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Alfredo Mayo

Alfredo Mayo

Cinematographer · Born April 22, 1943 (83) · Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Alfredo Mayo is a Spanish cinematographer and director of photography. Early in his career, Mayo worked with many different directors, on little known films as second operator for Teo Escamilla and José Luis Alcaine until 1984, when he was director of photography for “The Conquest of Albania”. In 1991 he won the Goya for best cinematography for Las cartas de Alou (1990). Subsequently, he was also nominated for the Goya Awards for “El maestro de esgrima” in 1992 and for “El misterio Galíndez” in 2003. In 1991, he worked as director of photography on Pedro Almodóvar's “Tacones lejanos” and, later, on “Kika” (1993). At this time he also began shooting for Marcelo Piñeyro, on “Caballos salvajes”; Mayo became the cinematographer with whom Piñeyro worked on all the films he directed himself (except “Historias de Argentina en vivo”), including the critically acclaimed “Plata quemada” (2000) and “Kamchatka” (2002). He later collaborated with director Gerardo Herrero, for whom he was director of photography on ten films between 1994 and 2006. Mayo has also worked with Fernando León de Aranoa on three occasions (“Barrio” in 1998, “Familia” in 1996, and the award-winning “Los lunes al sol” in 2002).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 22, 1943 (83)
From
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 74 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 33% in 30 days

What are Alfredo Mayo's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
22%
Self
21%
Bonds
20%
Survival
16%
Power
15%
Society
4%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 1 · Serious 7 · Dark 10

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 9 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
7
Dread
5
Romantic
4
Absurd
3
Other
12

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Alfredo Mayo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Alfredo Mayo's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

74 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Las siete muertes(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Rescue Under Fire(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Beach of the Drowned(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Crimen con vista al mar(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Frozen Silence(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Night Runner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • The Widows of Thursdays (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • Sex, Party & Lies(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Que parezca un accidente (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Rough Winds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Cinematographer

  • Virgin Rose(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Maroa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • The Method(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Heroína (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • The Galíndez File (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Kamchatka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Mondays in the Sun(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • El lugar donde estuvo el paraíso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Antigua vida mía (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • Clams and Mussels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Goodbye from the Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Burnt Money(2000)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Damned Rib (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • Diary for a Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • Barrio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • Cenizas del paraíso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Malena es un nombre de tango (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Cachito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • The Flower of My Secret(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Wild Horses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • ¡Oh, cielos! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Stories from the Kronen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Alone, at Last! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • All Tied Up(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Todos a la cárcel(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Kika(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Wild Tango(1993)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Marathon(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Too Much Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • The Fencing Master(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • High Heels(1991)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Immortal Sins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • La taberna fantástica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Letters from Alou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Ke arteko egunak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!(1989)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Return of the Musketeers(1989)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Going Down in Morocco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Camera Operator

  • Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown(1988)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • El Lute: Run for Your Life(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Half of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Camera Operator

  • 27 Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Camera Operator

  • Caso cerrado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lost Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Camera Operator

  • Bicycles Are for the Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Camera Operator

  • La conquista de Albania (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Cinematographer

  • Dressed in Blue(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • El Sur(1983)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sweet Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Camera Operator

  • Huevos revueltos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Camera Operator

  • National Heritage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Camera Operator

  • Deprisa, Deprisa(1981)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • One Man... One City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • Borrasca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Blindfolded Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Second Assistant Camera

  • Pepito piscina(1978)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Caudillo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Dearest Executioners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Los hijos de... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Camera Operator

  • The Other Residence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Assistant Camera

  • Los extremeños se tocan(1970)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Confidencias de un marido (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Second Assistant Camera

Career shape

A full career of 69 titles from 1963 to 2017.

Biggest box office

Mondays in the Sun (2002)

$9.8M worldwide

Highest rated

Mondays in the Sun (2002)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Sex, Party & Lies (2009)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography50 of 69: 43 only cinematography, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thOther crew26 of 69: 19 only other crew, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

69 titles, 7 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1960s1 · crew1970s9 · crew1980s16 · crew1990s24 · crew2000s16 · crew2010s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Alfredo Mayo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · cinematographer

Sex, Party & Lies (2009)

78th percentile spread · 56% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Mondays in the Sun (2002)

Midcredits 94th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 69/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Alfredo Mayo's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity7 titles29–77 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Alfredo Mayo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Alfredo Mayo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gerardo Herrero shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers