Héctor Emilio Olivera (born 5 April 1931) is an Argentine film director, producer and screenwriter. Olivera worked mainly in the cinema of Argentina, but also has directed or contributed to several films made for the United States market.
Olivera began his career when he was seventeen as a second assistant director and founded his own production company in 1956 at age twenty-five. He has produced over 100 features.
In the United States he is known for two of his films: Night of the Pencils (1986) and Funny Dirty Little War (1983).
After completing Funny Dirty Little War, he directed five films for Roger Corman: Cocaine Wars (1985), Barbarian Queen (1985), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985), Two to Tango (1988), and Play Murder for Me (1990).
Olivera has occasionally received criticism for his choice of projects. While he has been recognized for delivering poignant political messages in some of his films he has also directed much more commercial fare. Argentine film historian Tamara Falicov addressed Olivera's track record in an article about American and Argentine co-productions in the 1980s and 1990s:
"Olivera stated in an interview that these more politically engaged films were in a sense "subsidized" by the more popular genres that he and Ayala produced. In order for Argentine film to survive, Olivera believes, it must conform to an industrial model as well as serving as a vehicle for cultural production. This model thus far has been successful, as Aries is one of the few remaining Argentine film studios still in production."
In 1988 he was selected as a member of the jury for the feature films official selection at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1998 he was selected as a member of the jury at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival that selected the "Golden Bear."
Las Venganzas de Beto Sánchez (1973)
La Patagonia rebelde (1974; adapted from Osvaldo Bayer's book; 1974 Silver Bear at the 24th Berlin International Film Festival)
El canto cuenta su historia (1976)
Los viernes de la eternidad (1981)
No habrá más penas ni olvido (1983), a.k.a. Funny Dirty Little War
El mago del reino perdido (1985), a.k.a. Wizards of the Lost Kingdom
Reina salvaje (1985), a.k.a. Barbarian Queen
La muerte blanca (1985), a.k.a. Cocaine Wars
La noche de los lápices (1986), a.k.a. Night of the Pencils
Matar es morir un poco (1988), a.k.a. Two to Tango
Negra medianoche (1990), a.k.a. Play Murder for Me