Dani Feixas is a Spanish film director, Shortlisted in the Oscars 2025 and Nominated to the Goya Awards 2024. His latest live action short film “Paris 70” is the most awarded short film in Spain, with more than 150 national and international awards, including an Honorable Mention at the Cleveland Film Festival in the United States. In addition, it premiered at prestigious festivals such as the Heartland Film Festival, USA and the Short Shorts Film Festival in Japan. He is currently working on his feature film with renowned Spanish production companies Morena Films, A Contracorriente Films and French production company Noodles Productions.
In addition to his work in film, Dani has directed, produced and edited documentaries for television, including La banda del pati (2024) and La Pilarín (2021), as well as Liverpool Catalán: Niebla, Santos y Rock ‘n’ Roll (2022) and Petit Amadeu (2010). In the field of advertising, Dani has directed, produced and edited campaigns for major international brands such as Samsung, Reebok, Amazon, Netflix and Estrella Damm, as well as music videos with over 200 million views on YouTube.He has also focused on campaigns for social causes, addressing issues such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, public health and social inclusion.
Dani holds a degree in Filmming Communication from the UVIC-UCC University in Barcelona and a diploma in Production and Creation of Fiction Series from the EFTI Film Center in Madrid. He is widely recognized as one of the most promising voices of contemporary Spanish cinema.
Please List the Title of Your Film at BIFF 2025
Paris 70
What was your first experience with film and how did it influence your first project?
My relationship with cinema began when I was very young. I was a huge fan of watching movies on VHS and would spend hours at the video store looking at the covers before renting a film. As a child, cinema was magical to me. Now, it has also become a way of living, thinking, and expressing myself. At 18, I started creating short films with my friends. Later, I worked as an editor and cameraman for various production companies, which allowed me to make a living in the audiovisual field for the past 25 years. I have created music videos, documentaries, and commercials, but my true passion is fiction. Currently, I am working on my first feature film and thoroughly enjoying the journey.
Who is (are) your favorite filmmakers?
I mostly have favorite films and then I like to follow their directors. I like to watch a lot of movies and analyze what is being made now. One of my current favorite directors is Alexander Payne. I like almost all of his films, especially “Nebraska”, which inspired me in many ways to direct “Paris 70”. Another film that had a big impact on me is “A Sun”, a Taiwanese film directed by Chung Mong-hong, which I consider a masterpiece. Another film I loved is “Past Lives” by Celine Song, she will be a great director.
I also like many directors with whom I learned as a child; Steven Spielberg, is one of my favorites, but also Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Zemeckis, even Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Randal Kleiser (a few days ago I watched “Peege” (1973), Randal’s first short film on Amazon Prime and I was impressed by its tenderness and narrative subtlety. It resembles “Paris 70” in many ways, but he already did it 40 years ago). From Spain, I am very passionate about Luis Buñuel, especially for his ability to break the conventions of the cinema of his time.
What are you working on that no one knows about?
I am currently working on my feature film “Fairy Queen,” a movie I conceived after making my short film and am very eager to shoot. In it, an ambitious executive reconnects with his roots and true self when he is forced to put aside his selfish life to care for his elderly mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. An inexperienced caregiver who will have to overcome many challenges to succeed. It’s a very familiar yet universal story, a feel-good and very positive drama, drawing parallels in tone with “Good Bye Lenin!” by Wolfgang Becker, or “Son of the Bride” by Juan José Campanella.
Right now, I am interested in telling positive stories; the world is already full of crap in its day-to-day life, right? I see it every day in the news; there’s no need to make fiction out of it. Maybe being a father of young children influences me a bit, hehe. Before, I only thought about making fantasy or horror films. I have many references from the Sitges Film Festival, which is where I live.
Who would play you in a movie? What’s your go to movie snack? What’s the film title that best describes your life?
I love these questions, hehe. First of all, I think Jude Law could play me. I’ve always thought he has something familiar about him, or he looks like my father when he was young. Plus, he’s an amazing actor. My favorite movie snack, without a doubt, is salted popcorn, absolutely. My life isn’t movie-worthy; I think it would be boring as a documentary, but with a bit of fiction, everything is more interesting. If I had to mention one, I’d love it to be something similar to “The Fabelmans,” but it might end up being “The Host.”
