Hugo Santa cruz
About
Hugo Santa Cruz is a writer/director/producer from London. He makes films about characters who challenge the socio-political status quo of their time.
He is part of a brand new social stratum in the UK, that of the Europeans who got British passports after the Brexit vote.
A former professional musician. Some of the bands he played in had songs featured in "Breaking Bad" and "The L Word"; when the music dried up he swerved into screenwriting.
Hugo's brand of punk rock filmmaking "anti Kino" is home to a production co-op that develops progressive and uncompromising feature films, series, and documentaries.
His no-budget debut feature My London Lullaby (2021), a film about Europeans in a not so dystopian Brexit Britain, garnered official selections in established film festivals worldwide and was a winner at the prestigious Efebo D'Oro Film Festival in Italy.
The following summer Hugo declined an invitation by the Moscow International Film Festival (Russia).
In 2023, his experimental film The Fifth Generation, featuring Leigh Gill (Joker, Blitz) was a Best Feature winner at the BIFA qualifying Brighton Rocks Film Festival, and his Associate Produced documentary A Closet-Free Home (2023) won the audience award at the LesGaiCineMad Film Festival in Madrid (Spain).
Awards
2023
Winner of the audience award at the LesGaiCineMad Film Festival in Madrid (Spain) (as Associate Producer)
Winner of the SPIRIT OF BRIGHTON award and BEST FEATURE runner-up at the 7th edition of the Brighton Rocks International Film Festival (UK).
2022
Special Commendation of the Jury at the 7th edition of the Romford International Film Festival (UK)
2021
Winner of the Jury prize at the 43rd edition of the Efebo D'Oro Film Festival (Palermo, Italy)