José Luis Acosta

JOSÉ LUIS
ACOSTA

Director, Screenwriter, Producer and Showrunner
Representation: Global

José Luis Acosta is a screenwriter, director, producer, and showrunner in film and television with over 35 years of experience.

He has served as the President of SGAE (General Society of Authors and Publishers), Vice President of the Spanish screenwriters’ guild ALMA, and Director of Development at Telemundo International Studios (NBCUniversal). He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain and the Spanish Television Academy. He has worked with Pedro Almodóvar, Elías Querejeta, Pedro Masó, Antena 3, Mediaset, RTVE, Peacock, HBO, and many others.

Acosta began his film career with the renowned producer Elías Querejeta and has since worked in numerous successful television series and movies, including “Barreiros,” winner of the best TV Movie at the Houston Festival. His directorial projects include the film “Gimlet,” starring Viggo Mortensen and Ángela Molina, which received several international awards and was selected for the San Sebastián Film Festival.

Acosta has also directed short films and documentaries, including “Historia de un Búho” (Story of an Owl), which has won over 30 national and international awards.

As Director of Development for Telemundo International Studios at NBCUniversal, he has worked as a screenwriter on several series for Netflix, including “El Recluso” (nominated for the 2019 Emmys), “Jugar con fuego (Play With Fire),” and “No te puedes esconder (You Cannot Hide)” (Best Miniseries at the New York Festival 2020).

Among his latest works, José Luis has created “Armas de mujer (Til Jail Do Us Part),” an 8-episode series starring Kate del Castillo, released in 2022 on PEACOCK and HBOMax; and he has also written and directed the film “La Noche,” winner of Best Screenplay at the Alicante International Film Festival 2022.

Acosta is currently the producer and CEO of BESTACOSTA PRODUCTIONS. His works have received over 35 national and international awards.

FILMOGRAPHY
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

2023 “You’re Not Crazy” (No estás loca) (short film) | Dir. Mauro Bedendo, Prod. J.L. Acosta | Bestacosta Productions (Spain)
2022 “Til Jail Do Us Part” (Armas de Mujer) (TV series) | Created by J.L. Acosta | Telemundo Studios (USA)
2022 “Natural Born Narco” (TV series) | Created by Luis Zelkowicz | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Telemundo Studios (USA-Mexico)
2020 “The Night” (La Noche) (feature film) | Dir. J.L. Acosta, Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Bestacosta Productions (Spain)
2019 “You Cannot Hide” (No te puedes esconder) (TV series) | Dir. Alejandro Bazzano, Marcela Sevilla | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Telemundo Studios (Mexico)
2019 “Playing with Fire” (Jugando con fuego) (TV series) | Dir. María Fernanda Suarez, Riccardo Gabrielli R. | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Telemundo Studios (USA)
2019 “Guarra” (short film) | Dir, Prod, Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Bestacosta Productions (Spain)
2017 “iFamily” (TV series) | Dir. Rafa Montesinos, Iñaki Peñafiel | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | TVE (Spain)
2013 “Con el culo al aire” (TV series) | Created by David Abajo, David Fernández | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Antena 3 Televisión (Spain)
2011 “Eduardo Barreiros, the Spanish Henry Ford” (TV movie) | Dir. Simón Casal | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Canal Sur Televisión (Spain)
2009 “U.C.O.” (TV series) | Dir. Manuel Palacios, Antonio Cuadri | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Grupo Ganga Producciones (Spain)
2008 “Out of Place” (TV series) | Created by J.L. Acosta | Cuarzo TV (Spain)
2008 “Sin tetas no hay paraíso” (TV Series) | Dir. Gustavo Cotta, Mateo Meléndrez | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Caracol Televisión (Spain)
2005-2007 “Ana y los 7” (TV series) | Created by Ana Obregón | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Star Line TV Productions (Spain)
2002 “I Won’t Let You Not Love Me” (feature film) | Dir. and Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Antena 3 Televisión (Spain)
2001 “Story of an Owl” (short film) | Dir, Prod and Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Jindama S.L. (Spain)
2001 “The Woman of My Life” (feature film) | Dir. Antonio del Real | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Star Line TV Productions (Spain)
2001 “Tell Me That You Love Me” (TV series) | Dir. Fernando Colomo and Raúl de la Morena | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Antena 3 Televisión (Spain)
2000 “Raquel Finds Her Place” (TV series) | Dir. Ignasi Rubio | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | TVE (Spain)
2000 “Jacinto Durante, Representante” (TV series) | Dir. Antonio del Real | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Cristal Producciones Cinematográficas (Spain)
1999 “Condemned to Understand Each Other” (TV series) | Dir. Norberto López Amado and Azucena Rodríguez | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Juan Alexander (Spain)
1999 “Door to Door” (TV series) | Dir. Miguel Ángel Díez and Antonio del Real | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | D.T.V. Producciones (Spain)
1998 “Mr. Mayor” (TV series) | Dir. Jaime Botella and Raúl de la Morena | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Creative Associates of Radio and Television (CARTEL) (Spain)
1995 “One Year, Eight Months and Nine Days” (short film) | Dir, Prod and Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Jindama (Spain)
1995 “Gimlet” (feature film) | Dir and Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Star Line TV Productions (Spain)
1993-1995 “Thieves Go to the Office” (TV series) | Created by Eduardo Ladrón de Guevara | Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Creative Associates of Radio and Television (CARTEL) (Spain)
1989 “The Marble Handkerchief” (short film) | Dir and Screenplay J.L. Acosta | Elías Querejeta P.C. (Spain)

2022 Best Screenplay at the Alicante Film Festival for “The Night”
2022 Nominated for Best Film at the Alicante Film Festival for “The Night”
2003 Nominated for the Goya Award for Best Fiction Short Film for “Story of an Owl”
2002 Best Director at the L’Alfás del Pi Film Festival for “Story of an Owl”
2002 Nominated for Best Short Film at the L’Alfás del Pi Film Festival for “Story of an Owl”

JOSÉ LUIS
ACOSTA