Alejandro González Iñárritu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alejandro González Iñárritu
Iñárritu at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
Born	(1963-08-15) 15 August 1963 (age 62) Mexico City, Mexico
Other names	Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Alma mater	Universidad Iberoamericana
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter editor composer
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Maria Eladia Hagerman
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Honours	Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2019)

Alejandro González Iñárritu (born on August 15, 1963) is a famous Mexican filmmaker. He is known for making movies that explore deep feelings and what it means to be human. Some of his most well-known films include Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Birdman (2014), and The Revenant (2015).

His movies have won many awards, including five Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. In 2006, Iñárritu became the first Mexican director to win the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival. He also made history by being the first Mexican filmmaker to win Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In 2019, he was the first Latin American to lead the jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

Iñárritu won the Academy Award for Best Director for Birdman in 2015. The next year, he won the same award for The Revenant. This made him one of only three directors to win this award two years in a row. He is also the only director to win the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Outstanding Directing two years in a row. He later received a special Academy Award for his virtual reality project, Carne y Arena (2017). This was the first time a VR project was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Early Life and Travels

Alejandro Iñárritu was born in Mexico City on August 15, 1963. He was the youngest of seven children. His father was a banker who faced financial difficulties when Alejandro was young. Iñárritu was a challenging student and was expelled from high school around age 16.

After leaving school, Iñárritu worked as a sailor on cargo boats. He took two trips, one at 16 and another at 18. He sailed through the Mississippi River and visited countries in Europe and Africa. These early travels greatly influenced him as a filmmaker. Many of his films are set in places he visited during this time. After his travels, Iñárritu returned to Mexico City to study communications at Universidad Iberoamericana.

Starting His Career

Early Work in Radio and Music (1984–1999)

Iñárritu began his career in 1984 as a radio host at WFM, a popular rock music station in Mexico. He enjoyed creating playlists that told a story. He also interviewed famous musicians like Robert Plant and Elton John. Later, he became the youngest producer for Televisa, a large media company in Latin America.

From 1987 to 1989, Iñárritu composed music for six Mexican movies. He believes music has influenced him even more than films. In the early 1990s, he started his own production company called Z Films. There, he began writing, producing, and directing short films and commercials. He also studied directing with well-known teachers. In 1995, he directed his first TV pilot, Detrás del dinero (Behind the Money).

First Feature Films and Big Success (2000–2009)

Iñárritu and Cate Blanchett on the set of Babel

In 2000, Iñárritu directed his first full-length movie, Amores perros. This film showed different stories about Mexican society in Mexico City that were all connected. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won a major award. It also introduced actor Gael García Bernal, who would later star in other Iñárritu films. Amores perros was the first part of what is called Iñárritu's "Death trilogy." It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

After Amores perros, Iñárritu directed 21 Grams (2003). This film also used intertwining stories and starred actors like Benicio del Toro, Naomi Watts, and Sean Penn. It received nominations for its actors at the Academy Awards.

Iñárritu also directed short films during this time. In 2001, he made a segment for 11'09"01 September 11, a film about the effects of the September 11 attacks. In 2007, he contributed to Chacun son cinéma, a collection of short films celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival.

His third film in the "Death Trilogy" was Babel (2006). This movie featured four connected stories set in different countries: Morocco, Mexico, the United States, and Japan. It starred famous actors like Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, along with non-professional actors. Babel was a big success and won Iñárritu the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival. He became the first Mexican-born director to win this award. The film also received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama in 2007.

Rise to Fame and Awards (2010–2019)

Iñárritu and the Biutiful cast at Cannes Film Festival

In 2010, Iñárritu directed and produced Biutiful, starring Javier Bardem. This was his first film in his native Spanish since Amores perros. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where Bardem won Best Actor. Biutiful was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

Iñárritu also directed successful commercials. In 2010, he directed "Write the Future" for Nike for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which won a major advertising award. In 2012, he directed "Best Job" for Procter & Gamble for the 2012 Olympic Ceremonies, which also won awards.

In 2014, Iñárritu won three Academy Awards for his film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). He won for directing, co-writing, and co-producing the Best Picture winner. The film stars Michael Keaton as a forgotten superhero actor. It was filmed to look like one continuous shot. This was the first time a Mexican filmmaker won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. He also won a Golden Globe, a DGA Award, and a PGA Award for the film.

In 2015, Iñárritu directed The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. This historical drama is about a fur trapper named Hugh Glass who is attacked by a bear and left for dead. The film explores themes of survival and revenge. The Revenant was a huge success. Iñárritu won his second straight Oscar for Best Director, making him one of only three directors in history to do so. The film also won Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio.

Iñárritu's virtual reality project, Carne y Arena, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. It was the first VR installation ever presented there. Carne y Arena later received a special Academy Award, the first in over 20 years.

Recent Work

In 2022, Iñárritu co-wrote, co-produced, and directed Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. This was his first film made in Mexico since Amores perros. It premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. The film received mixed reviews but earned a nomination for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards.

As of July 2025, Iñárritu is working on a new English-language film. It is set to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and will star Tom Cruise.

Personal Life

Iñárritu is married to Maria Eladia Hagerman, who is an editor and graphic designer. They have two children, a daughter named Maria Eladia and a son named Eliseo.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Commercials

Awards and Recognition

Alejandro Iñárritu has won many awards for his films. These include five Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. He was the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and the first to win the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2015, Iñárritu won the Directors Guild Award, the Producers Guild of America Award, and three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Directing) for Birdman. This made him the first Mexican to win three Academy Awards in one year. In 2016, he won the Academy Award for Best Director again for The Revenant. This was the first time in 65 years that a director won this award two years in a row.

Iñárritu has also received many honors. In 2006, he was recognized at the Gotham Awards alongside other Mexican filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro. In 2011, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival. He also received honorary doctorates from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of Southern California. In 2019, he was made a Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters in France.

Actors Nominated for Academy Awards Under Iñárritu's Direction
Many actors have been nominated for Academy Awards for their roles in Iñárritu's films.

See also

In Spanish: Alejandro González Iñárritu para niños

• Cinema of Mexico
• List of Mexican Academy Award winners and nominees