Carlos Montaner is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Director of Photography who combines technical expertise with a collaborative, story-driven vision. He has worked extensively across Europe and Latin America, shooting campaigns for major clients, including DirectTV.

 

Over the years, Carlos has been entrusted with a wide variety of projects, from feature films and commercials to documentaries and featurettes. His work has been showcased in films such as Waking Karma (XYZ Films) and Friends and Lovers with Robert Downey Jr. (Universal), where he contributed to bringing the director’s vision to life through precision and creativity, whether crafting a visually compelling thriller or capturing authentic moments in documentaries.

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Carlos holds a master’s degree in Cinematography from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Early in his career, he had the rare opportunity to learn the art of visual storytelling and lighting under the mentorship of Oscar-winning cinematographers Néstor Almendros and Michael Ballhaus. Their influence has shaped his signature approach.

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In addition to his work on over 100 national and international commercial campaigns, including the San Francisco Super Bowl spot for ESPN, Carlos has directed and photographed featurettes and interviews for major clients like Netflix, Paramount, and Universal. His recent work includes shooting featurettes for Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy's and producing and shooting six roundtable conversations for the upcoming Netflix series 3 Body Problem, where he worked closely with clients to craft visually compelling content that will captivate audiences.

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Documentary filmmaking is also a passion of his, and Carlos has shot extensively for the History and Discovery channels. He also directed his own documentary, The Grandchildren of the Cuban Revolution, which was an official selection at both the Cincinnati Film Festival and the International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Brussels.

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Currently based in Los Angeles, Carlos continues to travel the world, drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and landscapes to fuel his passion for visual storytelling. He is always eager to collaborate with innovative directors and creative teams to bring dynamic visual stories to life.