Francisco Javier Gutiérrez

Francisco Javier Gutiérrez (born July 5, 1973) is a fantasy genre director who has received several awards and is one of the most lauded filmmakers in the genre in Spain. His fans consider him a cult director for his works like the short film [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0336074/ Brasil] .

Infobox actor
name = Javier Gutierrez

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imagesize =
caption = Javier Gutierrez shooting Before the fall in 2007
birthname = Francisco Javier Gutierrez
birthdate = birth date and age|1973|07|05
location = Córdoba, Andalusia, Esp
spouse =
domesticpartner =
yearsactive =
awards =

Biography

Javier Gutiérrez was born in Córdoba, on July 5, 1973. Javier moved to Madrid in 1991 to study law. While attending Law School he also studied acting and produced his first short films. With [http://elcuerpotheshortfilm.blogspot.com/ El Cuerpo (1998)] he entered the his first international festivals where he was quickly identified as a director with a distinct personal style.

Filmography

In 2001 Javier Gutiérrez created his own production company aiming to make films with an international reach. In 2002 he was invited by TVE program “Versión Española” to direct a piece for the series “Diminutos del Calvario II”. News of Javier’s [http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQMxw6hifY La habitacion de Norman] , a claustrophobic tribute to Psycho, was published by film industry magazines in the US. In the same year, he won the “Universal Studios” prize and moved to Los Angeles. In 2007 Javier received an offer from Antonio Banderas and Antonio Pérez to direct his first feature film, Before the fall (2008) which entered the official section “Special Panorama” at the Berlin Film Festival

Style

Javier Gutiérrez’s stories are rich and profound. The visual style of his sets brings to memory the 1970’s decade and his photography and sound are meticulous and exquisite. Apocalypse and violence are at the centerpiece of his works and it is his perception of these obscure and unsettling themes what divides his followers from his critics. However, most agree that as a filmmaker he has an unusual ability to stir emotions and that he is a compelling storyteller.

Before the fall

Before the fall is Javier Gutiérrez’s first feature film. During its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival the public booed and applauded equally. The controversy grew among the critics when Rebeca Davis from the Daily Telegraph praised the films as one of the best in the festival because it

“proves that films about armageddic meteorites crashing into the earth can be both intelligent and moving. Deep Impact it ain't [ [http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/arts/reellife/february08/berlinalebestandworst.htm The best (and worst) of the Berlin Film Festival : February 2008 : Reel Life : Arts : Telegraph Blogs ] ] ”

Whereas Jay Weissberg from Variety attacked the film, labeling it as unpleasant and inappropriate and predicted

"College-age males may get a kick, but survival chances outside Spain are slim. [ [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2478&reviewid=VE1117936166&cs=1 Before the Fall Movie Review From The Berlin Film Festival ] ] "

However, before its Spanish premiere at the Malaga Film Festival, the film has already been sold for distribution in Japan and two offers have been received for a remake in English.

Eventually, Gutierrez's debut won 4 awards in the Malaga Spanish Film Festival including "Best Feature Film" and "Best Screenplay".

References

External links

* [http://elcuerpotheshortfilm.blogspot.com/ El Cuerpo (1998)]
* [http://fjgutierrez.blogspot.com Filmmaker's Official Blog]
* [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/crypt/pages/recent_reviews/article_365.shtml HOH: Norman's Room Review]
* [http://www.abc.es/hemeroteca/historico-21-07-2007/sevilla/Cultura/se-rueda-verano-en-la-roca-pelicula-de-terror-arranca-en-sevilla_16447954194.html Antonio Banderas y Antonio Pérez inician la producción de la primera película de Javier Gutiérrez]
* [http://www.andalocio.com/cont/7426 Antonio Pérez y Antonio Banderas producen la primera película del premiado Javier Gutiérrez]
* [http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/arts/reellife/february08/berlinalebestandworst.htm Daily Telegraph article on the Berlin Film Festival]
* [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2478&reviewid=VE1117936166&cs=1 Variety] .
* [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117983955&cs=1 Variety: Before The Fall tops Malaga Festival]
* [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991588.html?categoryId=1983&cs=1 Variety: Before the Fall selected for the European Film Awards]
* [http://abc.hoycinema.com/criticas/3-dias-2008/1403.htm ABC]
* [http://blogs.elpais.com/festival_cine_malaga/2008/04/vas-a-morir-en.html El Pais]
* [http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/fantasia-dispatch-3-tres-dias-review/ TwichFilm Review]
* [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i3877e2fce5bbac5ba6d909faaf97e241, Hollywood Reporter] .
* [http://www.filmstalker.co.uk/archives/2008/03/tres_dias_trailer_is_spanish_a.html Before the Fall's Trailer] .
* [http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/so-theres-this-giant-meteor-see twitchfilm.net] .
* [http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2008/03/11/Before-the-Fall-3-Dias-playing-in-Malaga quietearth.us] .
* [http://www.kweb.be/news/ekran/la-fin-du-monde-dans-3-jours- www.kweb.be] , French.
* [http://www.pamedia.com/phpNuke/index.php pamedia.com]
* [http://www.moviemachine.nl/news.php?nid=6789&sid=24cd1dd98ca85a88b2fb8e522560ce33 www.moviemachine.nl]