Miguel Coyula Aquino (born March 31, 1977), professionally known as Miguel Coyula, is a Cuban film director, writer, cinematographer and editor. His work moves between fiction and documentary filmmaking, often noted for its radical approach in both form and content. He developed a personal production methodology in which limitations and obstacles become part of the creative process. Working with a multi-disciplinary approach, his films usually take several years to complete. He has been described by critics as a virtuoso and an innovator. The multi-layered narratives of his films often deal with alienation, containing graphic depictions of sexuality, and frontal criticism of both society and politicians. The controversial nature of his work has resulted in the banning of his work in Cuba, although it has also suffered censorship in Argentina, Belarus, Morocco, and Beirut. The press has often referred to him as the enfant terrible of Cuban Cinema.
Contents
Career
At age 17, he made his first short with a VHS camcorder, which led to his admittance to Escuela Internacional de Cine y Television (The International Film and Television School) of San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. His work spans fiction and documentary cinema. In 2001, he received a scholarship at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. While attending the Strasberg Institute, Coyula made his first feature, Red Cockroaches (2003), for less than $2000 over a two-year period. The film was described by Variety as "a triumph of technology in the hands of a visionary with know-how..." The film won over twenty awards in film festivals around the world.
In 2009, Coyula was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship by The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for developing his second feature, the film Memories of Overdevelopment (2010), a follow-up to the Cuban classic Memorias del Subdesarrollo (1968), based on the novel by Cuban writer Edmundo Desnoes. After its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the film garnered several awards and honors. The International Film Guide described it as one of the best films Cuba has produced. In 2013 La Pereza Ediciones published his first novel Mar Rojo, Mal Azul.
From 2015 to the 2016 he produced the web Series Rafael Alcides and the documentary feature Nobody (2017) which won the Best Documentary award at the Global Film Festival in Santo Domingo. His latest feature Blue Heart (2021), was filmed over ten years in Havana, premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival and won the Hollywood Foreign Press Association award at the Guadalajara International Film Festival. Cineaste described the film as "...the culminating point of Coyula's artistic growth. It stands as his most visceral experience..."
His second novel, La Isla Vertical was published in 2022 by Ediciones Deslinde, and in 2024 his essay book, Matar el Realismo by Hurón Azul Ediciones, both in Madrid.
In 2024, his documentary Chronicles of the Absurd won the Envision Competition Award for Best Film at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
Filmography
Pirámide (1996)
Válvula de luz (1997)
Detalles (1998)
Idea (1998)
Buena Onda (Nice Going) (1999)
Bailar sobre agujas (Dancing on Needles) (1999)
Clase Z "Tropical" (2000)
El Tenedor plástico (The Plastic Fork) (2001)
Red Cockroaches (2003)
Memorias del Desarrollo (aka Memories of Overdevelopment) (2010)
Nadie (Nobody) (2017)
Corazon Azul (aka Blue Heart) (2021)
Crónicas del Absurdo (aka Chronicles of the Absurd) (2024)
Books
Mar rojo, mal azul (2013)
La isla vertical (2022)
Matar el Realismo (2024)
Awards and nominations
Chronicles of the Absurd
Envision Competition Award for Best Film, IDFA, The Netherlands, 2024
Special Jury Prize, BAFICI, Argentina, 2025
Best Non-Fiction film, Cinema Tropical, United States, 2026
Blue Heart
Special Mention, The Latino & Iberian Film Festival at Yale, USA, 2022
Award for audacity, Minsk International Film Festival, Belarus, 2021
HFPA Jorge Camara Award for Best Latinamerican Film, Guadalajara International Film Festival, Mexico, 2021
Nominated for the Golden St.George Award, Moscow International Film Festival, Russia, 2021
Memories of Overdevelopment
Memorias del Desarrollo has won 20 awards, including:
Audience award for Best Foreign Film, Mostra Principal, Arraial CineFest, Brasil, 2012
Best Director of Latinamerican Section, Málaga Film Festival, Spain 2011
Best Film, Muestra Nacional de Nuevos Realizadores, Cuba, 2011
Special Award, Premios ACE, USA, 2011
Cine Latino Award, Washington DC Independent Film Festival, USA, 2011
Most Innovative, Cero Latitud Film Festival, Ecuador, 2010
Best Narrative Feature, Dallas Video Fest, USA, 2010
Best Feature, New Media Film Festival, USA 2010
Special Mention, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, USA, 2010
Best Film, Havana Film Festival New York, USA, 2010
Red Cockroaches
Red Cockroaches has won 23 awards, including:
Best Editing, Fearless Tales Genre Festival, USA, 2005
GreenCine Online Film Festival, New Media Film Festival, USA, 2005
Best Film, Microcinema Festival, USA, 2004
Special Jury Award, Muestra de Jóvenes Realizadores, Cuba, 2004
Gran Premio Plaza, Festival Cineplaza, Cuba 2004.
Special Mention for Visual Concept, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, Argentina, 2004
Best Editing, Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, 2004
Special Mention, Festival Internazionale de la Fantascienza, Italy, 2004.
Best Feature, Festival Almacén de la Imagen, Cuba, 2003