Biographie
Arturo Menéndez, born in El Salvador in 1978, is a writer and director recognized by Forbes magazine in 2015 as one of the most influential figures in Central America. He has written and directed five films, including three shorts and two feature films: "Parávolar" (2008), "Cinema Libertad" (2009), "Nada" (written by Javier Kafie, 2015), "Malacrianza" (2014), and "Pablo's Word" (2017).
His debut feature film, "Malacrianza" (2014), a co-production between El Salvador, Mexico, and Canada, premiered at the AFI Latin American Film Festival in Washington, DC. The film was also selected for festivals such as the Havana Film Festival, Panama International Film Festival, Chicago Latin American Film Festival, Innsbruck International Film Festival, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, and Costa Rica International Film Festival. It was commercially released in El Salvador and Mexico during 2015 and 2016. "Malacrianza" won Best Screenplay and Best Actress at the Central America International Film Festival (CAIFF), received a Jury Mention at the Innsbruck International Film Festival, and earned the Pixels Award from MINEC El Salvador in 2015. This award helped finance his second feature film, "Pablo's Word," which premiered in 2018 at the Chicago Latino Film Festival. A co-production with Canada (Sivela Pictures/FirePower Entertainment), "Pablo's Word" was acquired by HBO for release in the USA and by Sony Pictures for Latin America. The film has won six international awards.
Arturo’s work earned him a place at the Berlinale Talent Campus #9 and a nomination for the Berlin Today Award for his short film script "Cinema Libertad." His short films have been screened at over 40 film festivals and cinematheques worldwide, including venues in Mexico, Tel Aviv, Montevideo, Santiago de Chile, Santo Domingo, Buenos Aires, Melbourne Cinematheque (ACMI), and the iconic Babylon Theater in Berlin.
In 2011, he created, wrote, and directed the TV pilot "Horror Stories," produced by Meridiano 89. In 2017, Arturo directed 30 episodes across three seasons of the Colombian TV series "Los Vecinos" (release date to be confirmed).
