Biography
Álex de la Iglesia, born Alejandro de la Iglesia Mendoza on 4 December 1965 in Bilbao, Spain, is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer. He studied philosophy at the University of Deusto and began his career drawing comics before working as an art director on short films and features. His directorial debut was the feature Acción mutante (1993), produced by Pedro Almodóvar's El Deseo.
De la Iglesia's films often blend dark comedy with horror and thriller elements. Key works include The Day of the Beast (1995), which won six Goya Awards including Best Director; The Last Circus (2010), awarded the Silver Lion for Best Direction at Venice; and the series 30 Coins (2020). He frequently collaborates with screenwriter Jorge Guerricaechevarría.
With his wife Carolina Bang, de la Iglesia founded the production company Pokeepsie Films, through which he has produced films including Drawn Together (2026). He served as president of the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences from 2009 to 2011.
