Biography

Carlos Matienzo Serment is a Mexican director, producer, and screenwriter from San Luis Potosí. His work is defined by a strong authorial voice and a sustained interest in folklore, collective memory, and symbolic territories, with a particular focus on genre cinema-especially folk horror and atmospheric thrillers.

He has directed several short films selected and awarded at national and international festivals, establishing himself as an emerging voice within Mexican independent cinema. He is the founder of Strobe Films, a production company dedicated to developing films with a clear creative identity and a strategic vision for festival circulation and international markets.

His debut feature film, El Ritual del Nahual - Rite of the Nahuals, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 as part of the Official Selection - Bright Future. The film was also presented at key industry platforms including Blood Window (Ventana Sur) and the Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, consolidating its international presence within the genre circuit. The film is set for its theatrical release in Mexico in May 2026 through Cinemex.

His work seeks to bridge the ancestral and the contemporary, exploring fear as a cultural and emotional experience while positioning Mexican genre cinema within the international landscape.
- IMDb mini biography by: IFFR