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.

Paco Plaza

Directing Born August 2, 1973 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.

Known For

Marcians

Self - Interviewee

Drag Race España

Self - Guest Judge

[REC]²

Zombie (uncredited)

Jokes & Cigarettes

Chicho

Spanish Movie

Municipal

[REC]: Horror Without Pause

Self - Filmmaker

Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror

Self - Director

Heirs of the Beast

Cult of Terror

Self - Filmmaker

Suburbs

Marido

Cinémas d'Horreur - Apocalypse, Virus, Zombies

Self

La suite nupcial

Camarero