Isaac Ezban

{{Infobox person

| name = Isaac Ezban

| image = File:Isaac Ezban 2.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|04|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Mexico City, Mexico

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Director, writer and producer

| alma_mater =

| yearsactive = 2007–present

| spouse = Miriam Mercado (2012–present)

| children = 2

}}

Isaac Ezban (born 15 April 1986) is a Mexican film director, writer and producer.{{Cite news| url=http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/11042015/interview-mexican-genre-filmmaker-isaac-ezban |title=Interview: Mexican genre filmmaker Isaac Ezban |website=The Public |author=M. Faust |date=4 November 2015 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202902/http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/11042015/interview-mexican-genre-filmmaker-isaac-ezban |archive-date=2019-01-04|url-status=live}}
- {{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/global/mexicos-isaac-ezban-talks-social-sci-fi-lovecraft-the-twilight-zone-the-similars-1201370768/ |title=Mexico's Isaac Ezban Talks Social Sci-Fi, Lovecraft, 'The Twilight Zone,' 'The Similars' |author=Marianne Zumberge |date=4 December 2014 |website=Variety |access-date=2019-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202902/https://variety.com/2014/film/global/mexicos-isaac-ezban-talks-social-sci-fi-lovecraft-the-twilight-zone-the-similars-1201370768/|archive-date=2019-01-04|url-status=live}}
- {{Cite web |url=http://www.cultprojections.com/interviews/qa-with-isaac-ezban |title=Q&A WITH ISAAC EZBAN, WRITER/DIRECTOR OF THE INCIDENT |website=Cult Projections |date=7 November 2014 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202901/http://www.cultprojections.com/interviews/qa-with-isaac-ezban |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=live}} He is best known for his work on the films The Incident, The Similars and Parallel.{{Cite web |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2014/05/cannes-2014-review-the-incident-el-incidente.html |title=Cannes 2014 Review: THE INCIDENT (EL INCIDENTE) Is One Of The Most Intriguing Mexican Films Of The Year |website=Screen Anarchy |author=Eric Ortiz Garciam |date=26 May 2014 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/https://screenanarchy.com/2014/05/cannes-2014-review-the-incident-el-incidente.html |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=live}}
- {{Cite news |url=http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2016/08/27/the-similars-review/ |title=Frightfest 2016: 'The Similars' Review |website=The Hollywood News |date=27 August 2016 |author=Luke Ryan Baldock |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2016/08/27/the-similars-review/ |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=live}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://nofspodcast.com/fantasia-review-parallel/ |title=[FANTASIA REVIEW] PARALLEL EXPOSES THE DANGERS OF EXPLORING ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS |website=Nightmare on Film Street |author=Chris Aitkens |date=29 July 2018 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/https://nofspodcast.com/fantasia-review-parallel/ |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=live}}

Life and career

Ezban was born and raised in Mexico City, in a Jewish family. He studied communication with a major in film at the Universidad Iberoamericana, drama in London at The Method Studio and filmmaking in New York at the New York Film Academy. He wrote four short novels before working in the film industry.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cassidyalexa.com/into-the-worlds-of-isaac-ezban/ |title=INTO THE WORLDS OF ISAAC EZBAN |publisher=Cassidy Alexa |date=29 December 2017 |access-date=2019-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117172015/http://cassidyalexa.com/into-the-worlds-of-isaac-ezban/|archive-date=2018-01-17|url-status=live}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://slackjawpunks.com/interview-director-of-the-similars-issac-ezban/ |title=INTERVIEW: DIRECTOR OF THE SIMILARS, ISAAC EZBAN |website=Slackjaw Punks |author=Bub Smith |date=15 November 2016 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/https://slackjawpunks.com/interview-director-of-the-similars-issac-ezban/ |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=dead}}

Ezban's first feature film, The Incident, starring Raúl Méndez, Nailea Norvind, Hernan Mendoza, Humberto Busto and Fernando Alvarez Rebeil, was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Blood Window Midnight Galas.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/global/blood-window-bows-genre-pic-midnight-galas-at-cannes-1201165587/ |title=Blood Window Bows Genre Pic Midnight Galas at Cannes |author=John Hopewell |date=28 April 2014 |website=Variety |access-date=2018-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/https://variety.com/2014/film/global/blood-window-bows-genre-pic-midnight-galas-at-cannes-1201165587/ |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=live}} It won the award for Best Original Screenplay at the Expresión en Corto International Film Festival,{{Cite web |url=https://giff.mx/winners-2013/ |title=Ganadores Winner 2013 |publisher=GIFF |access-date=2018-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/https://giff.mx/winners-2013/ |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=live |language=es}} the Mexico Primero Award at Los Cabos International Film Festival and 16 other awards, and was praised by Guillermo del Toro.{{cite news |url=http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2018/1071272.html |title=Isaac Ezban, tras los pasos de Guillermo del Toro |author=Ulises Castañeda |work=Cronica |date=26 March 2018 |access-date=3 January 2019 |language=es |trans-title=Isaac Ezban, in the footsteps of Guillermo del Toro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405012627/http://www.cronica.com.mx/notas/2018/1071272.html |archive-date=2018-04-05 |url-status=dead }} His second feature film, The Similars, starting Gustavo Sánchez Parra, was premiered at Fantastic Fest and the Sitges Film Festival.{{Cite web |url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/film?id=10003768 |title=LOS PARECIDOS |publisher=Sitges Film Festival |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202859/https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/film?id=10003768 |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=dead}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://fantasticfest.com/films/similars-the |title=THE SIMILARS |publisher=Fantastic Fest |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415100318/http://fantasticfest.com/films/similars-the|archive-date=2016-04-15 |url-status=dead}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://lovehorror.co.uk/horror-news/similars-frightfest-2016/ |title=THE SIMILARS at FrightFest 2016 |website=Love Horror |author=PR monster |date=18 August 2016 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818162038/http://lovehorror.co.uk/horror-news/similars-frightfest-2016/ |archive-date=2016-08-18 |url-status=live}} It also won the award for Best Latin American Film in Sitges and the press award in Morbido.{{Cite web |url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/noticies?id=1003260%7Ctitle=SITGES |title=SITGES' MARK SEEN IN MEXICO |publisher=Sitges Film Festival |date=20 November 2014 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104202900/https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/noticies?id=1003260%7Ctitle=SITGES |archive-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=dead}}

In 2016, Ezban was hired by Bron Studios to direct his third feature film and first English language film, Parallel, starring Aml Ameen, Martin Wallström, Georgia King, Mark O'Brien, Alyssa Diaz and Kathleen Quinlan.{{Cite news |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2018/07/fantasia-2018-review-parallel.html |title=Fantasia 2018 Review: PARALLEL Examines The Ethics Of The Multiverse |website=Screen Anarchy |author=J Hurtado |date=24 July 2018 |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225030616/https://screenanarchy.com/2018/07/fantasia-2018-review-parallel.html |archive-date=2018-12-25 |url-status=live}} He is scheduled{{when|date=November 2023}} to direct an upcoming{{when|date=November 2023}} feature film based on the Dan Simmons novel, Summer Of Night for Sony Pictures.{{Cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/summer-of-night-dan-simmons-isaac-ezban-sony-pictures-worldwide-1202172482/ |title=Sony Pictures Worldwide Lands Package Based On Dan Simmons 'Summer Of Night' Fright Novel |author=Mike Fleming Jr |date=18 September 2017 |website=Deadline |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504132157/http://deadline.com/2017/09/summer-of-night-dan-simmons-isaac-ezban-sony-pictures-worldwide-1202172482/ |archive-date=2018-05-04 |url-status=live}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year !Film !Writer !Director !Producer !Notes
2007 \| Subway to Hell \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2008 \| Cookie \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2008 \| Kosher Spaghetti \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2009 \| El judío que todos llevamos dentro \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| Short film
2009 \| El secreto de Martín Cordiani \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2009 \| Hambre \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2010 \| Cosas feas \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2011 \| Ocean Blues \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Feature film
2012 \| Mute \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2013 \| Heaven & Hell \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Short film
2013 \| In Search of Dylan \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Documentary
2014 \| The Incident \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Feature film
2014 \| Barbarous Mexico \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| Feature film
2015 \| Presagio \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Feature film
2015 \| The Similars \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Feature film
2018 \| Parallel \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| Feature film
2019 \|Deathcember \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \| Anthology film. Directed the short film “Villancicos”{{Cite web \|last=Gingold \|first=Michael \|date=2020-12-14 \|title=Interview: Director Isaac Ezban on his sci-fi thriller “PARALLEL” and holiday horror anthology “DEATHCEMBER,” Part Two \|url=https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-director-isaac-ezban-on-his-sci-fi-thriller-parallel-and-holiday-horror-anthology-deathcember-part-two/ \|access-date=2025-04-03 \|website=Rue Morgue \|language=en-US}}{{Cite web \|title=Deathcember \|url=https://www.deathcembermovie.com/#zonik-f820ac8d81cab8 \|access-date=2025-04-03 \|website=Deathcember \|language=en-gb}}
2021 \|Mal de Ojo \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Feature film
2023 \|La Hora Marcada \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{n}} \|Miniseries. Directed 1 episode{{Cite web \|title=VIX+ STARTS FILMING A NEW VERSION OF THE HORROR SERIES “LA HORA MARCADA” - SEÑAL NEWS \|url=https://senalnews.com/en/content/vix-starts-filming-a-new-version-of-the-horror-series-la-hora-marcada \|access-date=2025-04-03 \|website=senalnews.com \|language=en}}{{Cite web \|last=Zamarripa \|first=Raymundo \|date=2023-10-30 \|title=‘La Hora Marcada’: regresa el clásico de terror de la televisión mexicana \|url=https://www.quien.com/espectaculos/2023/10/30/la-hora-marcada-regresa-el-clasico-de-terror-de-la-television-mexicana \|access-date=2025-04-03 \|website=Quién \|language=es}}
2024 \|Parvulos \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{y}} \| Feature film{{Cite web \|last=Harvey \|first=Dennis \|date=2024-08-07 \|title=‘Parvulos’ Review: A Picaresque Coming-of-Age Saga Set in Zombie Times \|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/parvulos-review-1236092167/ \|access-date=2025-04-03 \|website=Variety \|language=en-US}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

!Film

!Writer

!Director

!Producer

!Notes

2007

| Subway to Hell