-paying field in Latin America. This was a defining aspect of her life, inspiring much of her later work, since her dad would try to keep her and her sister entertained in spite of their economic situation. López explained in one of her interviews that she, her sister and her dad would "go every weekend on some road trip through Mexico, from small town to small town, sitting to watch kung fu and horror movies in traveling cinemas, eating street food, visiting archeological sites, jungles, deserts and the most haunted little towns in the country". Those memories were the inspiration for many of her stories.


Life and career

Issa López studied archeology for about two years, until "the pull of cinema was too strong to resist". She abandoned archeology and enrolled in Mexico's National University Filmschool, where she obtained a BA in Film Directing and Screenwriting. After her BA, she completed a two-year graduate program for dramatic writing. López began co-writing telenovelas and TV shows at Televisa. In 2003, she wrote the film ''Ladies' Night'' which was a box-office success, becoming the 5th biggest grossing Mexican film of 2003 and 2004. López has won several literary awards, including the National Novel Award granted by Mexico's Institute of Fine Arts and Literature. In addition to her literary work, she penned multiple TV shows, some of them reaching the highest audience ratings in Mexican prime-time TV, and wrote the scripts for several film features, three of them produced in Mexico by the Major Hollywood Studios, and two of those directed by herself; ''Efectos Secundarios'' (
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, 2006) and ''Casi Divas'' (
Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
, 2008). In 2015, López shot her third feature as a director, and tenth as a writer, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.'' In March 2018, ''Todo Mal'', her fourth feature film as a director, 11th as a writer, opened in Mexico. In 2005, López was selected as one of the 50 Latino Impact Players in Entertainment, by ''Variety''. In Mexico, López' movies have ranked among the highest grossing local productions: ''Ladies' Night'' (
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, 2003) ranked fifth, ''Niñas Mal'' (
Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
, 2007) seventh, and ''Efectos Secundarios'' fifteenth. ''Casi Divas'' opened in first place in the box office and went on to a limited theatrical run in the U.S. ''Casi Divas'' received enthusiastic reviews from ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', ''
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'', and the ''
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'', among others. The film is the only Mexican movie to be scored by acclaimed Hollywood composer
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
, who only charged $1 for his extensive work on the film. In 2015, ''600 Millas'', a film with a script co-written by López, was nominated for the Mexican Film Academy Ariel Award for Best Script. In September 2017, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid'' (''Vuelven'' in Spanish) Premiered at Fantastic Fest, in Austin Texas, and received the Best Horror Director Award. Issa López directed, wrote, and was
Executive Producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
of the film. For ''Tigers Are Not Afraid,'' López won Best Picture and Best Director at the 47th
Diosas de Plata The Silver Goddesses () is a film award granted annually by the Mexican Film Journalists Association (PECIME) in recognition of professionals and excellence in the Mexican film industry as assessed by the association's voting membership. The firs ...
and the film received 10 nominations at the
60th Ariel Awards The 60th Ariel Awards ceremony, organized by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) took place on June 5, 2018, at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. During the ceremony, AMACC presented the Ariel Award in 26 categories h ...
, among them Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for López, in 2018. It also got a Best Latin American Director Award in 2019 from NALIP (National Association of Latino Producers) and Fangoria Magazine, specialised in Horror Cinema, awarded it Best Foreign Language Movie in 2020. Currently, López is working with Guillermo del Toro, who announced that he'd produce López' next film, a haunted western about the werewolf mythology. Searchlight Pictures signed her to write and direct ''The Book of Souls'', to be produced by Noah Hawley, and Blumhouse is developing ''Our Lady of Tears,'' written and directed by López. She also wrote, produced and directed the fourth season of cult HBO series ''
True Detective ''True Detective'' is an American Anthology series, anthology Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto for the premium cable network HBO. The series premiered on January 12, 2014, and ...
''. For her work on the series, López received three
Primetime Emmy The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations at the 2024 ceremony. She is set to develop a fifth season after the fourth received critical acclaim and the series’ best ratings for HBO. The fifth season of ''True Detective'', set in the
Jamaica Bay Jamaica Bay (also known as Grassy Bay) is an estuary on the southern portion of the western tip of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The estuary is partially man-made, and partially natural. The bay connects with Lo ...
area of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, is scheduled to begin filming in 2025 with a scheduled release in 2027.


Filmography

Short film Television Feature film


Awards

Fiction Writer awards
Mexico's National Institute of Fine Arts Novel Award, 2007
* Efraín Huerta Short Story Award, 1995. * Punto de Partida Short Story Award, 1995 * Alica Short Story Award, 1994. * Finalist, Ricardo Pozas Short Story Award, 1996. * Finalist, Efren Hernández Short Story Award, 1994. * Finalist, New Writers Plaza y Valdes Award, 1992. Movie awards * Winner: Cyprus International Film Festival Best screenplay Award, Ladies' night, 2003
" Best Screenplay Award for Ladies' Night, CYIIF, 2006, Accessed Nov 5 2013
* Winner: Diosa de Plata award for Best Screenplay Award, ''Efectos Secundarios''. 2007. * Winner: Best Screenplay at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, ''Casi Divas'', 2009."" Casi Divas Best Screenplay Award at Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, 2008, Accessed Nov 7 2013 * Nominated
Mexican Film Academy Ariel Award, Best Screenplay ''600 Millas''
2016 * Winner
Fantastic Fest Best Horror Director Award: Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2017 * Winner
Screamfest, Los Angeles, CA: Best Actress: Paola Lara, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2017 * Winner
Screamfest, Best Actor: José Ramón López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2017 * Winner
Screamfest, Best Editing: Joaquim Martí, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2017 * Winner
Screamfest, Best Director: Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2017 * Winner
Screamfest, Best Picture: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2017 * Winner: Dedfest, Alberta, Canada: Audience Award for Best Picture: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2017 * Winner
Mórbido Fest, Mexico City, Mexico: Press Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2017 * Winner
Mórbido Fest, Best Latin-American Picture: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2017 * Winner
Ithaca Fantastik, NY: Audience Award, Best Pur Film: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2017 * Winner
Paris International Fantastic Film Festival: L'Oeil D'Or, Audience Best Picture Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2017 * Winner
Paris International Fantastic Film Festival: Cinema+ Frisson Best Picture Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2017 * Winner
NOXFILMEST, El Salto, Uruguay: Best Feature, Jury Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018 * Winner
Panic Fest, Kansas City, Best Feature, Jury Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018 * Winner
Lost Weekend, Austin, TX: Best Script: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2018. * Winner
Lost Weekend, Austin, TX: Best Director: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2018 * Winner
Boston Underground Film Fest: Best Feature, Audience Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018 * Winner
Chattanooga Film Festival: Best Feature Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2018 * Winner

2018 * Winner: ttp://www.bifff.net/bifff-2018-awards/ Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Silver Raven Award (Jury Award, 2nd Place). ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.'' 2018 * Winner
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Best Feature, Audience Award: ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018 * Winner
Imagine International Fantastic Film Festival, Amsterdam: Black Tulip (Jury Award): ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018 * Winner
Calgary Underground Film Festival: Best Feature, Audience Award:''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018 * Winner: Diosa de Plata, Mexico Film Critics Association Award: Best Child Actor, Paola Lara, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.'' 2018 * Winner: Diosa de Plata, Mexico Film Critics Association Award: Best Director, Issa López. ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2018 * Winner: Diosa de Plata, Mexico Film Critics Association Award: Best Picture, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.'' 2018 * Nominated
Mexican Film Academy Ariel Award, Best Screen Play, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018 * Nominated

2018. *Winner: ttps://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org//2018-awards Calgary Underground Film Festival: Best Feature (Audience Award), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.2018. *Winner
Hola Mexico Film Festival, Los Angeles: Best Director, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018. *Winner
Hola Mexico Film Festival, Los Angeles: Best Feature (Audience Award), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018. *Winner
Fant Bilbao, Spain: Best Script, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Fant Bilbao, Spain: Best Feature (Audience Award) ''Tigers Are Not Afraid
2018. *Winner
BIFAN, South Korea: Best Director, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Popcorn Frights, Florida: Best Feature (Jury Award), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Grimmfest, Manchester: Best Feature (Jury Award), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Grimmfest, Manchester: Best Feature (Audience Award), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018. *Winner
Grimmfest, Manchester: Best Script, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid.''
2018. *Winner

2018. *Winner: Celluloid Screams, Sheffield UK: Best Movie (Audience Award) ''Tigers Are Not Afraid. 2018.'' *Winner
Nocturna Festival, Madrid: Dark Visions Best Feature (Jury Award) ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Toronto After Dark: Best Screenplay ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''
2018. *Winner
Toronto After Dark: Best Director, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Toronto After Dark: Most Original Film,''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner
Toronto After Dark: Best Feature Silver Award, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''.
2018. *Winner: Cine Mexico Now, Detroit: Best Feature (Audience Award), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2018.
Winner: Terror Molins, Catalonia: Best Director, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2018
.
Winner: Terror Molins, Catalonia: Best Feature Critics Golden Award, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2018
. *Winner: Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival, Canada: Best Horror Feature (Audience Award, Gold), ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2018. *Winner
Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, Argentina: Best Feature, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid. 2018''
*Winner
Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, Argentina: Best Script, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid''. 2018.
*Nominated
Latino Entertainment Journalists Association, Best Original Screenplay
, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid'', 2020 *Winner
NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) Best Latin American Director, Issa López, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid'', 2019
*Winner: Fangoria Chainsaw Award, Best Foreign Language Movie, ''Tigers Are Not Afraid. 2020.''


References


Issa López National novel award, Accessed 5 Nov 2013

Music Hans Zimmer for Casi Divas, Variety, Accessed Nov 5 2013

" Ladies Night, Miravista Films, 2003, Accessed Nov 5 2013

Casi Divas Review by Los Angeles Times, 2009, Accessed Nov 5 2013

Charm School, Sony Pictures, 2007, Accessed Nov 5 2013
"" Best Screenplay Award, Los Angeles Latino Film Festival, 2008, Accessed Nov 5 2013
Efectos Secundarios, Awards on
IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
, Accessed Nov 5 2013


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Issa Living people Mexican women film directors Film directors from Mexico City 1971 births Mexican women screenwriters 21st-century Mexican screenwriters 21st-century Mexican women writers Writers from Mexico City National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Showrunners