page_title: Roberto F. Canuto
section_title: Biography
hierarchical_section_title: Roberto F. Canuto / Biography
caption_attribution_description: English: Roberto F. Canuto with a Lightmeter in Desire Street shooting Español: Roberto F. Canuto comprobando la luz en el rodaje de Desire Street
context_page_description: Roberto Fernandez Canuto is a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He belongs to a new generation of filmmakers from Spain with learning or working experiences internationally and with multicultural influences. Roberto F. Canuto is one of the first European directors to establish stable collaborations within the Chinese industry. Since 2010 he co-directs all his films with the Chinese director Xu Xiaoxi and together open a film production company in China, Almost Red Productions.
  Even still at an early stage of his career, Roberto obtains international recognition as all his films have been selected and awarded in many international film festivals. Due to the themes treated and the distinct style of his films, Roberto F. Canuto is considered in some circles as a promise and a director to follow.
context_section_description: Roberto F. Canuto was born in Asturias, Spain. Since an early age he was curious for moviemaking. He remembered to watch The Jungle Book at a movie theatre when he was only 5 and question his family about the process of making a movie. During his childhood he starts music studies and obtains degrees in Piano, Harmony and other relates subjects at the "Royal Conservatory of Music of Asturias" (Spain) and he joins a short curse on acting at the "Superior Dramatic Art School of Asturias" in 1989. It is during these years when he discovers independent films from US and authors from Europe and, according to the director: "that was probably the moment when I decided that my dream was to follow my storytelling passion".
  He studies Arts in Audiovisual Communication at Madrid's Complutense University and in 1998 he obtains a bachelor's degree (Licenciate) specializing in Filmmaking. During his years of study he collaborates as a film critic in different media and classic directors influence him after he attended frequent sessions at the Spanish Cinematheque. Also, he organizes film seminars at the cinema room of his Hall of Residence "Empresa Pública", but his first attempts to direct shorts were frustrated.
  A short trip to London (UK) to visit a close friend became an adventure that expand for over 8 years, working in fields, far away from filmmaking (from Chef to representative of companies as Prada or Calvin Klein). Frustrated with his life style and having a job that focus only in monetary gain, he decided to give up everything, travel to Los Angeles (CA) and enrol in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) - Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, Universal Studios (Hollywood), that allow him to be in contact with filmmaking again. He graduated in 2009 with the feature film "Desire Street".
  From 2008 his film career starts developing, directing some films that achieved great reactions in the festival circuit, including awards, and most of them created with his usual collaborator, Xu Xiaoxi. During the two years of study in US, Roberto directs over 14 short films in celluloid and digital formats and collaborates in more than other 20 shorts covering different crew member positions, from Cinematographer to Script Supervisor, allowing him to know the profession inside out. His two graduation projects became the most successful films, "Toto Forever" (Year One graduation) and the feature "Desire Street'", co-directed with Xu Xiaoxi (Master graduation). Both projects received "Best Film" awards. "Desire Street" at "Asturian Film Festival 2014" and "Special Mention" for "Best International Feature" at "Mix Mexico International Film Festival 2011" and "Toto Forever" at "LesgaycinePTY, International Film Festival of Panama", together with other awards, nominations and special screenings.
  During the years of study in Los Angeles, the directors start the collaboration with the composer Andrea Centazzo, Italy's top orchestral percussionist. An artist known for his ability to "synthesize Oriental percussive vibration with timbales understanding of Contemporary Music and the soul of jazz and rock." Andrea Centazzo composed the scores for all their films since then: Mei Mei (2009), Toto Forever (2010), Desire Street (2011) and Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal (2013).
  In 2011 Roberto decides to travel to China and start a film career there, combining the western and eastern culture in his work. Together with Xu Xiaoxi founded officially their own production company, Almost Red Productions, where they alternate the fiction narrative projects with commercial/advertisement works. 
  In 2013 released the Chinese-Spanish production short film "Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal", film that obtained awards for Best Film (Riverside Saginaw International Film Festival, Michigan, USA), Best Actress Sherry Xia Ruihong and Runner up Short (Asturian Film Festival, Spain) together with other nominations, like the GAVA awards for "Best Short" and "Best Screenplay".
  Almost Red Productions collaborates with some organizations, like "Concentric Circles ", a non-profit company t
caption: Roberto F. Canuto in the shooting of Desire Street
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