Patricia Riggen is widely recognized as one of the most prominent female directors working in the U.S. Hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, she earned her Master’s degree in Film from Columbia University. Riggen’s career began with her award-winning short film La Milpa, which won a Student Oscar, a Student Emmy, and a Mexican Academy Award. She further showcased her talent with the documentary short Family Portrait, featuring photographer Gordon Parks, which won the Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
In 2015, Riggen premiered The 33, a compelling portrayal of the tragic mining accident in Chile, followed by the heartfelt film Miracles From Heaven, starring Jennifer Garner, Queen Latifah, and Eugenio Derbez, which achieved significant box-office success. Riggen made history in a USC Annenberg study on inclusion in the director’s chair, being the first Latina director to have helmed a top grossing film in Hollywood. Her feature directorial debut, La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon), premiered at Sundance and was acquired in a bidding war by Fox Searchlight, breaking box office records for Spanish-language films in the U.S. She also directed the Disney Channel hit Lemonade Mouth, earning a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs, and the ALMA-award-winning feature Girl in Progress.
Transitioning seamlessly into television, Riggen has directed for major streaming platforms with remarkable success. Her work on Amazon Prime’s action series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and Hulu’s limited series Dopesick earned widespread acclaim and numerous accolades, including Golden Globe and SAG wins for Michael Keaton (Best Actor) in Dopesick.
Her latest film, G20, an action-packed thriller starring Oscar winner Viola Davis, was released globally on Amazon Prime Video in April 2025 and quickly positioned itself as the number one film worldwide. With a career marked by groundbreaking achievements and a commitment to powerful storytelling, Patricia Riggen continues to be a significant force in the film and television industry.
FILMOGRAPHY
2025 G20 (Feature Film) AMAZON
2023 Saint X (TV Series) HULU
2023 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) NBC
2022 The Indoor Arm – Little America (TV Series) APPLE
2022 Alaska Daily (TV Series) HULU
2022 Alien (The Other) (Short)
2021 Dopesick (TV Mini Series) HULU
2019 Surveillance (TV Pilot) CBS
2019 Proven Innocent (TV Pilot) FOX
2018 Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan 1st Season (TV Series) AMAZON
2018 Run for Your Life (TV Pilot) BLUMHOUSE
2016 Miracles from Heaven (Feature Film) SONY
2015 The 33 (Feature Film) ALCON/WARNER BROS
2012 Girl in Progress (Feature Film) LIONSGATE/PANTELION
2011 Lemonade Mouth (Feature Film) DISNEY CHANNEL
2010 Revolución (segment “Lindo y querido”) INDEPENDENT
2007 La Misma Luna / Under the Same Moon (Feature Film) FOX SEARCHLIGHT
2004 Family Portrait (Documentary) INDEPENDENT
2002 La Milpa (Short) INDEPENDENT
