Juan J. Campanella
Juan José Campanella (born 19 July 1959) is an Argentine television and film director, writer and producer. He achieved worldwide attention with the release of The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), for which he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Also recorded as Juan José Campanella · Juan Jose Campanella
Juan J. Campanella

Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación · Función accesible de "El cuento de las comadrejas" presentada por su director, Juan José Camapanella · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Juan José Campanella
- Born
- 19 July 1959
- Birthplace
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Education
- New York University
- Occupation
- Filmmaker
- Nationality
- Argentina · Spain
- Known for
- The Secret in Their Eyes · Son of the Bride
- Languages
- Spanish · American English
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Documentary summary
Juan José Campanella (born 19 July 1959) is an Argentine television and film director, writer and producer. He achieved worldwide attention with the release of The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), for which he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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Note VALÉORINE
Juan J. Campanella (born 1959) is an Argentine and Spanish actor, film director and film editor, among other activities. The actor was born in Buenos Aires. Juan J. Campanella studied at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Works include Son of the Bride and The Secret in Their Eyes. Languages used include American English and Spanish.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q726925 · wikipedia · Juan José Campanella
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Juan José Campanella • Citizenship — * Argentina • Spain • Born — 19 July 1959 • Birthplace — Buenos Aires, Argentina • Education — New York University • Years Active — 1979–present • Occupation — Filmmaker
Early life
Early life
Campanella was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started studying engineering, but dropped out in 1980 after four years at university. He would later remark that the decisive factor for this decision was watching All That Jazz on the very day he was going to apply for a fifth year. His debut as director was in 1979, with the short Prioridad nacional. Campanella traveled to the United States and entered the Tisch School of the Arts. Four years later, in 1984, his second film, Victoria 392, which marked the first of five collaborations with actor friend Eduardo Blanco, as well as his first collaboration with screenwriter Fernando Castets, with whom he co-directed and co-wrote the film.
Career
Career
After graduating from NYU film school, Campanella went on to direct two American films: The Boy Who Cried Bitch in 1991 and Love Walked In in 1997. In 1999, Campanella reunited once more with Castets to write El Mismo Amor, la Misma Lluvia, which starred actor friend Ricardo Darín (who had met Campanella 15 years before, abroad) and Eduardo Blanco. The formula would be repeated with two other films, in El Hijo de la Novia, 2001 (nominated for Oscar for best foreign language film in 2002) and in Luna de Avellaneda, 2004, all of which teamed Campanella and Castests as screenwriters, and Darín and Blanco as leading and supporting actor, respectively. Darín reprised the role of Campanella's leading man in the mystery film The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), Campanella's fourth feature-length film. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010. Campanella has directed episodes of American TV series such as House, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, 30 Rock, Halt and Catch Fire and Colony. Campanella has worked 5 times with Blanco, 4 times with Ricardo Darín and 2 times with Héctor Alterio. Campanella has also directed a number of Argentine actors, including Norma Aleandro, Alfredo Alcón, Ulises Dumont, Natalia Verbeke, Adrián Suar, Mercedes Morán, Valeria Bertuccelli and Rodrigo de la Serna, as well as English-speaking actors Christopher Meloni, Denis Leary, Adrien Brody, Moira Kelly, Justin Long, Vincent D'Onofrio, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Rachel Dratch, Hope Davis, Jay Hernandez, Bridget Moynahan, Stephen Colbert, and Hugh Laurie.
Personal life
Personal life
Campanella holds a Master in Fine Arts from New York University and is studying towards a Masters in Political Science from Universidad Torcuato di Tella. He has held Spanish citizenship since 2006.
Producer only
Producer only
• Year — |Title — Notes • 2007 — Aminga, de un pueblo a una ciudad — Executive producer; Short film • 2008 — Los celulares • 2010 — Plumíferos-Aventuras Voladoras — Associate producer • Belgrano — Producer • 2015 — Secret in Their Eyes — Executive producer; American remake of his film The Secret in Their Eyes • 2018 — Ián, una historia que nos movilizara — Executive producer; Short film • 2020 — El límite infinito — Producer; Documentary film
Television
Television
• Year — |Title — Director — Writer — Producer — Notes • 1993 — Lifestories: Families in Crisis — 6 episodes • 1996–1998 — Remember WENN — 16 episodes • 1998 — Upright Citizens Brigade • 2000 — Strangers with Candy — 8 episodes • 2000–present — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — 23 episodes • 2001 — Culpables — 34 episodes • 2002 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — 2 episodes • Ed — Episode "Youth Bandits" • 2003 — Dragnet — Episode "The Brass Ring" • 2006 — Six Degrees — Episode "The Puncher" • 30 Rock — Episode "Jack Meets Dennis" • Vientos de agua — Miniseries; Wrote the 13 episodes and directed 5; Also creator and edited 1 episode • 2007–2010 — House — 5 episodes • 2010 — Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List — 1 episode • 2011 — Capitales del Fútbol — Executive — 8 episodes • Recordando el Show de Alejandro Molina — Executive — Documentary miniseries; 7 episodes • Fronteras — Miniseries; 8 episodes • 2011–2012 — El hombre de tu vida — Associate — Also creator; 24 episodes • 2014 — 30 for 30: Soccer Stories — Episode "White, Blue and White" • Halt and Catch Fire — 5 episodes • 2015 — Entre Caníbales — 65 episodes • 2016–2017 — Colony — Executive — Executive produced 14 episodes and directed 9 • 2017 — Mini-Beat Power Rockers — Executive • 2022 — Night Sky — Executive
Plays
Plays
• Parque Lezama (2014) • ¿Que hacemos con Walter? (2018)
Wins
Wins
• 1995 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special for Lifestories: Families in Crisis: A Child Betrayed: The Calvin Mire Story • 1997 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special for Lifestories: Families in Crisis: Someone Had to be Benny • 1999 Silver Condor Award for Best Film for Same Love, Same Rain • 1999 Silver Condor Award for Best Director for Same Love, Same Rain • 1999 Silver Condor Award for Best Original Screenplay for Same Love, Same Rain • 2001 Silver Condor Award for Best Film for Son of the Bride • 2001 Silver Condor Award for Best Director for Son of the Bride • 2001 Silver Condor Award for Best Original Screenplay for Son of the Bride • 2009 Silver Condor Award for Best Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Silver Condor Award for Best Director for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Silver Condor Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Ariel Award for Best Best Ibero-American Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Goya Award for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2013 Goya Award for Best Animated Film for Futbolín (Metegol)
Nominations
Nominations
• 1993 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special for Lifestories: Families in Crisis: Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story • 1994 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special for Lifestories: Families in Crisis: Dead Drunk: The Kevin Tunell Story • 1996 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special for CBS Schoolbreak Special: Stand Up • 2001 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for Son of the Bride • 2009 Goya Award for Best Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Goya Award for Best Director for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2009 Goya Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2010 César Award for Best Foreign Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2010 European Film Award for Best Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2011 David di Donatello for Best European Film for The Secret in Their Eyes • 2011 BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language for The Secret in Their Eyes
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1959
Juan J. Campanella born at Buenos Aires.
Film
• Year — |Title — Director — Writer — Producer — Editor — Notes • 1979 — Prioridad nacional — Short film; Also actor • 1984 — Victoria 392 — Amateur film, Co-directed with Fernando Casttetes; Also actor • 1986 — Commercial for Murder — Short film • 1991 — The Boy Who Cried Bitch • 1997 — Love Walked In • 1999 — El mismo amor, la misma lluvia • 2001 — El Hijo de la Novia — Also cameo role as "Doctor" • 2004 — Luna de Avellaneda • 2009 — El Secreto de sus Ojos • 2013 — Metegol — Also voice role as: "Armando", "Eusebio", "Lechuga" and "Clark" • 2019 — El Cuento de las Comadrejas • 2023 — La Extorsión • 2026 — Parque Lezema
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- Chapter Seven. Understanding Osmosis: Hitchcock In Argentina Through The Eyes Of Juan Jose Campanella, Latin Hitchcock, 2015
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2015
- Juan José Campanella: Historical Memory And Accountability in El Secreto De Sus Ojos (The Secret In Their Eyes 2009), New Transnationalisms in Contemporary Latin American Cinemas, 2018
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2018
- Memoria y Cine en Argentina: Un Análisis de el Secreto de sus Ojos (Juan José Campanella: 2009), Huella de la Palabra, 2018
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2018
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q726925: Juan J. Campanella
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Juan José Campanella”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
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References
Citations
References
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scholarly publication
Chapter Seven. Understanding Osmosis: Hitchcock In Argentina Through The Eyes Of Juan Jose Campanella, Latin Hitchcock, 2015Crossref registry
Institutional witnessscholarly publication
Institutional witnessscholarly publication
Memoria y Cine en Argentina: Un Análisis de el Secreto de sus Ojos (Juan José Campanella: 2009), Huella de la Palabra, 2018Crossref registry
Institutional witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q726925: Juan J. CampanellaWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Citizenship
1- ArgentinaPlace
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Juan José Campanella and Juan Jose Campanella. His recorded languages were Spanish and American English. Campanella is recorded as film director, screenwriter, actor, film producer and television producer. The identifiers under which Juan J. Campanella may be traced in institutional catalogues.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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