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Felipe Vara de Rey

Felipe Vara de Rey

Cinematographer · Madrid, Spain

Felipe Vara de Rey is a Madrid-born, LA-based director of photography. He obtained a degree in political science in 2002, but soon shifted gears and went on to graduate in cinematography from Madrid's Film Institute-NIC in 2008. He also attended an International Workshop on screenwriting at EICTV, in San Antonio de los Baños (Cuba). A Fulbright Scholar, Felipe moved to NYC in 2011 to pursue NYU's Graduate Film program. After graduating in 2016, he now serves as an adjunct professor for the cinematography department. Felipe's body of work, both as a cinematographer and a director, includes commercials, music videos, art films and political campaign ads. However, he's been recently focusing on long-form projects, both narrative and documentary. In 2021 he shot the feature 'Fire Island' for Searchlight-Disney, directed by Andrew Ahn, and the four-part HBO documentary series 'NYC Epicenters: 9/11 to 2021 1/2', directed by Spike Lee. Felipe is represented worldwide by Gersh.

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Biography from IMDb.

From
Madrid, Spain
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 4% in 30 days

What are Felipe Vara de Rey's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Action movies

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

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
21%
Survival
20%
Self
13%
Power
6%
Ideas
4%
Society
3%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Dread
4
Bittersweet
4
Joyful
3
Romantic
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7

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 Felipe Vara de Rey's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Felipe Vara de Rey's 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

23 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.

  • Antes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director

  • Griffin in Summer(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • An Almost Successful Dating App Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Breathe(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • How to Ruin the Holidays(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Fire Island(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Madres(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • In Max We Trust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows

  • Fervor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Cinematographer

  • Long Weekend(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • See You Yesterday(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Painkillers(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Night Comes On(2018)

    Gaffer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • So You Like the Neighborhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • See You Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • Nosotros (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · Writer · as Felipe

  • Cooking up a Tribute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Cinematographer

  • La última noche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Wormbug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • This Is Reality (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Writer

  • Independencia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Pudor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Producer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 2009 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Long Weekend (2021)

$1M worldwide

Highest rated

Fire Island (2022)

Midcredits 76th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 23: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting6 of 23: 3 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting3 of 23: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing1 of 23: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography16 of 23: 16 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score30thOther crew1 of 23: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

23 titles, 3 with more than one role.

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s11 · 1 acting · 11 crew2020s11 · crew

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 Felipe Vara de Rey's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 30th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 27th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · cinematographer

How to Ruin the Holidays (2023)

85th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Fire Island (2022)

Midcredits 76th · 63% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 50/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 66, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Felipe Vara de Rey's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 15 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 72 · intenseMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Felipe Vara de Rey work with?

People who share at least 2 of Felipe Vara de Rey's MovieCove titles; Stefon Bristol shares the most, 2.