Elena López Riera

FILMMAKER
SPAIN

Born in Orihuela (1982 Alicante), she is a filmmaker, artist, and scholar based in Geneva, whose work bridges cinema, visual arts, and critical research. Holding a Ph.D. in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Valencia, she has combined an academic trajectory —publishing extensively on cinema, memory, and identity— with an internationally recognized artistic career. In 2015 she made her directorial debut with the short film ‘Pueblo’, selected for the Filmmakers’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, followed in 2016 by ‘The Entrails’ (which participated in competition at the Locarno Film Festival and won the silver Mikeldi prize at Zinebi film festival) and ‘Those Who Lust’, that won the Pardino d’Oro at Locarno Film Festival and was nominated for the European Film Awards for Best Short Film, in addition to receiving awards at the San Sebastian and Vila do Conde festivals. Her debut feature ‘The Water’ (2022) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival (Directors’ Fortnight) and earned nominations at the Swiss and Spanish Academy Awards. Her most recent work, ‘Southern Brides’ (2024), was awarded the Queer Palm at Cannes and went on to receive both the César and Quartz Awards in 2025, consolidating her reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary European cinema. Parallel to her filmmaking, López Riera has presented solo exhibitions at major institutions such as MoMA PS1, La Cinémathèque française, and Cineteca Bogotá, and has been invited to teach and lecture at universities and art centers across Europe and Latin America. Her trajectory is marked by a unique ability to intertwine poetic narrative, social memory, and critical reflection, making her a prominent figure at the intersection of film, contemporary art, and academia.