Biography

Alfonso "Poncho" Pineda Ulloa is a rigorous, imaginative, and versatile film and TV director known for his sharp storytelling, skilled actor direction, and precise camera work. His versatility across styles highlights his mastery of the craft. Poncho holds an MFA from UCLA's Producers Program and majored in English literature in college. He also studied cinematography and directing at the LAFS. He shadowed Rodrigo García on Nine Lives and HBO's Big Love through IFP's "Project Involve,".

Poncho Pineda's latest TV series, WOMEN IN BLUE, a true crime drama for Apple TV+ dropped on July 31 to positive reviews, snagging a perfect 100% Critics Score on Rotten Tomatoes and winning audiences over. In television, he directed WHO KILLED SARA? (¿Quién Mató a Sara?). The Netflix series became the platform's #1 show, binge-watched by fifty-four million subscribers. He's been nominated for the International Emmy three times. His HBO series SR. AVILA snagged the International Emmy in 2017. That same year, his award-winning series HASTA QUE TE CONOCi, about the iconic Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, was also in the running for an International Emmy. Additionally, he directed THE INMATE (EL Recluso), produced by Telemundo for Netflix, which got an International Emmy nod in 2019.

His debut feature, LOVE PAIN AND VICE VERSA (Amor Dolor y Viceversa) made a splash in the narrative feature competition at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. His English-language action thriller THERE ARE NO SAINTS, "a badass exploitation film with a black soul, shoot from the hip style", written by Paul Schrader, starring José María Yazpik, Ron Perlman, Tim Roth, Neal McDonough, and Karla Souza, is available on VOD and AMC+ and quickly became a cult film with American audiences. Additionally, he directed TALES OF MEXICO (La habitación), which garnered seven Ariel nominations, often referred to as the Mexican Oscars.

- IMDb mini biography by: Diego Rey