Jacobo Morales

Jacob Morales is a Puerto Rican director, screenwriter, producer, and actor, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 11, 1954. He has been an influential figure in the development of the Puerto Rican film industry and is considered one of the most important filmmakers of his generation.

Morales began his career as an actor, appearing in various television productions and films in the late 1970s. In 1983, he directed his first feature film, El Super, which was well-received by critics and audiences alike. The film was also the first Puerto Rican production to be shown in the Cannes Film Festival.

Morales followed this success with several other films, including La Gran Fiesta (1985), a comedy about a small town in Puerto Rico, and El Año de la Luna (1989), a drama about a middle-class family struggling to survive the economic crisis of the 1980s. Both films were nominated for numerous awards and helped Morales establish himself as an important filmmaker.

In 1992, Morales directed the drama Nadie hablará de nosotras cuando hayamos muerto, which won several awards, including the Best Film Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film dealt with themes of gender violence and was highly praised for its sensitive portrayal of the issue.

Throughout the 1990s, Morales continued to make important films, including La Carreta (1995), a drama about a struggling family living in a rural area of Puerto Rico. The film won a jury award at the Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2003, Morales directed his most successful film to date, the romantic comedy Maldeamores, which was nominated for Best Latin American Film at the Goya Awards. In the same year, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts from the Puerto Rican government for his contributions to the Puerto Rican film industry.

In recent years, Morales has continued to make important films, including Aire Libre (2009) and Más allá del Amor (2015). He is currently in pre-production for his next film, La Isla de la Esperanza, which is scheduled for release in 2021.

Morales has been an important figure in the development of the Puerto Rican film industry and has been recognized for his work with multiple awards, including the National Medal of Arts. His films have been praised for their sensitive and nuanced portrayals of Puerto Rican culture and society.