Víctor Erice studied at the Official School of Cinematography (EOC, as per its Spanish acronym) in Madrid, graduating with a specialization in Film Direction in 1963. He worked as a screenwriter and director of commercials, and in 1969 he made his professional directorial debut by filming one of the three episodes of Los desafíos (The Challenges), which was well received at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Víctor has received numerous awards, including the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 1973 for his first feature film, El espíritu de la colmena (The Spirit of the Beehive), and the Golden Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival for his second feature film, El sur (The South), which was also presented in the Official Selection at Cannes. In 1993, Erice received the National Film Award, and in 1995, the Gold Medal of Fine Arts Merit. Most recently, in 2014, the Locarno Film Festival honored him with the Leopard of Honor, recognizing his entire career as a filmmaker. Now he returns to the big screen with Cerrar los ojos (Close Your Eyes), his fourth feature film, which will have its world premiere in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival, as part of the Cannes Première Section.