Diego Céspedes

• Name — Diego Céspedes • Born — 1995 • Birthplace — Santiago, Chile • Education — University of Chile • Occupation — * Director • screenwriter • cinematographer • Years Active — 2016–present

Céspedes was born in Santiago and grew up in a working class family from Peñalolén. His father is a school bus driver and his mother is a homemaker. He received a scholarship to study film and television at the University of Chile, from which he graduated in 2018. While a student, he met director Alicia Scherson and worked as her assistant for three years.

Céspedes's directorial debut, a short titled The Summer of the Electric Lion, won the Cinéfondation prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. He went on to write and direct a second short film titled The Melting Creatures, which premiered in the Critics' Week section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. His debut feature film, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, won the Un Certain Regard competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The film was later selected as the Chilean entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards and received a nomination for Best Ibero-American Film at the 40th Goya Awards. In May 2026, he was announced as a jury member for the main competition of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

• Illustration — Céspedes and the cast of The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo accepting the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival • Year — Title — Director — Writer — Cinematographer — Notes — Reference • 2016 — Non Castus — Short film • 2018 — The Summer of the Electric Lion — Short film • 2022 — The Melting Creatures — Short film • 2025 — The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo