Known For
Directing
Born
Nov 08, 1971
Place of Birth
Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Credits
25 titles
Carlos Atanes
Biography
Carlos Atanes (Barcelona, 1971) is a Spanish filmmaker, writer and playwright whose work occupies a singular place in European underground cinema. Since the late 1980s, he has built a distinctive artistic universe that combines science fiction, fantasy, surrealism and philosophical inquiry, becoming one of the most recognisable cult auteurs of contemporary Spanish cinema. Among his most acclaimed works are the dystopian science-fiction films "FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions" and "Proxima", as well as the surreal and deeply underground "Maximum Shame" and "Gallino, the Chicken System", which established him as one of the most uncompromising voices in contemporary European cult cinema. His films have often provoked strongly divided reactions, being celebrated by admirers for their originality and audacity while dismissed by detractors as deliberately provocative and inaccessible. Works such as "The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka" and "Perdurabo (Where is Aleister Crowley?)" reveal his enduring interest in literature and esotericism, while "Báthory" (2026) sees him moving further into experimental cinema through a more abstract and formally daring approach. Throughout his career, Atanes has remained fiercely independent, building a body of work distinguished by its originality, intellectual ambition and complete artistic freedom.
Known For
Filmography
Báthory
Director
Autofocus
Director
Alter Ego Film Project
Editor
Scrying Session #1
Executive Producer
Les Fées Vertes
Executive Producer
Anna’s Film
Executive Producer
Romance bizarro
Director
Necrofilia fina
Director
Gallino, the Chicken System
Director
Maximum Shame
Director
Scream Queen
Director
Próxima
Director
Codex Atanicus
Director
Frequently Asked Questions
Director
PERDURABO (Where is Aleister Crowley?)
Director
Welcome to Spain
Director
The Seven Hills of Rome
Narrator
Borneo
Director
Morfing
Self
Metaminds & Metabodies
Director
The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka
Director
El Tenor Mental
Director
The Marvellous World of the Cucu Bird
Director
La ira
Director
Fils de Punk
Self