Luis Mandoki
(Director)

Luis Mandoki was born and raised in Mexico City, where he became a student of the fine arts, an interest he pursued at the San Francisco Art Institute and the London College of Printing. While attending the London International Film School, he directed his first short film, "Silent Music," which earned Mandoki a major award from the International Amateur Film Festival at the l976 Cannes Film Festival.

Mandoki returned to Mexico to direct several short films and documentaries for the Instituto Nacional Indigenista, Conacine, SA, and Centro de Produccion de Cortometraje. In l980, Mandoki won the Ariel Award (Mexico's Oscar®) for his short film, "The Secret." His first feature, Motel, was chosen to represent Mexico in five film festivals. Mandoki's first American film was the critically acclaimed White Palace, with Susan Sarandon and James Spader. Mandoki's other features include Born Yesterday, When a Man Loves a Woman and Message in a Bottle. Mandoki's upcoming projects include The Untold Love Story: Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen and Heart of the Atom.