Rodrigo Prieto

Rodrigo Prieto was born in Mexico City, Mexico. His grandfather, Jorge Prieto Laurens, was the mayor of Mexico City and leader of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico, but was later persecuted by the country's ruler because of political differences. Prieto's grandfather escaped with his family to Texas and then to Los Angeles, where Prieto's father would spend most of his childhood. Prieto's father studied aeronautical engineering at New York University, where he met and married Prieto's mother, an artist. Rodrigo Prieto graduated from Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica in Mexico City.

Prieto is noted for his unconventional use of the camera often combined with strong moody lighting. In 25th Hour, Prieto utilized overexposure and other techniques to create original dream-like images to signify that the events shown on screen are memories or visions. Similarly innovative photography could be spotted in Frida, featuring strong colors and sharp imagery blended with atmospheric yellows and browns, as well as his experimental use of infrared during a battle scene in Alexander. Prieto also is interested in evoking naturalism, most evident in The Homesman and Brokeback Mountain.^[1][2] Prieto not only shot Brokeback Mountain, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, but appeared in a cameo role within the film as a Mexican gigolo whom Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Jack Twist, meets.

Prieto has formed an artistic collaboration with Martin Scorsese on his films The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman,^[3][4] and Killers of the Flower Moon.^[5] He garnered nominations for Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the latter three. He served as cinematographer for the music videos for the three Taylor Swift 2020 singles, "The Man", which references one of his previous films The Wolf of Wall Street, "Cardigan" and "Willow".^[6] He went on to work with Swift on her videos for “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite” in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

Prieto is the recipient of the 2021 Vilcek Prize in Filmmaking, awarded by the Vilcek Foundation.^[7][8]

In October 2023, Prieto served as a juror at the Morelia International Film Festival in Michoacán, Mexico.^[9]

Prieto resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife Monica and they have two daughters.^[10]

Academy Awards

BAFTA Awards

American Society of Cinematographers Awards

Camerimage

Other awards

• Cinema of Mexico