Miguel Alcobendas (Madrid 1939 – Torremolinos 2014) was a film director, screenwriter, television producer and writer. He studied at the Universitat de Barcelona. In 1960, he founded and directed the Teatro Español Independiente in Barcelona. He also worked as an actor and directed the university’s theatre reading group. Alcobendas started working at the independent theatre group Los Goliardos in Madrid in 1966, while also attending the city’s film school.

After moving to Malaga in 1967 he founded Estudio 68, Teatro de Cámara y Ensayo, where he taught phonetics and the history of Spanish as well as Latin American Theatre. From 1970 onward he made several tourist documentaries on the Costa del Sol. He was the spokesman of Málaga provincial council, where he worked as the director of exhibitions and head of the publications service. He was engaged in organising various cinematic events, such as the Malaga film education week. Alcobendas was the director of the first film on Picasso, Málaga y Picasso, which was set in Malaga in 1975.

Alcobendas was the co-founder and a member of the production company Mino-Films and the Colectivo Independiente de Cine Andaluz. One of his short documentaries, Camelamos naquerar (Queremos hablar / We Want to Speak), was produced by Mino-Films in 1976. Chronicling the history of the Roma in Spain, the film is presented through a flamenco theatre performance staged by Maya, Mario and written by Heredia, José Maria. It was screened a year later at the Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography

1970 La pintura de vanguardia en Málaga, documentary short

1972 El museo de Benalmádena, documentary short

1972 La cueva de la Pileta, documentary short

1972 Los marinistas malagueños, documentary short

1976 Arquitectura en la Costa del Sol

1976 Camelamos naquerar, documentary short, screened at 1977 Cannes Film Festival

1977 Lorca y La Barraca, documentary short