Biography

Xavi Sala is a Mexican screenwriter, director and film producer.

Xavi Sala’s feature-length film debut,  Guie’dani’s Navel (El ombligo de Guie’dani / Xquipi’ Guie’dani, 2018), was selected for more than 40 festivals. It won 9 awards, including ​Cinépolis Distribution Award and Special Mention Award for Mexican feature film actress at the Morelia Film Festival (Mexico), and Radio Exterior of Spain Award at the Huelva Iberoamerican Film Festival (Spain). It was sold, among others, to HBO USA, and commercially released in Mexico and Spain.

He has directed nine short films and participated in many festivals. He received more than 80 awards and has become internationally recognized. Some of these film festivals include Tampere, Oberhausen, Dresden, San Sebastian, Berlin, Guadalajara, Sao Paulo, Huesca, Alcalá de Henares, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal, Seul, Sidney, Tanger, etc. His short Hiyab was nominated for the Goya Awards.

He has extensive teaching experience as a professor of screenwriting in Mexico and several countries around the world: CCC, UNAM, UAEMex, Centro, Arte 7, CIBEF, Ciudad de la Luz (Alacant), EICTV San Antonio de los Baños (Cuba), Cultural Centers of Spain in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Marruecos and Equatorial Guinea as well as Script consultant at Proimágenes, Ministry of Culture of Colombia.

He is the author of several feature film scripts, with special mention to Viatge d’estudis (Finalist to the Pilar Miró long film awards in 2007) and Bienvenida, María (Finalist in the SGAE Julio Alejandro contest, 2004).

Filmography

• La virgen silenciosa (The Silent Virgin). Feature Film / 2025/ 127’
• Xquipi’ Guie’dani (Guie’dani’s navel) (Feature film/ Fiction/ 2018 /118’/ DCP 2K)
• El nacimiento (The Birth) (Short/ 2012 / 13’/ DCP 2K)
• El reloj (The Watch) (Short/ documentary/ 2011 / 13’/ 35 mm)
• La autoridad (The Authority) (Short/ 2010 / 10’/ 35 mm)
• La parabólica (The Parabolic Dish)  (Short/ 2007 / 12’/ 35 mm)
• En el instituto (In the High School) (Short/ 2006 / 3’/ 35 mm)
• Hiyab  (Short/ 2006 / 8’/ 35 mm) (Nominated Spanish Goya Awards)
• Los padres (Parents)  (Short/ 2004 / 5’/ 35 mm)
• Maleteros (Trunks) (Short/ 2003/ 9’/ 35 mm)
• 60 años  (60 years old) (Short/ 2002 / 13’/ 35 mm)