Luis Gabriel Beristáin is a Mexican cinematographer, producer, and television director.
He is an active member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Early life Beristain was born in Mexico City, the son of actor Luis Beristáin. His interest in filmmaking began with his involvement in Mexico's independent film scene in the seventies. He studied Engineering at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, and later joined a new film studies program at the school, while also producing audiovisual training materials for the health department.
Beristain had a son born in 1980 who lived in Austria and died in 2000.
After filming a number of documentaries, he founded a small commercial production company, before moving to Italy in 1977. At the recommendation of director Sergio Leone, he relocated to the United Kingdom, where he enrolled in the prestigious National Film and Television School, which accepted only 25 students a year. He was one of only five foreigners to be accepted into the school, and studied cinematography under Oswald Morris and Billy Williams.
Career His first feature film as cinematographer was the 1983 Colombian horror film Bloody Flesh (Spanish: Carne de tu carne, "Flesh of Your Flesh"), for which he won the Best Cinematography Award at the Bogotá Film Festival. His work on Derek Jarman's 1986 film Caravaggio earned him a Special Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Beristain was one of several cinematographers on the 1987 anthology film Aria, which was nominated for a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Allen Daviau suggested he move to Hollywood, where he could apply his talents and unique insight into both Mexican and Anglo cultures. Beristain has been a member of the British Society of Cinematographers since 1990, and the American Society of Cinematographers since 2002.
While working in 2003's S.W.A.T., Beristain became friends with executive producer Louis D'Esposito, who after helping form Marvel Studios invited Beristain to do additional photography for Iron Man. He wound up in the same function in six other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and also served as cinematographer for the D'Esposito-directed Marvel One-Shot short films Item 47 (2012) and Agent Carter (2013), as well as the television series Agent Carter. Beristain would eventually have his first feature for the studio as cinematographer in 2021's Black Widow.
Filmography Director Television Year Title Notes 1996 Hidden Empire: Calling London TV movie; Also writer 2017–2019 MacGyver 3 episodes 2010 Hawaii Five-0 Episodes "When the Light Goes Out, the House is Dark" and"A stranger only for a day" 2022 Eleven Days in Hell Pilot episode
Cinematographer Film Year Title Director 1983 Bloody Flesh Carlos Mayolo 1984 B'Yom Bahir Ro'im et Dameshek Eran Riklis 1985 Christmas Present Tony Bicât 1986 Caravaggio Derek Jarman1988 The Courier Frank DeasyJoe Lee Joyriders Aisling Walsh1989 Venus Peter Ian Sellar Killing Dad Michael Austin 1990 Waiting for the Light Christopher Monger 1991 K2 Franc Roddam 1992 The Distinguished Gentleman Jonathan Lynn1993 Blood In Blood Out Taylor Hackford Fatal Instinct Carl Reiner 1994 Greedy Jonathan Lynn 1995 Dolores Claiborne Taylor Hackford1997 Trial and Error Jonathan Lynn The Spanish Prisoner David Mamet 1998 Tale of the Mummy Russell Mulcahy1999 El cometa José BuilMarisa Sistach Molly John Duigan 2002 Blade II Guillermo del Toro 2003 S.W.A.T. Clark Johnson 2004 Blade: Trinity David S. Goyer 2005 The Ring Two Hideo Nakata2006 The Shaggy Dog Brian Robbins The Sentinel Clark Johnson 2007 The Invisible David S. Goyer 2008 Street Kings David Ayer 2009 Princess Kaiulani Marc Forby 2010 And Soon the Darkness Marcos Efron 2011 There Be Dragons Roland Joffé 2021 Black Widow Cate Shortland2024 The Beekeeper David Ayer Harold and the Purple Crayon Carlos Saldanha 2025 The Gentleman Himself 2026 Dime Detective Betty Kaplan
Short film Year Title Director Notes 1987 Aria Bill Bryden Segments "Turnadot" and "I pagliacci" 2010 Ka'iulani: Crown Princess of Hawai'i Roy Tjioe Documentary short 2012 Item 47Louis D'EspositoMarvel One-Shots 2013 Agent Carter 2021 You'll Be Happy Here Brenda Victoria Castillo
Television Miniseries Year Title Director Notes 1987 Lost Belongings Tony Bicât 1988 Troubles Christopher Morahan 1991 The Orchid House Horace Ové 2025 Washington Black Wanuri KahiuMaurice MarableRob Seidenglanz 4 episodes
TV series Year Title Director Notes 1998 I'm Telling You for the Last Time Marty Callner TV special;Sequence "The Funeral" 2010 Hawaii Five-0 Len Wiseman Episode "Pilot" 2012–2013 Magic City Carl FranklinEd BianchiSimon Cellan JonesNick GomezClark JohnsonDavid Petrarca 11 episodes 2014 The Strain David SemelPeter Weller 4 episodes 2015 Agent Carter Season 1 2016–2018 MacGyver 22 episodes 2022 Monarch Jason Ensler Episode "Stop at Nothing"
Awards and nominations 1984 Bogotá Film Festival Award for Best Cinematography: Bloody Flesh (Won) 1987 Special Silver Bear Award: Caravaggio (Won by Derek Jarman but dedicated by him to Beristain) 1994 VMA Award for Best Cinematography: "Amazing" (Nominated) 1999 Silver Ariel Award for Best Cinematography: The Comet (Nominated) 2021 Cinematography Award: Coronado Island Film Festival (Won)
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