Carlos Solano (Madrid, 1988) is a director and screenwriter. His filmmaking journey began with short films, a field in which he developed a distinctive voice, shaped by a particular sensitivity to storytelling and character development.

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Trained at ESCAC, he directed Somos amigos (We Are Friends), The 27 Club and Strangers on the Road. His films have screened at festivals around the world and received numerous awards and recognitions. Strangers on the Road also earned him his first Goya Award nomination.

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During these years, Solano developed several feature film projects while combining fiction filmmaking with his work in advertising, eventually making the transition to feature films.

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In 2025, he made his feature debut with Leo & Lou, an adventure film shot in Galicia and co-written with Carlos C. Tomé. The story follows Leo, a ten-year-old girl who does not speak, and Lou, a lonely man who seems unable to find his place in the world. A chance encounter forces them to embark on a journey together, ultimately transforming both their lives.

With Leo & Lou, Solano revisits the spirit of the family adventure films that shaped his childhood, while approaching them from a contemporary perspective. Humour, emotion and adventure come together in a story about communication, family, loneliness and the possibility of finding someone precisely when you least expect it.

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The film premiered at SEMINCI and went on to an international festival run that included two major A-list festivals: the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention from the Jury, and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), where it won the Children's Jury Award for Best Film in the Just Film section.

Leo & Lou was also nominated for a 2026 Goya Award for Best Original Score, further consolidating Solano's transition to feature filmmaking.

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From his early short films to his feature debut, Carlos Solano's cinema revolves around imperfect characters, unexpected encounters and relationships capable of changing the course of a story. A cinema that seeks to entertain and move audiences, while trusting in something as simple as it is powerful: that a good story can connect with viewers of any age.