Born in 1979, Amat Escalante is a self-taught filmmaker from the city of Guanajuato in Mexico. He began his work in cinema at the age of 15. After making two short films, he wrote and directed his first feature film, SANGRE, a FIPRESCI Prize winner at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard). His second feature, LOS BASTARDOS, was also presented in Cannes’ “Un Certain Regard”. In 2013, with his third feature film, HELI, Escalante is awarded at the Cannes Film Festival as the Best director of the Int’l competition.

In 2016, Amat Escalante received the Silver Lion for best director with THE UNTAMED premiered at the 73rd Venice Film Festival.

In 2023, he returns for the third time to Cannes with his fifth feature LOST IN THE NIGHT premiered at Cannes Première.