Biografia
In 2023, Rafa Lara served as Showrunner, Director, and Screenwriter for the epic historical war series "PANCHO VILLA: CENTAUR OF THE NORTH," which chronicles the life of General Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution at the dawn of the 20th century. The series premiered globally on Disney / Star+ in July 2023, available in over 20 languages.
Rafa Lara began his career directing films, TV, and advertising at age 19. In 2004, he created and showran "The Edge of the Law" in the United States, the first Latin drama serial produced with the standards and system of U.S. TV series. He has directed advertising campaigns for major brands such as TOYOTA, KIA, Johnnie Walker, BMW, Daewoo, Panasonic, PEMEX, Corona Beer, and Coca-Cola. In all his films, Lara has taken on the roles of Director, Writer, Producer, and Editor, and as Showrunner for series, collaborating with top actors and actresses in the Spanish-speaking market.
His debut feature, "La Milagrosa" (Colombia, 2008), is a large-scale action-war drama set against the Colombian conflict and guerrilla kidnappings. It was nominated for Best First Feature Film at the prestigious Warsaw International Film Festival.
"The Fifth Commandment" (Mexico, 2010) is a psychological thriller about a lonely young serial killer targeting teenage girls, addressing the sensitive topic of pedophilia.
"Red Lips" (Mexico, 2011) is a romantic comedy that became one of the most successful Mexican films of its release year.
"Cinco de Mayo, The Battle" (Mexico, 2013) is an epic historical war film and the highest-budget production in Mexican cinema history. Lara was chosen by the Government of Puebla to direct it in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla.
"Nothing Happens Here" (Mexico, 2014) is a politically charged human rights-themed short film that won the Silver Goddess award for Best Mexican Short Film of the Year, along with several international honors and festival selections.
"Size Does Matter" (Mexico, 2016) is a romantic comedy released theatrically in Mexico and the USA in early 2017, achieving strong box office success and invitations to multiple film festivals, often as the main or opening gala feature.
"Jesus of Nazaret" (Spain, 2017) is a biblical epic depicting key events in the life of Jesus Christ. This major international production was planned for worldwide release in 2020.
In 2018, Lara returned to direct the high-budget action series "Steel Lady" for Telemundo International.
In 2019, he served as General Director, Showrunner, and Executive Producer of the comedy series "We're Not Dumb" (De Brutas Nada) for SONY Pictures, which premiered globally on Amazon Prime in 2020. The series was a major success, running for three seasons through 2023.
In 2020, Lara directed, produced, and co-wrote his latest film, the comedy "Family Son."
Currently, Rafa Lara is developing multiple projects including another war series, a new horror movie, a historical novel adaptation for film, and a historical war series about Gilberto Bosques, the Mexican consul in France during World War II, known as "the Mexican Schindler" for saving 5,000 Jews and 40,000 Spaniards from the Nazis.
