René Villar-Rios is a film and commercial director and photographer based in Los Angeles, California. Born in Chile and raised in Sweden and the U.S., René brings his multicultural background to his cinematic and authentic films. René developed his passion for photography at the young age of nine, when his mother set up a darkroom in the bathroom of their apartment in Sweden. After studying film direction and fine art photography in Gothenburg Sweden, René spent a year at the International Center of Photography in NYC where he studied under photography masters such as Bruce Davidson and Joseph Koudelka.

With a philosophy of cinematic authenticity, Rene’s narratives convey a mix of curiosity, realism and magic. Finding inspiration from the streets, people, youth, skateboarding, and fashion, René’s narratives are woven from the real-world connections he makes. He has directed award-winning work for clients such as Nike, Nissan, McDonalds, Chase bank, Mercedes, Xbox, Coca Cola, Hershey, Miller, PNC, All, Kraft, and Ikea. René recently collaborated on BABYGANGSTA, a film about the Crips and the Bloods in LA and the real-life violence gang members experience. The film is set to premiere April 2020. He also worked on the feature film AMARAICA, a story of child separation, immigration, and unconditional love. AMARAICA will premiere at the 2020 Santa Fe Film Festival. Rene is currently represented in Sweden by True Motionfilm and by AMMOLITE INC in the United States. When he is not filming, you can find René skateboarding in Venice, traveling the world, and spending quality time with his kiddos.