Amat Escalante, a self-taught Mexican filmmaker, grew up in the Mexican city of Guanajuato and in Los Angeles, California. At last yearās Cannes Film Festival, Escalante won the āBest Directorā award, becoming the fourth Mexican director to do so behind Luis BuƱuel, Alejandro GonzĆ”lez IƱƔrritu and Carlos Reygadas.