Diego Céspedes (Santiago, Chile, 1995) is a Chilean director and screenwriter whose films blend the fantastical with the everyday to explore identity, desire, and chosen families. He studied Film and Television at the University of Chile.
His first short film, The Summer of the Electric Lion (2018), won the Cinéfondation First Prize at Cannes and an award at San Sebastián’s Nest. His second, The Melting Creatures (2022), competed at Cannes’ Critics’ Week.
His debut feature, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (2025), won the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes Film Festival, the Grand Prix and FIPRESCI Prize in Brussels, and the DAMA Youth Award at San Sebastián. It was selected as Chile’s submission for the Academy Awards and nominated for the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film.
In 2026, Céspedes returned to Cannes as a member of the Official Competition Jury. He is currently developing his second feature, The Case of a Boy Who Lost His Heart.