Arturo Sotto Díaz

Cuban film director and screenwriter. Graduate of Bachelor's Degree in Performing Arts from the Instituto Superior de Arte de La Habana, and from the International School of Film and Television of San Antonio de los Baños.

From a young age he became involved in the amateur theater movement as an actor and director. He writes and directs the theatrical works Escuadra a ras de sueño and Raíz de 4-1, and his first film screenplay Quién habrá cerrado las puertas? He participated in cinematographic playwriting workshops. He founded the Elsinor Theater Festival.

His films have been selected for the festivals of Oberhausen, Sao Paulo, Viña del Mar, Toronto, Biarritz, Salónica, Chicago, Washington, Valdivia, Lima and Brussels. He has been an international jury member at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival in Germany, and at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in La Habana. In 2004 he received a grant from the Fundación Carolina (Spain) to attend the Iberoamerican Screenplay Development Course, for his screenplay Habana Oculta.

He is the author of Conversaciones al lado de Cinecittá (ICAIC Editions), a compilation of stories, testimonies and interviews with specialists and technicians who have made films at ICAIC for 50 years. In 2012 he published the short story collection Caro diario (Unión Editions).

Member of the Editorial Board of La Gaceta de Cuba. He was director of the magazine Cine Cubano

2022 La novicia jardinera, short film,

2018 Nido de Mantis, feature film.

2016

He receives the award for Best Director of the Year for his film "Boccaccerías Habaneras", the award given by the Association of Entertainment Critics of New York (ACE). The ACE recognizes Latin excellence in film, theater and television every year.

2015

Begins directing the magazine CINE CUBANO.
Gives the lecture "Cuban Cinema and Nation" at the University of Los Angeles (UCLA), California.

2013

Writes, produces and directs the feature film "Boccaccerías Habaneras".
Writes, produces and directs "Zulueta, the Land of Football in Cuba", a chapter for the documentary television series "The Colors of Football" from the international network Telesur.
Selected for the Plume & Pellicule screenplay workshop (Switzerland) by the DremAgo Association for his screenplay "El oscuro San Juan".

2012

Produces and directs the documentary "Performance, Proyecto D", about the work of artist Roberto Diago at the Havana Biennial.
Publishes the volume of short stories "Caro Diario", UNION editions.

2011

Receives the creation grant from the Chateau-Mercier Foundation. Switzerland.
Collaborates on the screenplay and direction of the film "The Merry Graingers" (Serena Belsby, USA).

2009

Writes, produces and directs the documentary "El Misterio de las Aguas", in co-production with Seseo Film (Seville) and with the support of the Cultural Advisory Board of the Junta de Andalucía.
Publishes the volume "Conversaciones al lado de Cinecittá", ICAIC editions.

2008

Writes and directs the documentary "Breton es un bebé (Los Cubanos)" for the documentary series "Los Latinoamericanos" produced by Televisión América Latina (TAL).
Writes and directs the documentary "Lo mismo, se escribe igual", Spain-Cuba co-production for the series "Stories of Cuban Music", with the participation of TVE.

2007

Special Jury Prize at the Biarritz Film Festival for "La Noche de los Inocentes"
"El Megano" Award by the Association of Film Clubs of Cuba for "La Noche de los Inocentes" within the framework of the 29th Festival of New Latin American Cinema.
Documentary Production Award by Cinergia (Central American Audiovisual Fund) for "Breton es un bebé".
Participates in the Tuscan-Sundance 2007 Screenplay Laboratory supported by the Mexican Institute of Cinematography, with the screenplay PPK (Peter Pan Kids).

2006

Award for Best Unpublished Screenplay at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Habana, for his screenplay "PPK (Peter Pan Kids)".
Selected to participate in the international workshop "Plume & Pellicule" with his screenplay "PPK (Peter Pan Kids)", organized by the Dreamago screenwriters association.

2005

Writes and directs the feature fiction film "La Noche de los Inocentes", an Italian-Spanish-Cuban co-production. (Giano Producciones- Fénix- ICAIC) with the participation of TVE.
Receives the award for Project Development from the Cinergia Fund (Costa Rica) for his screenplay "La Noche de los Inocentes".

2004

Makes and produces the documentary "El Hombre de las Mil Voces".
Receives the grant from the Fundación Carolina, Spain, to attend the Iberoamerican Screenplay Development Course for his screenplay "La Noche de los Inocentes"

2003

Co-director, with Jorge Perugorría, of the feature-length documentary "Habana Abierta".
Creates the video-art "El cuerpo y la naturaleza" about the work of painter Manuel Mendive.
Teaches lectures on the History of Cuban Cinema and teaches classes, while serving as a tutor of cinematographic works, at the University of Wisconsin, United States.

2002

International Jury member at the first edition of the Latin festival "La Cinemafé", New York, United States.
Co-author and Photographer of the Documentary "El Beso Oscuro de la Mar" (documentary that addresses the consequences of the "Prestige" accident on the Galician coasts)

2001

International Screenplay Jury member at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Habana, Cuba.

1997

Writes and directs the feature film "Amor Vertical".

1995

Writes and directs the feature film "Pon tu pensamiento en mi".
International Jury member at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival, Germany.

1992

Graduates from EICTV, master's degree in Direction. Writes, directs, produces and photographs the medium-length film "Talco para lo Negro".

1991

Makes the short film "Entre Stalin y un hombre desnudo", video, fiction and "Buscando desesperadamente a Marlon Brando", video, documentary.

1990

Enters the International School of Film and TV of San Antonio de los Baños (EICTV). Makes his first video shorts.
"En la Calzada de Jesús", video, documentary.
"Los Ilustrados de Siempre", video, fiction.

1985-1990

Enters the Instituto Superior de Arte de la Habana. He pursues a Bachelor's Degree in Performing Arts for five years. Writes and directs theatrical works such as "Escuadra a ras de sueño" and "Raíz de 4-1". Graduates as a Bachelor in Performing Arts. Selected as the most outstanding graduate in the artistic field.
Awards and Mentions

2016

Award for Best Director of the Year by the ACE- Association of Entertainment Critics of New York for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".

2015

Award for Best Foreign Comedy at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".
Award for Screenplay and Direction at the Havana Film Festival of New York for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".

2014

Award for Best Foreign Film at the Hermosillo Film Festival (Mexico) for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".
Audience Award (cyber-vote) at the 40th Iberoamerican Film Festival of Huelva (Spain) for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".

2013

Coral Award for Screenplay at the 35th Festival of New Latin American Cinema for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".
Coral Award for Popularity at the 35th Festival of New Latin American Cinema for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".
Cyber-vote Award from the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema at the 35th Festival of New Latin American Cinema for "Boccaccerías Habaneras".

2007

Special Jury Award at the Biarritz Film Festival for "La Noche de los Inocentes".
"El Megano" Award from the Film Clubs of Cuba at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema for "La Noche de los Inocentes".

2006

Award for Best Unpublished Screenplay at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Habana for "PPK (Peter Pan Kids)".

2003

Best Documentary Mention for "Habana Abierta" at the XXV Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Habana.

1997

"Amor Vertical" - Nominated for the Goya Awards as best foreign Spanish-language film.
"Amor Vertical"- Selected to represent Cuba at the Academy Awards of the United States Film Academy.
Award for Best Actress for "Amor Vertical" at the Cartagena de Indias Film Festival, Colombia.
Award for Best Actor for "Amor Vertical" at the Viña del Mar Film Festival, Chile.
Participates in the festivals of Toronto, Biarritz, Salónica, Chicago, Washington, Valdivia, Lima, Brussels

1995

"Pon tu pensamiento en mi" -Nominated for the Goya Awards as best foreign Spanish-language film.
"Pon tu pensamiento en mi"- Selected to represent Cuba at the Academy Awards of the United States Film Academy.
Award for Best Film by the Circle of Art and Culture Journalists.
"Caracol" Award from the UNEAC (Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba) for Best Music and Best Art Direction.
Selected for the official competition of the Toki Film Festival
Award for Best Music and Best Art Direction at the Gramado Film Festival, Brazil

1992

"Talco para lo negro"- Award for Best Short Film at the XIV Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Habana.
"Talco para lo Negro" -Special Jury Award at the Vitoria Film Festival, Spain.
"Caracol" Award for best direction awarded by the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC).
"Talco para lo Negro" -Award for Best Short Film at the XIX edition of the Huelva Festival, Spain.
Award for Best Short Film at the VI Young Film Exhibition, Habana.
Participates in the festivals of Oberhausen, Sao Paulo, Vitoria, and Viña del Mar.

1990

Award at the Young Film Exhibition for Best First Work for "En la Calzada de Jesús".
Award from the Yara Cinematographic Center for best audiovisual work for "Los Ilustrados de Siempre"