Sebastián Cordero Espinosa is an Ecuadorian director, screenwriter, and editor whose career launched with Ratas, Ratones, Rateros (1999), a breakout hit at Venice and a cultural milestone in Ecuador. His sophomore feature Crónicas (2004) brought him global attention—winning the Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award and premiering in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Cordero continued to define Latin American auteur cinema with Rabia (2011) and Pescador (2011), before transitioning to English-language suspense with the sci-fi thriller Europa Report (2013).

In 2016, he directed Such Is Life in the Tropics, co-producing a bold social commentary film that became Ecuador’s official Oscar entry. His recent documentary Behind the Mist (2023) follows a perilous Everest expedition and has been selected as Ecuador’s submission for the Academy Awards. A member of AMPAS, Cordero also advises major screenwriting labs and founded the Andean countries’ screenwriting laboratory, making him a leading figure in contemporary Latin American cinema.