Mexican filmmaker Pancho Rodríguez from Guadalajara died on Saturday, as confirmed by the Mexican Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences (AMACC). Known for films like Calling an Angel and Abracadaver, he was a respected teacher in Jalisco's cinema scene. The AMACC extended condolences to his family.
The death of Pancho Rodríguez has saddened Mexico's film community. The AMACC announced the news on its social media with an extensive message, highlighting his career as a director, screenwriter, and teacher. "Pancho was also an important teacher and one of the most beloved and respected figures in the Jalisco cinematographic scene," the institution stated.
Rodríguez began his career in the 1990s collaborating in the videohome industry. He documented that period in his novel One of Bullets, which inspired a short film of the same title. He studied film at the CIEC and the Television and Video Department of the University of Guadalajara (UdG).
His first short films were Wild Bullets (1999) and Ulysses and the Door of the Titans (2000). In 2005, he published his novel at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) and presented the namesake short starring Mario Almada. Two years later, in 2007, he premiered his first feature film, Calling an Angel, co-directed with Rodolfo Guzmán and Héctor Rodríguez Acosta.
Other notable works include Abracadaver. His contributions to Jalisco cinema established him as a key figure, blending storytelling and teaching to influence new generations.