Manny Zaldivar is a visionary storyteller with more than a decade of experience in areas such as filmmaking, theatrical production, performance, and content creation.
Manny immersed himself in the world of entertainment after graduating high school at Coral Springs Charter School and went on to get his B.F.A in theatre performance from Florida Atlantic University. During that time he developed an affinity for staged combat and has trained with some of the best local and bicoastal combat instructors. In 2018, a year after graduating from FAU, he moved to Los Angeles to focus on performance.
After booking feature films, shorts, and a few appearances in some TV shows he decided to write and produce his own work on a more serious level. After making two short films and teaching himself filmmaking, he became instantly drawn to directing and cinematography.
During the pandemic, while performance jobs were lacking, he expanded his already existing skill in editing to encompass multiple film generes, commercials, and promos along with graphic design, light design, and sound design.
Once he began focusing on developing his expertise in filmmaking he was presented with the opportunity to document Judd Hirsch and Carol Kane’s recent movie iMordecai during its distribution phase. Here Manny got first hand experience on what it takes to distribute movies that he is now applying towards his journey of producing his first feature film. This will be the first main feature film that will launch a 60 year long art project to tell the biggest story on Earth. The story of us. Who we were. And who we could be. A story dedicated to the many generations soon to come.
Manny has now edited over 10 films, with the most recent award winning short film “Sunflower Nicky” currently running in festivals. He’s directed actors both on stage and on screen. With performance experience in theatre, film, and animation, he uses those skills to aid his writing. He uses his writing and his eye for photography to direct performances of all levels. Over the years he’s created a web of skills that compliment and contribute to each other, giving Manny an insight into art and storytelling that is unique and compelling and making him what many would say is a modern day Rennaisance Man.