Biography

Member of the Maneglia Schémbori duo, Juan Carlos Maneglia is the most recognized reference in the Paraguayan film industry, along with Tana Schémbori, with whom he has co-directed since its inception short films, telefilms, television series, and the two renowned Paraguayan fiction feature films, ¨7 Boxes¨ and ¨The Gold Seekers".

He was born on July 9, 1996, of Italian descent. Finished his secondary studies at Colegio Cristo Rey. Bachelor of Science in Communication. He made his first short at age 11 with a Super 8 camera. His passion for directing stories led him to make short films regardless of the format: vhs, film, digital; making him win national and international awards. In 1991 he was awarded with a scholarship from the International School of Cinema and TV in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba and in 1999, he went to an intensive film workshop at the prestigious NYFA, of an awarded scholarship from UNESCO.

Directing shorts, and television series for years, finally took him to the big screen. With his first master piece "7 Boxes" (2013), winning a Cinema in Construction award at the San Sebastian film festival. The film tells the story of Victor, a 17-year-old truck driver who works at Market 4, Asunción and needs to get money. Receive then a rather unusual proposal: transport seven boxes whose contents are unknown in exchange for 100 dollars.

"7 Boxes" is the highest grossing film in the history of Paraguayan cinema till the date. It was nominated for the Goya 2013 awards and has won more than 29 international awards, participated in more than 136 festivals until 2014. Has been premiered in commercial movie theaters in the United States, Spain, Bolivia, Brazil, France and Mexico, in this last one was in 29 cinema rooms of the largest chain in the country.

In 2017, after 5 years, the duo returned again with its second feature film under the name of "The Gold Seekers" which in three months managed to position itself as the second most watched Paraguayan film. With this film, the directors were again nominated for festivals Until reaching the final stages in the 2019 Platinum Awards, where former Academy President Mr. John Bailey praised the directors for their work as filmmakers and highlighted Paraguayan cinema.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

Thanks to the film's helter-skelter pace and bold camera moves, it can best be described as "Run Lola Run meets Indiana Jones."

Besides the personal work on his films projects, he is also director and founder of the Comprehensive Acting Workshop "TIA".

For 14 years he worked in the D.E.N.I Paraguay Plan, Audiovisual Education Plan, Founded by the International Catholic Organization of Cinema and Credentials of educational work with children and youth.

It was not an advice, but the first time I told my dad that I wanted to make movies, he said: "My son, that sound for me as if you want to be an astronaut." It made me see that what I dreamed was very strange.

It is very beautiful to know that you can tell stories and people can identify with what you do. We started directing together 27 years ago. We always dream of a Paraguayan cinema that identifies with us, continuously, to find our identity.