In partnership with RENDR Festival and supported by the National Talent Academy for VFX, we are delighted to present this very special speaker series.
Recorded live on location at RENDR 2026 in Banana Block Belfast, we caught up with acclaimed filmmaker Fede Álvarez, the director, writer and producer behind genre-defining features including Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe and Alien: Romulus.
In this in-depth conversation, he discusses breaking into Hollywood from Uruguay, working with iconic horror franchises and the key moment he reassessed his career. Fede has collaborated with some of the industry’s biggest names, including Ridley Scott, and reflects on the success of Alien: Romulus, the evolution of genre filmmaking, and the cinematic worlds he enjoys building.
Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.
This series of talks was recorded in The Spinners Mill Studio, a podcast and DJ studio based in Banana Block offering tailored solutions for DJ sessions, small-scale events and podcasting from concept to final distribution. Follow them on Insta / Facebook / TikTok
Fede Álvarez
Director, writer and producer Federico Javier Álvarez Mattos is a Uruguayan filmmaker whose directorial debut was the 2013 remake of Evil Dead, which he also wrote. The film starred Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez and Lou Taylor Pucci, and opened at number one at the box office. Following the success of his first film, Alvarez wrote, directed and produced the hit genre film Don’t Breathe, which starred Jane Levy, Stephen Lang and Dylan Minnette. The film premiered to rave reviews, grossed over $157 million globally, and left a lasting impact on the horror community for its innovative storytelling and tension-building scenes.
Alvarez also directed and wrote the action-crime film The Girl in the Spider’s Web, starring Claire Foy and LaKeith Stanfield, based on the characters from the bestselling Stieg Larsson series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He also produced and wrote Don’t Breathe 2 and later produced and wrote the 2022 film Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which premiered at number one on Netflix’s Top 10 list. On the TV side, Alvarez created, directed and wrote the Apple TV+ series Calls, an English adaptation of the French series of the same name. The series stars Aubrey Plaza, Riley Keough, Joey King and Pedro Pascal, among many others, and won an Emmy for Outstanding Motion Design and earned Alvarez a WGA nomination for Adapted Short Form New Media.
Most recently, Alvarez’s film Alien: Romulus, which he wrote, directed and executive produced, was released in the summer of 2024, starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu. The film is a standalone instalment in the Alien franchise and follows a group of young people on a distant world who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying lifeform in the universe. The film grossed over $350 million worldwide and received positive critical acclaim. It won Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards, received a Golden Globe nomination for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, and an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. Alvarez has since written the script for the sequel to Romulus and will produce the film alongside Ridley Scott.
RENDR Festival
This is a unique event celebrating creative craft and artistry in a fully immersive two-day festival exploring the space between Creativity and Technology. Ignite your imagination with inspiring speakers from the worlds of Film, Gaming, Animation, Immersive, and more! Learn from the best, with 30+ creatives from the likes of Netflix, Pixar, Walt Disney Studios and Epic Games among others.
Witness creative uses of new technology, explore the gallery of digital art, chow down at the food village or play in the arcade. You will be transported to the future, and provide you with unforgettable and inspirational nights. Like nothing you have experienced before, our unique combination is guaranteed to provide two nights you can’t miss. Come for the talks, stay for the experience!
National Talent Academy for Visual Effects
As the newest of the Academies, the National Talent Academy for VFX provides support and opportunities for anyone interested in a career in VFX. Launched in 2024, the National Talent Academy for VFX is an initiative of Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland, managed by Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet. Their mission is to transform aspiring VFX artists into industry-ready professionals while providing ongoing upskilling opportunities for current talent.
Through comprehensive courses and programmess, we introduce participants to best practices both locally and globally, creating clear pathways and solidifying Ireland’s reputation as a premier destination for VFX. The National Talent Academy for VFX is dedicated to attracting individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, fostering greater awareness of VFX as a viable and exciting career choice. Learn more about the work they do here.