AboutManuel Montanez was inspired to study filmmaking while doing missionary work in Africa. It was there that he created a short documentary series entitled, On the Field (Liberia, West Africa.)
A son of Northeast Los Angeles, he's an alumnus of Pasadena City College and completed its Cinema Program in 2013. Manuel's thesis film Culture made its world premiere at the PCC Film Festival in May of 2013 and went on to become his first award winning short, coming home with the Audience Favorite Award and Second Place in the Advanced Film category. It was also featured at the first annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival and various other screenings. Since then Manuel has gone on to direct and produce projects for fashion designer Ximena Valero, co-created the popular web series Coming to You LIVE with Marcelo Araujo, had a project featured on Google+ Fashion Week. He has also worked on numerous short films, interviews, and mini documentaries for Victory Outreach Eagle Rock and worked on the biopic Sonny for Victory Outreach International. Currently he is traveling the film festival circuit with his latest film Awkward Silence, which recently won an Honorable Mention in the Best Feature category. |