RICARDO DE MONTREUIL

Born in Lima, Peru, Ricardo de Montreuil is a feature film and commercial director who has been based in Los Angeles since 2005. He studied painting at the Trujillo Fine Arts School under the renowned Peruvian painter Pedro Azabache before earning a BA and MA in Graphic Design, along with a minor in Film and Art History, from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He later trained in directing under Judith Weston in Los Angeles.

De Montreuil made his feature film debut with La Mujer de mi Hermano (My Brother’s Wife), based on the novel by controversial Peruvian author Jaime Bayly. The film was acquired by Twentieth Century Fox for Latin American distribution and by Lionsgate for U.S. theatrical release. It became one of the highest-grossing films in Latin American exhibition history and, at the time, set records for the widest release and biggest opening weekend box office for a Spanish-language film in the U.S.

His next feature, Máncora, premiered in competition in the World Drama category at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and went on to screen at SXSW, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Stockholm International Film Festival, the São Paulo International Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, the Miami International Film Festival, and the Bergen International Film Festival.

In 2010, de Montreuil’s science fiction short film The Raven garnered significant industry attention for its storytelling and groundbreaking visual effects. It topped that year’s industry short-form Black List, surpassing multi-million-dollar productions like Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Nike commercial. Following its success, De Montreuil partnered with screenwriter Justin Marks and producer Mark Wahlberg to develop a feature adaptation at Universal Pictures.

De Montreuil later directed Lowriders for Universal Pictures, produced by Brian Grazer and Jason Blum, and starring Academy Award nominee Demián Bichir. The film enjoyed the highest per-theater average in the U.S. during its opening weekend. More recently, he helmed the pilot for Once Upon a Time in Aztlan for Amazon Studios and STX.

His latest feature, Mistura, premiered in the U.S. at the 2024 Mill Valley Film Festival before making its Latin American debut at the Morelia International Film Festival, where it received the longest standing ovation of the festival. At the 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival, Mistura won the Jury Awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress. It continued its success at the Durango Independent Film Festival, earning the Audience Award for Best Picture as well as Jury Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress. The film is set for a wide release across Latin America in Fall 2025.

Up next, de Montreuil is directing the drama Dead Gardens Bloom, produced by Elisabeth Avellan (Sin City, Desperado) and starring Andy García. The film is scheduled to begin production in Fall 2025.