Gary Alazraki
{{Short description|Mexican director}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gaz Alazraki
| image = Gaz Alazraki Cuervos Red Carpet.jpg
| caption = Alazraki in September 2019
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1977
| birth_place = Mexico City, Mexico
| occupation = Writer, director, producer, company owner
| years_active = 2003–present
| family = Carlos Alazraki (father)
}}
Gary "Gaz" Alazraki is a Mexican director, screenwriter and producer known for directing the film Father of the Bride (2022); for writing and directing Mexico's record breaking comedy Nosotros los Nobles (2013); and for being the co-creator, executive producer and director of Club de Cuervos (2015), Netflix's first original series in Spanish. He heads Alazraki Entertainment and is a Board Member of Oceana.
Background and Education
Gaz was born in Mexico City. He is the son of Carlos Alazraki and Cynthia Alazraki. He studied at the American School Foundation in Mexico City and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor in Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of Southern California.{{cite web|last1=González |first1=Susana |title=Gary, la reivindicación de un Alazraki |url=http://www.quien.com/espectaculos/2013/11/14/gaz-alazraki-quien-50-nosotros-los-nobles |website=Quien |date=14 November 2013 |accessdate=30 November 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093712/http://www.quien.com/espectaculos/2013/11/14/gaz-alazraki-quien-50-nosotros-los-nobles |archivedate=4 March 2016 }}
Early career
Gaz acquired on-set experience at the beginning of his career by directing commercials, and the short films: Volver, volver (2005) starring Jaime Camil, Martha Higareda, Tony Dalton and La Hora Cero (2008) produced by Guillermo Arriaga.{{cite web|title=Gary Alazraki |url=http://www.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php?m=138&c=4&o=&id_pers=100092833 |website=Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival |accessdate=30 November 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130084040/http://www.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php?m=138&c=4&o=&id_pers=100092833 |archivedate=30 November 2016 }}{{cite web|title=Gary Alazraki |url=http://alazrakifilms.com/ |website=Alazraki Films |accessdate=4 October 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004075616/http://alazrakifilms.com/ |archivedate=4 October 2016 }}
Nosotros los Nobles
In 2011 Gaz began production for Nosotros los Nobles starring Gonzalo Vega, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Karla Souza, and Juan Pablo Gil. The film was released by Warner Bros. in 2013 and it became the highest grossing Mexican Movie of all time. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 100% rating and the film stayed in the Box-Office-Top-10 for 17 weeks -second place to Titanic (20 weeks). With 7.2 million viewers and $340 million pesos in box office sales, it doubled the record from the previous Highest Grossing Mexican Film in History.{{cite web|title=Nosotros los nobles: un éxito inesperado |url=http://www.forbes.com.mx/nosotros-los-nobles-un-exito-cinematografico-inesperado/ |website=Forces México |date=24 December 2013 |accessdate=2 December 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202095038/http://www.forbes.com.mx/nosotros-los-nobles-un-exito-cinematografico-inesperado/ |archivedate=2 December 2015 }}{{cite web|title=2013 Mexico Yearly Box Office Results |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/mexico/yearly/?yr=2013&p=.htm |website=Box Office Mojo |accessdate=11 June 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611171332/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/mexico/yearly/?yr=2013&p=.htm |archivedate=11 June 2016 }}
The film’s satirical take on the 1% was profiled by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the LA Times, while the Box Office performance was headlined in Forbes, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.{{Cite news |last=Malkin |first=Elisabeth |date=2013-05-31 |title=Comeuppance for the Rich, at Least on the Screen |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/31/world/americas/satirical-look-at-rich-delights-mexican-moviegoers.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |date=2013-06-15 |title=Mexico's Spoiled Rich Kids: The entitled children of the country's elite are now coming under fire |url=https://bambooinnovator.com/2013/06/15/mexicos-spoiled-rich-kids-the-entitled-children-of-the-countrys-elite-are-now-coming-under-fire/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Bamboo Innovator |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2013-08-19 |title=A cinematic mocking of Mexico's nouveau riche |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-aug-19-la-et-mn-mexico-nobles-20130819-story.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com.mx/nosotros-los-nobles-un-exito-cinematografico-inesperado/ | title=Nosotros los nobles: Un éxito inesperado | date=24 December 2013 }}{{Cite web |last=Hecht |first=John |date=2013-04-08 |title=Mexican Comedy 'Nostoros los Nobles' Storming to Box Office History |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/mexican-comedy-nostoros-los-nobles-434748/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Gaydos |first=Steven |date=2013-09-19 |title=Mexican Director Gaz Alazraki Reveals His Nine Unlikely Teachers |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/global/mexican-director-gaz-alazraki-reveals-his-nine-unlikely-teachers-1200615599/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
It won Best Movie at the CANACINE Awards,{{Cite web |last=Colaborador |first=chilango- |date=2014-05-01 |title='Nosotros los Nobles', la ganona de los Premios Canacine 2013 |url=https://www.chilango.com/cine/nosotros-los-nobles-la-ganona-de-los-premios-canacine-2013/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=chilango |language=es}} and garnered Luis Gerardo Méndez the nomination for Best Actor at The Mexican Academy Awards as well as a nomination for Best Screenplay.{{Cite web |title=FilmAffinity |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/award-edition-movie.php?edition-id=ariel_2014&movie-id=275545 |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=FilmAffinity |language=es}}
Expansion Magazine awarded the Alazraki Brothers the "Marketers of the Year" award,{{Cite web |date=2013-11-27 |title='Nosotros los nobles': campaña fenómeno |url=https://expansion.mx/especiales/2013/11/19/la-mercadotecnia-detras-de-los-nobles |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Expansión |language=es}} while Quien Magazine placed Alazraki in the list of the "50 Most Influential Mexicans of the Year,"{{Cite web |date=2013-10-29 |title=Ellos son los Quién 50 en 2013 |url=https://www.quien.com/sociales/2013/10/29/quienes-son-los-quien-50-de-2013 |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Quién |language=es}} and Forbes called him one of the "30 Most Creative Mexicans in the World."{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com.mx/media-videos/los-mexicanos-mas-creativos-mundo-capitulo-gary-alazraki/ | title=Los mexicanos más creativos en el mundo. Capítulo Gary Alazraki }}
Club de Cuervos
In 2014 Gaz teamed up with Luis Gerardo Méndez again for what would become Netflix’s first International Original series.{{cite web|last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Netflix Comedy 'Club de Cuervos' Starts Shooting in Mexico |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/netflix-comedy-club-de-cuervos-starts-shooting-in-mexico-1201404843/ |website=Variety |date=14 January 2015 |accessdate=7 February 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207125614/http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/netflix-comedy-club-de-cuervos-starts-shooting-in-mexico-1201404843/ |archivedate=7 February 2016}}
The show based on a fictional Soccer Team called Los Cuervos de Nuevo Toledo, got an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It ran for 4 seasons, and gave way to Netflix’s first spin off: The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez -Directed and executive Produced by his brother and partner Mark Alazraki.
In 2017, Netflix touted Club de Cuervos as its most binge-raced show in Mexico.{{Cite web |last=Keeley |first=Joe |date=2020-06-04 |title=Binge-Watching vs. Binge-Racing: What It Is and Why You Should Try It |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/binge-racing-next-netflix-trend-try/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=MUO |language=en}} The Third Season was nominated for Best International Comedy at the International Emmy Awards{{Cite web |title=Club De Cuervos (Club of Crows) S3 – International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |url=https://www.iemmys.tv/nominees/club-de-cuervos-club-of-crows-s3/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |language=en-US}} and won Best Comedy at the Phoenix Awards.{{cite web | url=https://www.razon.com.mx/entretenimiento/672417-2/ | title=Gana "Club de Cuervos" primer premio Fénix para una serie | date=6 December 2017 }}
The show finally concluded in January 2019 with the last 3 episodes averaging a 9.5 Rating in IMDB. They sold over 100,000 pieces of Cuervos apparel with their brand partner Charly,{{cite web | url=https://www.merca20.com/la-playera-de-club-de-cuervos-la-venta-en-la-vida-real-genialidad-mercadologica/ | title=La playera de Club de Cuervos a la venta en la vida real, ¿genialidad mercadológica? | date=16 October 2017 }} and its official sponsor: Corona Beer, sold 10 million Club de Cuervos Beers in celebration of the team’s fake victory.
Father of the Bride
In 2019 he directed Father of the Bride for Plan B and Warner Bros.
With Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan starring as a couple in the brink of divorce, this reimagining follows a Cuban American man in Miami who wants to preserve his traditions as his elder daughter played by Adria Arjona is about to marry a Mexican Fiancé played by Diego Boneta.
Produced by Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner, this version of the title got an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes and drew HBO Max’s Biggest Audience For A Streaming-Only Film.{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/father-of-the-bride-hbo-max-viewership-1235048830/ | title='Father of the Bride' Draws HBO Max's Biggest Audience for a Streaming-Only Film | date=20 June 2022 }}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year ! rowspan="2" |Title ! colspan="4" |Credited as ! rowspan="2" |Notes |
| width="65"| Director
! width="65"| Writer ! width="65"| Producer ! width="65"| Actor |
|---|
| 2004
| style="text-align:left"| Respete las señales | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | rowspan="3" | Short film |
| 2005
| style="text-align:left"| Volver, volver | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
| rowspan="2" | 2008
| style="text-align:left"| La hora cero | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
| style="text-align:left"| Casi divas
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Role: Amigo Ximena 1 |
| 2009
| style="text-align:left"| Daniel & Ana | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Role: Amigo Borracho |
| 2013
| style="text-align:left"| Nosotros los Nobles | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Role: Santiago |
| 2019
| style="text-align:left"| Mentada de padre | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2021
| style="text-align:left"| Pourris gâtés | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{partial|Associate}} | {{no}} | French remake of Nosotros los Nobles |
| 2022
| style="text-align:left"| Father of the Bride | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |
| rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year
! rowspan="2" |Title ! colspan="3" |Credited as ! rowspan="2" |Notes |
|---|
| Director
! Writer ! Producer |
| 2015–2019
| style="text-align:left"| Club de Cuervos | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Creator |
| 2018
| style="text-align:left"| The Ballad of Hugo Sánchez | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{partial|Executive}} | Creator |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1890752}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alazraki, Gary}}
Category:Film directors from Mexico City
Category:Mexican male screenwriters
Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni