Diego Quemada-Diez

Diego Quemada-Diez
Diego Quemada-Diez shooting The Golden Dream
OccupationFilm director - screenwriter - cinematographer - producer
Years active1994-present

Diego Quemada-Diez (born in Burgos, Spain) is a Spanish-born Mexican film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and producer. He is best known for his debut feature La jaula de Oro (The Golden Dream, 2013). The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, where it won three distinctions, including the Un Certain Talent Award, the Gillo Pontecorvo Award, and the François Chalais Special Mention Award.[1] Following its success, La Jaula de Oro earned over 80 national and international awards, including nine Ariel Awards from the Mexican Film Academy.[2][3]

Early life

Quemada-Diez was born in Burgos, Spain. His parents separated when he was eight years old, after which he moved with his mother to Barcelona. His mother was a schoolteacher with an interest in the arts and progressive politics, and she frequently travelled to Guatemala and Mexico, where she had connections to missionaries associated with Liberation Theology. He has credited her influence as formative to his social and artistic outlook.[4][5]

As a child he attended a progressive art school and developed an interest in painting, drawing, and writing. He has cited Shane (George Stevens, 1953) as the film that first inspired him to pursue filmmaking. Without access to film school in Spain or industry connections, he began working as a production runner on commercial productions in Barcelona, eventually rising to production coordinator under director Isabel Coixet.[4][6][7]

At the age of 17, following his mother's death, he moved to Mexico, where he sought opportunities and pursue his ambition of becoming a film director.[8] He later relocated to Los Angeles, where he studied cinematography at the American Film Institute on a scholarship, and graduated with a short film, A Table Is a Table (2001).[9]

Career

Early career and collaboration with Ken Loach

Quemada-Diez began his career as a camera assistant on Ken Loach's Land and Freedom (1995), a drama based on Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell. He went on to work with Loach on two further films: Carla's Song (1996) and Bread and Roses (2000). Loach's filmmaking approach significantly influenced Quemada-Diez, particularly his methods of filming in narrative sequence, keeping actors unaware of upcoming plot developments, maintaining the camera at eye level, and working with non-professional actors in real locations. He has cited these principles as central to his own directorial practice.[4][10][11]

Work as a camera operator

In the late 1990s and 2000s, Quemada-Diez worked as a camera operator across multiple feature productions. His credits during this period include Any Given Sunday (Oliver Stone), 21 Grams (Alejandro González Iñárritu), Man on Fire (Tony Scott), Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles), and She Hate Me (Spike Lee).[3][10]

Short films

Alongside his camera work in the film industry, Quemada-Diez directed several short films. His AFI graduation film A Table Is a Table (2001) won the ASC Award for Best Cinematography and was showcased at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.[3]

His second short, I Want to Be a Pilot (2006), was developed from testimonies gathered from orphaned children at the Raila Educational Center in Kibera, Kenya, while Quemada-Diez was working as a camera operator on The Constant Gardener, a Fernando Meirelles' film based on the novel by John Le Carre.[5] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received awards.[12]

In 2006, he also directed the documentary short La Morena, which competed in the official selection of the Morelia International Film Festival.[13]

La jaula de oro (2013)

In 2002, while making a documentary in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Quemada-Diez began a multi-year research process, interviewing migrants traveling through Mexico on freight trains. Over the course of six years, he conducted more than 600 interviews, compiling what he described as a "collective testimony" of the migrant experience. He relocated to Mexico City around 2007 to concentrate full-time on the project.[4][10][11]

In 2010, he received a Cinéfondation grant from the Cannes Film Festival to participate in L'Atelier, which provided support for the development of the feature.[14] The film was co-written with Gibran Portela and Lucía Carreras and produced by Quemada-Diez's company, Kinemascope Films, in partnership with Machete and Animal de Luz.[3]

Brandon Lopez, Karen Martinez, Diego Quemada-Diez, Rodolfo Dominguez at La Jaula de Oro premiere in Mexico city

The film premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won three awards.[15] It later received nine Ariel Awards from the Mexican Film Academy,[3] the Best Ibero-American Film at the first Fenix Awards,[16] the Best First Mexican Feature Film Award at the Morelia Film Festival,[17] the Golden Gateway Of India award in the Mumbai Film Festival,[18][19] the Best International Feature Film at the Zurich Film Festival,[20] and the Satyajit Ray Foundation's Director of the Year award,[21] among many other accolades.[2][3]

The film was also selected as one of the favorite films of Ken Loach.[22]

Filmography

As director

Year Title Type Awards Notes
2001 A Table is a Table (Una mesa es una mesa) Short film 9 AFI graduation[3]
2006 I Want to Be a Pilot (Quiero ser piloto) Short film 50+ Premiered at Sundance FF, Locarno FF, Telluride FF, Sao Paulo IFF[23]
2006 La Morena Short documentary - Competed at Morelia International Film Festival[24]
2013 La jaula de oro (The Golden Dream) Feature film 80+ Premiered at Cannes FF (Un Certain Regard), London IFF, Karlovy Vary IFF, Busan IFF, and others.[23]

As camera operator/assistant (selected credits)

Year Film Director Role
1995 Land and Freedom Ken Loach Camera assistant/clapper loader
1996 Carla's Song Ken Loach Camera assistant
1996 Things I Never Told You Isabel Coixet Camera department
1999 Any Given Sunday Oliver Stone Camera operator
2000 Bread and Roses Ken Loach Camera assistant
2003 21 Grams Alejandro González Iñárritu Camera operator
2004 Man on Fire Tony Scott Camera operator
2004 She Hate Me Spike Lee Camera operator
2005 The Constant Gardener Fernando Meirelles Camera operator
2006 The Number 23 Joel Schumacher Camera crew

Personal life

Quemada-Diez is a naturalized Mexican citizen. After years of working in the United States and learning from his mentors in the film industry, he decided to settle in Mexico, where he focuses on telling stories that resonate with the migrant experience and address social issues affecting Latin America. He is also a member of various film organizations, including the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC).[5][9]

Awards and recognition

Quemada-Diez's debut feature, La jaula de oro, received recognition at various film festivals and award ceremonies. The film won over 80 national and international awards, including three distinctions at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, and nine awards at the 56th Ariel Awards.[3][15]

His short film, A Table Is a Table (2001) film received the American Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography, helping to launch his career as a camera operator on major international productions. Meanwhile, I Want to Be a Pilot (2006), also received international recognitions following its premiere at Sundance Film Festival, including the Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival, and a Special Jury Mention at the 27th Amiens International Film Festival.[6][12]

Awards and recognitions received by Quemada-Diez
Year Awarding Institution Award Notes
2008 Latin American Poetic Short Film Festival Best Director I Want to Be a Pilot
2013 Thessaloniki Film Festival Best Director La jaula de oro
2013 Vladivostok Film Festival Bes Director La jaula de oro
2013 Mostra Internacional de Cinema Special Mention - New Directors La jaula de oro
2013 Fine Arts International Film Festival Best Director La jaula de oro
2014 French National Ministry of Education Jean Renoir Award - High School Students Prize La jaula de oro
2014 Havana Film Festival Best Director La jaula de oro
2014 Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) Nomination - Best Director La jaula de oro
2014 Satyajit Ray Foundation Best Director La jaula de oro
2014 Chicago Film Festival Golden Hugo Award - Best New Director La jaula de oro
2014 Calanda International Film Festival (Luis Buñuel) Best Director La jaula de oro
2015 Association of Entertainment Journalist of NYC (ACE Latino Awards) Best Director La jaula de oro

See also

References

  1. ↑ "LA JAULA DE ORO". Festival de Cannes. 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  2. 1 2 Hecht, John (2014-05-27). "'La Jaula de Oro' Dominates Mexico's Ariel Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hopewell, John (2015-12-30). "'Jaula de Oro's' Quemada-Diez Preps 'Operacion Atlas' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 MacInnes, Paul (2014-06-20). "The Golden Dream: 'I wanted to convey brotherhood beyond races, beyond nationalities'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  5. 1 2 3 "Diego Quemada-Diez - Director de cine". DDCM. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  6. 1 2 ical (2013-04-18). "El burgalés Diego Quemada-Díez competirá en el Festival de Cannes". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  7. ↑ Green, Gary (2014-06-27). ""We can't just keep building the walls..."Diego Quemada-Diez on Cinematic Rebellion and The Golden Dream - HeyUGuys". HeyUGuys. Archived from the original on 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  8. ↑ Digital, Milenio (2014-01-13). "Quemada-Diez, el cineasta que realizó su sueño en México". Grupo Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-04.
  9. 1 2 "Diego Quemada-Diez – casawabi". Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  10. 1 2 3 Brady, Tara. "The Golden Dream: teen heroes in a world of double standards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
  11. 1 2 "The Golden Dream, directed by Diego Quemada-Díez". Times Higher Education (THE). 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  12. 1 2 "Quiero ser piloto I want to be a pilot". Secretaría de Cultura/Sistema de Información Cultural (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  13. ↑ "Diego Quemada-Diez | Morelia Film Festival". moreliafilmfest.com. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
  14. ↑ "L'Atelier 2010". Festival de Cannes (in French). 2010-03-21. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  15. 1 2 "AWARDS - Un Certain Regard 2013". Festival de Cannes. 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  16. ↑ Hecht, John (2014-10-31). "Immigration Drama 'The Golden Dream' Tops First-Ever Fenix Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
  17. ↑ "Lista de ganadores y premios del 11º FICM | Morelia Film Festival". moreliafilmfest.com (in Spanish). 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  18. ↑ Staff, T. H. R. (2013-10-25). "Mumbai Fest: Mexico's 'La Jaula De Oro' Wins Top Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  19. ↑ "Golden Dream, Fandry win in Mumbai". Screen. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  20. ↑ "An overview of all current and previous prize winners". zff.com. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  21. ↑ "Gana director de 'La jaula de oro' gran premio de cine indio". El Informador: Noticias de Jalisco, México, Deportes & Entretenimiento (in Mexican Spanish). 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  22. ↑ "La jaula de oro, entre las películas favoritas del director británico Ken Loach | Morelia Film Festival". moreliafilmfest.com (in Spanish). 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  23. 1 2 "Cinélatino | The Atlas Dossier". Cinélatino. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  24. ↑ "La Morena | Morelia Film Festival". moreliafilmfest.com. 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
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