Self-taught filmmaker who trained in workshops at the New York Film Academy as well as at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión; he started his career in music-video production. He completed his first film in 2006 as its co-director, scriptwriter, photographer, producer and editor; from time to time he worked on projects as a camera assistant or a second-unit cinematographer. Beside his work as a director, Cárdenas has collaborated on numerous feature films as co-scriptwriter, director of photography and producer, in tandem with his wife Laura Amelia Guzmán with whom he directs the film production company Aurora Dominicana.

Cochochi, 2007
Israel Cárdenas & Laura Amelia Guzmán
87 min.

Evaristo and Luis Antonio, two children from the Rarámuri community in the Sierra Tarahumara, embark on a journey through the mountains to the other side of a valley in search of medicine for a family member. The route–remote and rugged as the mountain itself–becomes a rite of passage for the children.