Emanuel AG

A producer as film producer and art producer, filmmaker, photographer, publisher, entrepreneur, fundraiser, Emanuel has an eclectic academic background based on management and lens-based media, most prominently, film-related on both sides of project development and creation. Born and raised in Europe, preceding his formal filmmaking education, he started to finish the 5-years degree in Law with specialization in Economics plus the postgraduate diploma in Communication Law (Audiovisual, Advertisement, New Technologies and Copyright Law) and a Master in Audiovisual Management with specialization in Film Production where among others, Emanuel had opportunity to learn with Fernando Ghia (The Mission, Nostromo), Christopher Vogler (screenwriting guru and author of The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers and former executive at Disney, The Lion King) or Claudio di Persia (Sony Pictures Entertainment/Columbia TriStar VP/General Manager, AXN/Sony TV channel founder, former Telemundo Network VP, etc). In the footsteps of film festivals as awarded film critic (XXVI Figueira da Foz International Film Festival) where shared the same interest group with multifaceted artists like Zoë Lund (Bad Lieutenant) or the legend of avant-garde cinema Jonas Mekas or met other rising stars like Pedro Almodóvar (La Piel Que Habito, Hable Con Ella), Emanuel started a career as TV producer, working for the national Portuguese state TV, succeeding previous TV work, in the late 90s joined the development (Portuguese participation) as co-producer for the production of I Cento Passi / One Hundred Steps (2000), where he prepared the fundraising to the Portuguese film institute to become later one of the milestones of Italian Cinema for years and multiple-awarded in La Biennale di Venezia - 58th Venice International Film Festival including Best Screenplay. Meanwhile, finished his dual degree in Film Editing (2001) and Film Directing (2003) at Lisbon Film School, where other names of national cinema like Pedro Costa (Ossos, In Vanda's Room) succeeded the learning of their craft; he could do part of his education with the cream of the crop of his native country's filmmaking community, as well, with world-renowned names such as Spielberg's E.T. editor, Carol Littleton (Body Heat, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) or with her husband, John Bailey, ASC (American Gigolo, Silverado) or his fellow countryman, Eduardo Serra, ASC, AFC (The Wings of the Dove, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), among others; even beyond the film school, with Krzysztof Kieslowski (Dekalog, Trois Couleurs) and his editor, Jacques Witta (La Double Vie de Véronique, Trois couleurs: Bleu, Trois couleurs: Rouge) or yet Tonino Guerra (Blowup, Amarcord), for example. With earlier studies in Film History and Aesthetics a few years before, during the law graduation in the local University where also attended classes in its influential department and their full academic program dedicated to Film Studies. As instructor, he had contact with the education and training areas, into two higher education institutions (Portuguese Catholic University and Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra in Portugal) where he began his teaching career as lecturer or professor at the media department on filmmaking subjects beyond the movie business. Along these years, there have been several the entities in touch with his work and collaboration, as for instance, Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival or ANEPA (Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Producción Audiovisual) where he made a debut in Portugal or in Spain. Or yet the professionals with who he has been working with. Carlos da Silva (ex-director of Cannes MIPTV and former collaborator of Luchino Visconti, Claude Lelouch, Jean Gabin, Gérard Depardieu, Ben Kingsley, George Sluizer, etc) with whom he started as apprentice in the arthouse production. Or José Álvaro Morais, one of the best promises of the European cinema -- the future Manoel de Oliveira for his fellow countrymen and women, if not prematurely missed. With the new century, committed to develop an investment in the field of the digital cinema. Personally, he has been working in the consulting area where beyond the fundraising sector, happens to be invited and contacted for some professionals of this business, pursuing local opportunities at the European Union's level and international cooperation, as well, several joint ventures. Founder member of the Accademia Generale di Drammaturgia and European Arts Guild. More recently, he has returned back to the film production as producer where throughout his career has worked and produced different projects, narrative, documentaries, short films and mostly feature films selected and also awarded in the most important film festivals such as Venice, Berlin or Sundance, among others worldwide; as same as he has been committed in other arts fields such as photography and plastic arts, helping other artists internationally to pursue their dreams. Emanuel's path has more than 25 years of experience and has over 30 producer and director credits with Venice, Berlin, Locarno, San Sebastián, London (BFI), San Francisco, Sundance, and Hong Kong International Film Festival screenings among many others worldwide. His notable credits include Difret (2014) with Angelina Jolie as Executive Producer, selected by tiptop film festivals, awarded in Sundance and Berlin; and Photographing the Galuh (2014), the socially committed documentary work he has recently produced alongside Spike Lee.