MANUEL CRISTOBAL

Advanced Directing Diploma at ARTTS International in UK, followed Law studies at the Complutense University in Madrid and Film studies in different private schools in Spain. Manuel has received grants from the Nipkow Programme in Berlin, the MPAA internship programme and the European Film Academy as a European talent 2000. In 2007 he was selected as one of 60 personalities of the Cannes Film Festival and in 2008 he was the Spanish ‘Producer On The Move’ chosen by European Film Promotion.

He was coordinator of the Media Business School, manager of AGAPI (Galician Producer Association) and producer of several short films shot on 35mm. From 1999 until 2005 he was the Executive Producer of Dygra Films which produced the CGI animation feature films The Living Forest (the first European CGI film) and Midsummer Dream. Manuel was responsible for development, financing, marketing, distribution, business affairs and was awarded two Goyas.

In January 2005 he joined Zinkia as Head of Development & Distribution working on the animation series Pocoyo (52×11) and Shuriken School (26×26).

In September 2006 he created the Galicia-based company Perro Verde Films which produced the animated feature Going Nuts (the first film in the world made with peanuts and the first day and date release in Spain), the features Spleen with Luis Tosar and Nora Tschirner, Los muertos van deprisa with Neus Asensi and the CGI feature film Missing Lynx, which was co-produced with Kandor Graphics and Antonio Banderas. Manuel is currently developing Fish of Bitterness based on the acclaimed novel by Fernando Aramburu and the animation series The Extras (13×26). Perro Verde Films is a partner in 6 Sales, a Madrid-based sales agency specialising in animation features, and owns the production companies Tigernut and Pevox based in Murcia and Madrid respectively.

Manuel also consults on new technologies and has worked for Uruguay, Xunta de Galicia and the Regional Government of Murcia. He is Vice President of New Technologies and is a Member of the Board of FAPAE (Federation of Spanish Audiovisual Producers), Secretary of the Board of Cartoons (European Association of Animation Producers), Vice President of AEPA (Spanish Association of Animation Producers), Member of the European Film Academy and the Spanish Film Academy, Founding Member of the Academia Galega do Audiovisual and has been a Masters lecturer in Audiovisual Management and Production at La Coruña University since 1999.