Paco Plaza

Directing

Born: 1973-08-02
From: Valencia, Spain
Gender: Male
Popularity: 0.4

Also Known As

Francisco Plaza Trinidad

Biography

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.

Photos3

Awards & Nominations1 won · 1 nominated

Nominated

European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film

Rec

2008
🏆 Won

Sitges Film Festival Best Director award

Rec

2007

Acting15 titles

Directing22 titles

Writing12 titles

Production5 titles

Creator1 title