Ernesto Daranas Serrano

Director and screenwriter of Cuban cinema, radio and television, known for Conducta (2014), Los dioses rotos (2008) and ¿La vida en rosa? (2004).

Bachelor's degree in Pedagogy and Geography. He has conducted various journalistic collaborations and taught workshops and conferences on screenwriting, directing and dramaturgy of audiovisual production.

At a very young age he began working professionally in radio, where he wrote chronicles, character sketches, theatrical pieces, short stories and radio serials. He later worked as a screenwriter in the Dramatized Content Department of Cuban Television. In 2004 he wrote the screenplay and co-directed with Natasha Vázquez the documentary Los últimos gaiteros de la Habana, winner of the International Journalism Award King of Spain, one of the most important awards in the Hispanic world.

Also in 2004 Daranas wrote and directed La Vida en Rosa, a television film with marked critical intention toward certain problems in current Cuban society, such as prostitution, poverty and absent parents. This work won the Grand Prize at the I National Television Festival of Cuba, along with other distinctions that include awards for best direction and original screenplay.

In 2009 he directs his feature film debut Los dioses rotos, a fictional feature inspired by the life of the famous Cuban pimp Alberto Yarini. The film won the Audience Award and the Cuban Film Critics and Cultural Critics Awards at the 30 Festival of New Latin American Cinema in La Habana.

In February 2014 he premieres his second feature film "Conducta", produced by MINCULT, ICAIC and RTV Comercial.

Filmography
1997

Havana (Documentary short series. Made between 1990 and 1997. Cristal Films)
1999

Owner of the Dawn (Screenplay. Police series. Cubavisión)
Crocodile Hunters (Valle Bierzo-CVI. Doc.)
The Island of Lighthouses (27´, Valle Bierzo S.A.- Cubavisión Internacional)
Viñales, the Miracles of Water (27´, Valle Bierzo S.A.- Cubavisión Internacional)
2000

Cimarrón (Doc. 26´, Valle Bierzo S.A.)
Back to Paradise (Doc. 29´, Valle Bierzo S.A.)
Santa Cruz, the Tragedy (Doc. 28", Cubavisión Internacional)
The Most Beautiful Land (Documentary series with naturalist, cultural and ethnographic themes. Cubavisión)
2001

The Sea of Shipwrecks (Video Doc, 40´)
2002

A Story of the Road (Screenplay. Fiction. Cubavisión)
Martín Inferno (Doc. 52´. Discovery Channel and Triplex Films)
2003

Ana and the Parrots (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 21". AS Video)
The Man from Venus (Screenplay and Co-direction. Television film. Cubavisión)
The Other (Screenplay. Television film. Cubavisión)
2004

Los últimos gaiteros de La Habana (Doc. 26´)
¿La Vida en Rosa? (Television film 75´. Cubavisión)
2005

Daughters of Galicia (Doc. 26´)
2009

Los dioses rotos (Fiction Feature Film)
2014

Conducta (Fiction Feature Film)
2016

Sergio & Serguéi
Awards and Honors

Daranas during the filming of Los Dioses rotos
Vitral Award for Best Television Spot of 1997.
Castelao Medal. Principal Galician decoration awarded by the Xunta of this Spanish autonomous community for his entire audiovisual body of work.
Sara Gómez Documentary Award at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema in La Habana, 2004.
Award from the Festival of the Ibero-American Independent Video Movement.
Ana and the Parrots

Grand Prize awarded by the Caribbean Broadcasting Awards. 2003.
Documentary Mention. Caracol Prize. National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, UNEAC. La Habana, 2003.
Cimarrón

Award from the Institute of Anthropology of Cuba. 2000.
Back to Paradise

Selected to open the Latin American short film showcase in Zurich, Switzerland, 2000.
The Man from Venus

Mariposa Award for Best Treatment of a Feminine Theme. La Habana, 2003.
Daughters of Galicia

Award for Best Photography. National Video Meeting 2005.
5 collateral awards at the Santiago Álvarez In Memoriam Documentary Festival. Cuba, 2005.

Award for Best Documentary. National Video Meeting 2005.
Award for Best Editing. National Video Meeting 2005.
Cineplaza Screenplay Award. La Habana, 2005.
Film Critics Award at Caracol Festival, 2005.
Grand Prize. National Video Meeting 2005.
The Island of Lighthouses

Caracol Award for Best Photography, Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 1999.
The Most Beautiful Land

Caracol Cuba Award for Best Documentary Series. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 2000.
Los dioses rotos

Audience Award at the 30 Festival of New Latin American Cinema in La Habana. 2008.
Best Feature Film Model Award (ex aequo). 6th International Festival of Poor Cinema, Gibara, 2008.
Award from the Circle of Cultural Journalists of the Union of Journalists of Cuba.
Award from the Cuban Association of Film Press.
Selected by the Cuban Association of Film Press among the 10 best films exhibited in 2008.
Caricato Award for Best Actor in Cinema to Héctor Noas. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, 2009.
Award for Best Art Direction to Erick Grass. 17 Providence Latin American Film Festival. United States, 2009.
Award for Best Music to José Antonio Leyva and Magda Rosa Galván. 17 Providence Latin American Film Festival. United States, 2009.
Los últimos gaiteros de La Habana

Vitral Award for Best Documentary at National Video Meeting, Cuba.
Award for Best Documentary. National Television Festival 2005.
Award for Best Overall Direction. National Television Festival 2005.
Award for Best Original Screenplay. National Television Festival 2005.
Creative Mastery Award from the Santiago Álvarez In Memoriam Documentary Festival.
Sara Gómez Documentary Award at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema in La Habana 2004.
Ibero-American Journalism Award King of Spain 2004.
Grand Prize at the National Television Festival 2005.
Award from the Ibero-American Independent Video Festival.
Award from the Caribbean Broadcasting Awards, 2005.
Owner of the Dawn

Caracol Award for Best Screenplay for Dramatic Series. National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 1999.
Santa Cruz, the Tragedy

Caracol Award for Best Documentary. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 2000.
A Story of the Road

Caracol Award for Best Television Film Screenplay. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 2002.
Unit program with the greatest popularity of 2002.
Viñales, the Miracles of Water

Cimex Award for Best Work with Ecological Theme of 1999.
¿La Vida en Rosa?

Award for Best Television Film. National Television Festival. La Habana, 2005.
Caracol and Caricato Awards for Female Lead Acting and Secondary Female and Male Acting. 2004.
Caracol Awards for Photography, Editing, Makeup, Wardrobe and Production. 2004.
Caracol Award for Best Screenplay. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 2004.
Caracol Award for Best Direction. Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 2004.
Awards for Direction and Screenplay of Television Film. National Television Festival. 2005.