ABOUT

Adrián G. de la Peña is a genre-bending Mexican filmmaker based in Canada with over 15 years of experience across narrative, documentary, and commercial projects. Known for his sharp eye, bold storytelling, deep empathy, and culturally grounded approach, he moves fluidly between genre-focused narratives, nonfiction work, and industry mentorship. His films have screened at over 25 international festivals and earned multiple awards. He has been selected for the Horror Development Lab 2022 at Blood in the Snow Film Festival, the Genre Rules Lab at WEMW’s Trieste Film Festival, and the Film Market Access Market Readiness Program at Marche du Film in Cannes Film Festival. As an educator and mentor, Adrián has become a trusted voice for emerging filmmakers, blending creative vision with strategic execution to help shape the future of independent film.

He is the founder of Machakiller Productions, a dynamic Canadian film and television production company dedicated to crafting captivating scripted and non-scripted content for audiences worldwide.

Among Adrian’s projects on development are Naualli, a revenge-thriller/creature-feature rooted in the lore and mythology of the Meso-American Nahuales. The proof of concept short film has been selected in over 26 international festivals and won 6 awards.

His other projects in development include Ice Rats, a Hockey revenge-thriller about a group of female junior hockey players that after causing a brutal accident on the ice, they get trapped in the hockey arena and hunted by a revenge-seeking deranged parent. Little Fangs Horror Story, a dramedy about a a Junior High School teacher enforcing horror movies to his students to prove it’s positive impact and Thrill me!, a documentary exploring the benefits of horror movies and culture.

As a director, Adrian has proven his ability to handle any genre or medium effectively, easily adapting his directing approach from scripted works to commercials and documentaries. His style is defined by a naturalistic approach, focusing on intimate human relationships and character connections. Adrian's work as an editor for broadcast advertising and documentaries not only enhances his directing point of view but also underscores his resourcefulness, adaptability, and versatility as a creative professional.

His short film T-Minus (2018) received numerous awards in Canada and the UK, earning inclusion in the anthology feature The Impact (2022).

If you would like to collaborate, work with Adrian or just to say hi please get in touch!