Biography
Luis Mandoki, born in 1954 in Mexico City, is a Mexican film director who works in both Mexico and Hollywood.
He studied Fine Arts in Mexico and furthered his education at the San Francisco Art Institute, the London College of Printing, and the London International Film School. While at the latter, he directed his first short film, Silent Music, which won an award at the International Amateur Film Festival at Cannes in 1976.
Upon returning to Mexico, Mandoki directed short films and documentaries for the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (National Institute for the Indigenous), Conacine (National Commission of Film), and the Centro de Producción de Cortometraje (Center for the Production of Short Films). In 1980, he received an Ariel Award from the Mexican Academy of Film for his short film El secreto. Four years later, his film Motel was chosen to represent Mexico at various international film festivals.
At age 30, Mandoki developed, wrote, produced, and directed Gaby: A True Story, a film about the challenges faced by handicapped Gaby Brimer. The movie was nominated for both Academy and Golden Globe Awards. For the next 15 years, he worked exclusively in English until the release of the critically acclaimed Voces inocentes in 2004. This film earned him a Best Director nomination for the Ariel Award in 2005, won three awards, and was nominated for Best Film. It was selected to represent Mexico for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, grossed approximately 49.4 million pesos (about 4.5 million U.S. dollars), and was viewed by 1.5 million people.
Luis Mandoki currently lives in Mexico City with his wife, Olivia, and their three children: Camille, Daniel, and Michelle.
