Julio Hernández Cordón is a celebrated Guatemalan film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his award-winning films. Born in Guatemala City in 1975, Hernández Cordón was raised by his parents, both of whom were members of the country’s artistic elite. While still in high school, he began experimenting with video and made his first short film, “La Noche de la Muerte” (“The Night of Death”), which won the Gold Medal at the Youth International Film Festival in 1990.
Hernández Cordón went on to study at the Universidad Rafael Landívar in Guatemala before moving to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue a degree in film at the California Institute of the Arts. He completed his studies in 1998, and soon after he returned to Guatemala to begin his career as a filmmaker.
In 2001, he released his first feature film, “Tiempo de Lluvia” (“Time of Rain”), which was met with critical acclaim and won several awards, including a Special Jury Mention at the Latin American Film Festival in San Sebastian. His second feature film, “Ceibo” (“The Ceibo Tree”), was released in 2005 and earned him a nomination for the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2008, Hernández Cordón completed his third feature film, “La Tirisia” (“The Tirisia”), which won the Grand Prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Havana Film Festival. His fourth feature film, “No Se Aceptan Devoluciones” (“No Returns Accepted”), earned him the Best Director Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2011.
In addition to his feature films, Hernández Cordón has directed several short films, including “Las Paredes Hablan” (“The Walls Talk”) and “La Migración” (“The Migration”). He has also produced several documentaries, including “The Other Side of Silence”, which won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007.
Hernández Cordón’s films have been praised for their nuanced exploration of Guatemala’s complicated history
