Born in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1969, he is a graduate from the Center for Studies in Communication Sciences and later from the University Center for Cinematographic Studies (CUEC) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In 2007, his first feature, Blue Eyelids, is nominated to the Caméra d'Or of the 60th Cannes Film Festival as part of the official selection of the International Critics' Week. The film participates in many festivals and receives, among others, the award for Best Ibero-American Film, Best Screenplay and the Mezcal Award in the 22nd Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Ariel for Best First Feature and the Special Jury Award at Sundance and Miami, both in 2008. His feature documentary Being: Café Tacvba premiers in 2010, a film on the 20th anniversary of Mexico's most important rock band. And in 2015 his third film hits the theaters, The Obscure Spring, winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Performance, awarded to the main cast, at the 32nd Miami International Film Festival. It also won three Ariel awards (editing, music and sound) and was nominated in seven other categories by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences. In 2016, he directed the episode "Eroticism", starring Irène Jacob, part of the feature film Tales of Mexico, produced by Machete Producciones. His latest film, I Dream in Another Language, a project that received the Sundance Institute / Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, and supported by the National System of Creators, received the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2017. Alongside his filmmaking, Contreras has been General Director for documentary series for NatGeo and HBO.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 17, 1969 (57)
- Veracruz, Mexico
- Director, producer and editor, also writer
- 12 on MovieCove · 20 credits in all
What are Ernesto Contreras' films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 6
Light 2 · Serious 5 · Dark 0
Grounded 6 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 1
Gentle 4 · Charged 3 · Intense 0
Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet4
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Ernesto Contreras' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Ernesto Contreras' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
20 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.
I'm Not Afraid(2026)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
The Secret of the River(2024)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
I Have to Die Every Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Papá o Mamá(2023)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Where the Tracks End(2023)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Belascoarán, PI(2022)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Pedal to Metal(2022)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows
Before I Forget (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Cosas imposibles(2021)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Tales of Mexico(2016)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
El Chapo(2017)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Everyday Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
The Obscure Spring(2014)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Convict Patient (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Continue Being: Café Tacvba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Párpados azules(2007)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
The Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Los No Invitados (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Conversando con Cristina Pacheco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Career shape
A full career of 19 titles from 1997 to 2026.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Ernesto Contreras' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up7
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 68/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Ernesto Contreras' work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Ernesto Contreras work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ernesto Contreras' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andrés Sánchez shares the most, 6.
Directors
- Alba GilShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), The Secret of the River (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Alba Gil
- Alejandro ZunoShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), The Secret of the River (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Alejandro Zuno
Writers
- Fanie SotoShared titles: The Secret of the River (2024), Papá o Mamá (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021)See all 3 shared titles with Fanie Soto
- Carlos ContrerasShared titles: I Dream in Another Language (2017), The Obscure Spring (2014), Párpados azules (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Carlos Contreras
Actors
- Fátima MolinaShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), Where the Tracks End (2023), I Dream in Another Language (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Fátima Molina
- Luis AlbertiShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), Tales of Mexico (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Luis Alberti
- Mauro GuzmánShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), The Secret of the River (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Mauro Guzmán
- Ari GallegosShared titles: Papá o Mamá (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Ari Gallegos
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Andrés SánchezShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), The Secret of the River (2024), Papá o Mamá (2023), Where the Tracks End (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021), I Dream in Another Language (2017)See all 6 shared titles with Andrés Sánchez
- Gus ReyesShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), The Secret of the River (2024), Papá o Mamá (2023), Where the Tracks End (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021)See all 5 shared titles with Gus Reyes
- Jorge MacayaShared titles: The Secret of the River (2024), Papá o Mamá (2023), Where the Tracks End (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021), I Dream in Another Language (2017)See all 5 shared titles with Jorge Macaya
- Tonatiuh Martínez ValdézShared titles: Papá o Mamá (2023), I Dream in Another Language (2017), The Obscure Spring (2014), Párpados azules (2007)See all 4 shared titles with Tonatiuh Martínez Valdéz
Producers
- Eamon O'FarrillShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), Papá o Mamá (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021), I Dream in Another Language (2017), The Obscure Spring (2014)See all 5 shared titles with Eamon O'Farrill
- Mónica LozanoShared titles: I'm Not Afraid (2026), Papá o Mamá (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021), I Dream in Another Language (2017), The Obscure Spring (2014)See all 5 shared titles with Mónica Lozano
- Erika AvilaShared titles: Papá o Mamá (2023), Cosas imposibles (2021), I Dream in Another Language (2017), The Obscure Spring (2014), Párpados azules (2007)See all 5 shared titles with Erika Avila
- Luis AlboresShared titles: Cosas imposibles (2021), I Dream in Another Language (2017), The Obscure Spring (2014), Párpados azules (2007)See all 4 shared titles with Luis Albores