Biography

Sebastián Barriuso is a Havana-born filmmaker, producer, and cultural entrepreneur working across cinema and live arts, with a career defined by emotionally grounded storytelling and internationally recognized creative leadership. His work consistently explores the human condition through themes of displacement, endurance, identity, and moral pressure-where personal stakes collide with history, institutions, and the forces that shape survival.

Barriuso gained international recognition with Un Traductor (A Translator, 2018), a Cuba/Canada feature he produced and co-directed alongside his brother, Rodrigo Barriuso. The film was selected as Cuba’s official submission to the 2020 Academy Awards® in the Best International Feature Film category, establishing Barriuso as a distinctive voice in contemporary international cinema-capable of delivering intimate, character-driven work with real emotional consequence and global resonance. Anchored in true events, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, marking a major breakthrough for the Barriuso brothers on the global stage.

In 2018, Barriuso and his brother received the Golden Goblet Award for Best Director at the Shanghai International Film Festival for A Translator, adding major international recognition to their filmmaking trajectory and further elevating the film’s global impact.

Before Un Traductor, Barriuso produced La Piscina (The Swimming Pool, 2012), directed by Carlos Machado Quintela, which screened at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in Panorama Special. This milestone strengthened his reputation as a producer drawn to bold, human-centered narratives and filmmakers with an uncompromising artistic vision.

Barriuso’s career has also been shaped by top global talent development programs and industry platforms. He is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), the EAVE Network, Berlinale Talents, and is listed in the TIFF Industry Alumni Directory-reflecting a professional foundation built not only on artistic achievement, but on rigorous international development, industry strategy, and cross-market collaboration.

Beyond filmmaking, Barriuso is the founder of Salamander, an independent multidisciplinary arts venue in Miami’s historic Overtown neighborhood. Through Salamander, he has built a cultural hub dedicated to live music, screenings, and cross-disciplinary programming, supporting artistic exchange, community connection, and emerging voices across genres. He also serves on the Miami Film Festival programming team/committee, continuing his role as both curator and cultural builder while actively contributing to the region’s creative ecosystem.

Across film and live arts, Sebastián Barriuso’s work reflects a clear mission: to create and champion stories that do not rely on spectacle, but on truth-stories that move audiences through emotional precision, moral complexity, and a deep respect for human resilience.
- IMDb mini biography by: Sebastian Barriuso