Otilia Portillo Padua is a Mexican director, producer and screenwriter known for her award-winning feature films, documentaries and shorts. She was born in Mexico City in 1974 and studied film at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Portillo Padua started her career directing short films in 1995, including A Dream of Mexico (1995), The Land of Chocolate (1998), and The Day of the Moon (2000). Her feature films have included The Other Side of the Bed (2002), which won the Best Screenplay award at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, La Zona (2007), which won the Best Director award at the Huelva Latin American Film Festival, and Las Malcriadas (2009), which won the Best Feature Film award at the Guanajuato International Film Festival.
In addition to her feature films, Portillo Padua has directed several documentaries, including The House of the Spirits (2005), which won the Best Documentary award at the Morelia International Film Festival, and The Road to Freedom (2010), which won the Best Documentary award at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
Portillo Padua has also served as a producer on several films, including the feature films To Live and Die in L.A. (2005) and The Burning Plain (2008). She has been a jury member at numerous film festivals, including the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Guanajuato International Film Festival, and the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
Portillo Padua has been highly praised for her work in the film industry, winning numerous awards and accolades. In 2015, she was awarded the Ariel Award for Best Direction for her work on Las Malcriadas, and in 2017 she was honored with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor Mexico bestows on foreign citizens.
Portillo Padua is widely considered one of the most important voices in contemporary Mexican cinema, and her films have been praised for their thoughtful and sensitive portrayals of the human experience. With her unique vision and powerful storytelling, she has contributed greatly to the Mexican film industry and has become a role model for aspiring filmmakers.
