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Paco Plaza

Paco Plaza

Born: 1973-08-02 • Valencia, Spain

Paco Plaza is a critically acclaimed Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for co-creating the influential [REC] franchise, which debuted in 2007 and helped redefine found-footage horror with its intense, immersive style and claustrophobic suspense. Plaza directed and co-wrote the original [REC] alongside Jaume Balagueró and continued to shape the series through [REC] 2 and the solo installment [REC] 3: Genesis, earning international recognition and numerous awards. Plaza is respected not only for his genre-breaking horror films but also for his versatility across other projects like Verónica (2017) and recent anthology work on V/H/S/Halloween (2025). His impact on contemporary horror cinema, especially through [REC]’s visceral realism, has cemented his reputation as one of Spain’s most influential genre filmmakers.

Filmography
Jokes & Cigarettes poster
Jokes & Cigarettes
2023 • Chicho
[REC]: Horror Without Pause poster
[REC]: Horror Without Pause
2022 • Self - Filmmaker
Berlanga!! poster
Berlanga!!
2021 • Self - Filmmaker
La suite nupcial poster
La suite nupcial
2020 • Camarero
Beyond Blood poster
Beyond Blood
2019 • Self
Cult of Terror poster
Cult of Terror
2017 • Self - Filmmaker
Heirs of the Beast poster
Heirs of the Beast
2016
Queridos monstruos poster
Queridos monstruos
2014 • Self
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror poster
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror
2014 • Self - Director
Cinémas d'Horreur - Apocalypse, Virus, Zombies poster
Cinémas d'Horreur - Apocalypse, Virus, Zombies
2010 • Himself
Spanish Movie poster
Spanish Movie
2009 • Municipal
[REC]² poster
[REC]²
2009 • Zombie (uncredited)
Suburbs poster
Suburbs
1996 • Marido