Alice Waddington facts for kids

Alice Waddington, born on July 31, 1990, is a talented filmmaker from Spain. She works as a director, writer, photographer, and costume designer. Alice is known for her unique style, which blends classic movie genres from the 1920s to the 1970s with modern, funny, and sometimes musical elements. She often takes inspiration from old studio films like those from Hammer Films and Universal.

Early Life and Education

Alice Waddington was born Irene Lago Clavero on July 31, 1990. Her birthplace was Bilbao, Spain. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was a forensic psychiatrist. Alice grew up in a working-class area of Bilbao. During her childhood, Bilbao faced some tough times. These challenges helped Alice understand abstract ideas of horror.

When she was 16, she started using the name Alice Waddington. At 18, she studied advertising at UPV-EHU University. There, she began taking photos for promotions. She also directed short fashion films. She worked as a photographer for magazines like Harper's Bazaar. Today, Alice lives in Los Angeles.

Career in Filmmaking

When Alice was 20, she started working in advertising. For three years, she was a creative, producer, and video editor. She also became good at creating digital storyboards.

First Short Film: Disco Inferno

In 2014, Alice decided to make her first short film. She took a year off from advertising. With help from producer Yadira Ávalos, she found sponsors. This allowed her to write and direct Disco Inferno (2015). This 11-minute film was shown at 63 international film festivals. It was popular at festivals like Palm Springs and Fantastic Fest. Alice won Best Director at Fantastic Fest for Disco Inferno. The film also won 11 other awards.

Actress Ana Rujas surrounded by a special effects fire wall on the set of Waddington's film Disco Inferno.

Directing Feature Films

In 2017, Alice began working on her first full-length movie. It was a science-fiction thriller called Paradise Hills. She worked with Nostromo Pictures, a Spanish company. The film was written by Brian DeLeeuw and Nacho Vigalondo. Paradise Hills was released in 2019.

Alice has shared her future plans for directing. She wants to make movies about real people's lives (biopics). She also wants to direct dark comedies. She is interested in horror stories that have a social message. These stories would often be about minority groups.

In June 2019, it was announced that Alice was developing her second film. It is called Scarlet. She wrote the script with Kristen SaBerre. Orion/MGM will distribute the film. In September 2021, Netflix chose Alice to direct a movie based on the comic book series Dept. H. In October 2022, Alice's first TV episode premiered. She co-wrote it with Rocío Martínez Llano. It was an adaptation of a classic Spanish story called Historias para no Dormir. She personally chose the actors Álvaro Morte and Mina El-Hammani for the episode.

Social Activism

Alice Waddington is very active in promoting positive social change. She supports causes related to women working together in the arts. She believes in helping other women in the film industry.

She often speaks about the need for more movies with female lead characters. She also wants to see more diverse actors in films worldwide. Alice encourages young women to join filmmaking programs. She stresses that film studios should hire more women, especially women of color.

Personal Life

Alice Waddington speaks Spanish and English very well. She can also have conversations in Basque, French, and Catalan.

Filmography

Film and Television Projects

Awards and Recognition

Disco Inferno (2015)

Alice Waddington's short film Disco Inferno was shown at 63 film festivals around the world. These included famous festivals like Sitges and Fantastic Fest. The film won many awards, including Best Short Film at Sitges and Fantastic Fest. It was also considered for the Academy Awards.

Paradise Hills (2019)

Waddington's first feature film, Paradise Hills, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. It was screened at over 30 international festivals. Before its release, the project won the Silver Award for Best Feature Project at Fantastic Fest in 2015. The film received several nominations, including Best Fantasy Film at the Saturn Awards. Alice was also nominated for Best New Director at the Goya Awards. This film was also considered for the Academy Awards.

La Pesadilla (2022)

The TV episode La Pesadilla was shown at the Sitges Film Festival in 2022. It was praised for mixing horror with social commentary.

See also

In Spanish: Alice Waddington para niños