Screenwriter and filmmaker
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Screenwriter and filmmaker 〰️
luis santana déniz
Scroll down to see my work!
N'KISI
aNIMATION TV SHOW - screenwriter
That fancy word means “power figure” in the Kongo dialect of Central Africa, and is also the title of an animated TV series I wrote for Araoye productions and Netflix Nigeria.
N’kisi tells the adventures of five misfit teens from the city of Lagos who accidentally make the entire world disappear after messing with an ancient artifact. What first feels like a dream come true (no parents? no homework? oh yeah!) soon becomes a whole fight for survival.
Here are some test animatics of the project paired with scrolling excerpts from the screenplay.
(Scrolling going too fast? Don’t panic. Just enjoy the animation and download the scripts clicking here for the first one and here for the second one)
TIGOTáN
Animation FEATURE FILM - screenwriter
The mythology, folklore, and landscapes of the Canary Islands inspired my first animated feature screenplay.
Blending local legend with classic adventure storytelling, Tigotán —which means “The Land of the Gods” in the language of the Canary Islands’ indigenous people—follows two siblings forced to venture deep into a mythical island filled with dangerous creatures and forgotten deities in order to find their way back home.
The film is still very much in production, so I can’t reveal too much just yet… but the team agreed that it wouldn’t really hurt to share an early animatic from one of the film’s scenes.
Have fun!
(If you want to download the animatic’s script, remember, you have it right here)
Women of Salt, Men of Smoke
documentary - Screenwriter, film editor
Mujeres de Sal, Hombres de Humo (as it is titled in its original language) marked my first experience in documentary filmmaking and my second collaboration with feminist author Iris Carballo.
The project explores the migration process that took place between the Canary Islands and Cuba during the early 20th century, but not from the perspective of the men who left in search of opportunity, rather from that of the women who stayed behind, waiting for their husband’s return.
However, as Iris delves deeper into the stories told by the descendants of these women —later known as the “White Widows”— what started as a historical investigation, gradually transforms into an introspective journey of personal search.
Produced and distributed by the Canary Islands’ regional public television network, the full documentary unfortunately can’t be shown online just yet due to copyright restrictions…
Still… here are two short excerpts. For your eyes only.
Komorebi
short film - director, screenwriter, cinematographer
By now, you’ve probably noticed how much I love titles in languages I don’t actually speak. In this case, Komorebi is the Japanese word for sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees. Beautiful, right?
Created in just 72 hours for the 16th Festival de Las Estrellas de La Palma, the film stars acclaimed actress Nieves Bravo as a woman determined to break free from the weight of her daily routine in the most unexpected way.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it!
BLANK
short film - Cinematographer, film editor
Also crafted during the 16th Festival de Las Estrellas de La Palma, Blank marked my first collaboration with filmmaker and writer Iris Carballo.
Unlike the rest of the projects in this gallery, I wasn’t involved in the screenwriting process of this piece. Instead, my role here was purely visual: translating the director’s sensibility through cinematography and editing.
The result? A story about the quiet violence of aging and illness that earned an award for Best Cinematography.
Hope you enjoy it.
THE INNER PAST
video essay - director, Screenwriter, film editor
Not quite fiction. Not entirely documentary… But something in between.
The Inner Past is, by far, my most intimate and personal project. An experimental piece shaped like an ode to the spaces of my childhood, and a reflection on the passage of time within them and within the people who once inhabited them.
A visual and narrative journey through memory, absence and inner spaces.
Just press play.
Your true self
short film - director, screenwriter… and more.
My first true “one-man band” fiction project. Producer, director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor… and yes, even actor.
Created within the framework of the annual Subtravelling Festival TMB, organized by Barcelona’s Metropolitan Transit System.
Exploring one of the themes I keep returning to in my work, Your True Self follows a solitary protagonist on a relentless search for identity through the endless tunnels of the subway.
Three minutes and thirty seconds of time loops, infinite train cars, and underground chaos.
Check it out!
Hey, REACH OUT!
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Hey, REACH OUT! *
Hooray! You made it.
If after seeing all this madness you still want to collaborate with me, feel free to fill out the form on the right and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Thank you for your consideration.
See ya!