Valentina Maurel
Costa Rican-French filmmaker (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valentina Maurel Soto[1] (born 1988)[2] is a Costa Rican-French director and screenwriter.
1988 (age 37–38)
- Director
- screenwriter
Valentina Maurel | |
|---|---|
Maurel in 2019 | |
| Born | Valentina Maurel Soto 1988 (age 37–38) San José, Costa Rica |
| Education | Institut national supérieur des arts du spectacle et des techniques de diffusion |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Mother | Ana Istarú |
Early life
Maurel was born in San José, Costa Rica, the daughter of Costa Rican poet Ana Istarú and French actor César Maurel. She studied art history at the University of Costa Rica for a year before moving to France at the age of 19.[3][4][5] She later studied film at the Institut national supérieur des arts du spectacle et des techniques de diffusion (INSAS) in Brussels.[6]
Career
Maurel's graduation film at INSAS, a short titled Paul Is Here, won the Cinéfondation First Jury Prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.[7][8] Her debut feature film, I Have Electric Dreams, opened the official competition of Film Fest Gent in 2022.[9] The film went on to win the Best Direction Award at the Locarno Film Festival, the Horizontes Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, and the Golden Alexander at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.[10] In September 2024, she served on the Horizontes jury of the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival.[11] Her second feature film, Forever Your Maternal Animal, competed in the Un Certain Regard competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.[12][13]
Personal life
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Paul Is Here | Yes | Yes | Short film | [16] |
| 2019 | Lucia in Limbo | Yes | Yes | Short film | [17] |
| 2022 | I Have Electric Dreams | Yes | Yes | [18] | |
| 2026 | Forever Your Maternal Animal | Yes | Yes | [19] |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinéfondation | 2017 | First Jury Prize | Paul Is Here | Won | [20] |
| Film Fest Gent | 2022 | Grand Prix | I Have Electric Dreams | Special mention | [21] |
| International Film Festival of India | 2022 | Golden Peacock | Won | [22] | |
| Locarno Film Festival | 2022 | Golden Leopard | Nominated | [23] | |
| Best Direction Award | Won | ||||
| Luxembourg City Film Festival | 2023 | Grand Prix | Won | [24] | |
| Magritte Award | 2020 | Best Fiction Short Film | Lucia in Limbo | Nominated | [25] |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 2022 | Horizontes Award | I Have Electric Dreams | Won | [26] |
| Thessaloniki International Film Festival | 2022 | Golden Alexander | Won | [27] |
