Roberto Muñoz (producer)
Encyclopedia
Roberto Munoz is a Producer
, Director
, and Screenwriter
. He founded and is president of the not-for-profit New York based CubeCity Entertainment
, Inc. He is one of the writing team members that writes under the name R.M.M. Munoz.
, Germany
on August 22, 1951. His father was a member of the 1936 Spanish Olympic Boxing team. His mother's family was of German-Russian
origin. He immigrated with his parents to St. Catharines, Ontario
, Canada
when he was eight.
award-winning musician, Jim Chevalier. As a promoter, he staged Phil Keaggy
and Second Chapter of Acts concerts. In 1988, Munoz went on to promote Freedom 88, a three-day alternative Gospel Music festival at Bingeman Park in Kitchener
, Ontario
with such notable names as Steve Taylor
, Adam Again
, and the Grammy
-award winning band The Choir.
, collaborating with sons Miq and Mann Munoz on Job and the Snake, which premiered in the Niagara Peninsula
in September 1994. Munoz went on to found Trinity Basement Theatre in Toronto
, Ontario
where he workshopped various musicals, including Job and the Snake starring Kevin Connelly, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, home of the National Ballet School of Canada.
In 2000, Job and the Snake had a three week run at the Grove Theatre in the Los Angeles
area.
Later in October 2004, the musical was showcased in New York City
, starring Troy Kurtis
of Menudo
in the role of Job.
While in New York City, Munoz showcased his off-Broadway musicals Purim Day and Epimenides at the Lamb's Theatre. Two of his other musicals, Come Away and Aesop, were performed at the Producers Club Theatre on 44th Street in Manhattan
.
making -- when he wrote, produced, and directed his first feature film, Dear J
(originally entitled Liars and Lunatics). The film features Joseph Halsey, Allison Lane, Carson Grant
, and Karen Lynn Gorney
in the role of the Judge.
In 2009, Munoz wrote and produced his second feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder
. Directed by Mann Munoz, it stars Jeff Stewart
and Christopher Elliott
, and also features Ken Jennings
. This film is based on the experiences of his maternal great-grandfather, who was one of the Germans from Russia
who survived the Holodomor
and was arrested and thrown into prison during Stalin's Great Terror
in the late 1930s. One of the chess endgames in the movie was created by grandmaster Susan Polgar
.
2010 saw the DVD release of "Christianity and the Competition", a eight-part seminar by Dr. Paul L. Maier, which Munoz produced.
As of January 2011, Munoz is working on a documentary about the closing of the Bick's
plant in Dunnville, Ontario
.
In 2004, he began teaching a theatre/film course at the New York School of the Bible in Manhattan.
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, Director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, and Screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He founded and is president of the not-for-profit New York based CubeCity Entertainment
CubeCity Entertainment
CubeCity Entertainment, Inc. is an independent film and theatre production company, based in New York.-History of CubeCity:CubeCity Entertainment was founded by Roberto Munoz. Originally located in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada, it was called called P.M. Productions...
, Inc. He is one of the writing team members that writes under the name R.M.M. Munoz.
Early life
Munoz was born in UnterensingenUnterensingen
Unterensingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on August 22, 1951. His father was a member of the 1936 Spanish Olympic Boxing team. His mother's family was of German-Russian
Germans from Russia
Germans from Russia refers to the large numbers of ethnic Germans who emigrated from the Russian Empire, peaking in the late 19th century. The upper Great Plains in the United States and southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan have large areas populated primarily of descendants of Germans from Russia...
origin. He immigrated with his parents to St. Catharines, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
when he was eight.
Concert Promoter
Munoz began in the entertainment industry in the 1980s when he managed the alternative Gospel band, Level Heads, featuring JunoJuno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
award-winning musician, Jim Chevalier. As a promoter, he staged Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy
Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...
and Second Chapter of Acts concerts. In 1988, Munoz went on to promote Freedom 88, a three-day alternative Gospel Music festival at Bingeman Park in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
with such notable names as Steve Taylor
Steve Taylor
Roland Stephen Taylor , is an American Christian singer, songwriter, record producer and film director.-Early life:Taylor, the eldest of three children, was born in Brawley, California. Taylor's father, Roland Taylor, was a Baptist minister. When Taylor was six years old, the family relocated to...
, Adam Again
Adam Again
Adam Again was a rock band founded and led by vocalist Gene Eugene, with Riki Michele on vocals, Paul Valadez on bass, Jon Knox on drums, Greg Lawless on guitar...
, and the Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-award winning band The Choir.
Work in Theatre
In the 1990s, he turned to musical theatreMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, collaborating with sons Miq and Mann Munoz on Job and the Snake, which premiered in the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
in September 1994. Munoz went on to found Trinity Basement Theatre in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
where he workshopped various musicals, including Job and the Snake starring Kevin Connelly, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, home of the National Ballet School of Canada.
In 2000, Job and the Snake had a three week run at the Grove Theatre in the Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
area.
Later in October 2004, the musical was showcased in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, starring Troy Kurtis
Troy Kurtis
Troy Kurtis is an actor and singer who was the first non-Latin American to become a member of the well known group Menudo, during their MDO era. He became known as Troy Tuminelli as a member of MDO....
of Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
in the role of Job.
While in New York City, Munoz showcased his off-Broadway musicals Purim Day and Epimenides at the Lamb's Theatre. Two of his other musicals, Come Away and Aesop, were performed at the Producers Club Theatre on 44th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Work in Film
In 2006, Munoz switched gears once again—this time to independent filmIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
making -- when he wrote, produced, and directed his first feature film, Dear J
Dear J (film)
Dear J is a 2008 Independent Film drama by CubeCity Entertainment. Directed by Roberto Munoz and Mann Munoz. The film is the story of an evangelist who admits himself to a psychiatric institution after the death of his agnostic girlfriend.-Plot:...
(originally entitled Liars and Lunatics). The film features Joseph Halsey, Allison Lane, Carson Grant
Carson Grant
Carson Grant is an American actor and artist from the United States. Grant has created characters and stories in visual mediums as drawings, paintings, in films and on stage.-Early years in Rhode Island:1950s...
, and Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney is an American actress, known for her roles on television and film.-Early life:Gorney was born in Beverly Hills, California. She is the daughter of 20th-century composer Jay Gorney, who wrote the music for what many consider the definitive song about America's Great Depression,...
in the role of the Judge.
In 2009, Munoz wrote and produced his second feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder
Under Jakob's Ladder
Under Jakob's Ladder is an independent drama film by CubeCity Entertainment. Based on a true story, it tells how a teacher named Jakob is arrested and thrown into a Soviet prison in the early 1940s. Mann Munoz directed the film and Roberto Munoz produced. Jeff Stewart plays the lead role of Jakob...
. Directed by Mann Munoz, it stars Jeff Stewart
Jeff Stewart (actor)
Jeffrey Stewart is a Scottish actor, probably best known as PC Reg Hollis in the ITV drama The Bill, a role he played from 1984 to 2008....
and Christopher Elliott
Christopher Elliott
Christopher Elliott is an Australian Actor in Sydney represented by Carolyn White . He grew up at 14 Sheldon Street Nudgee, Qld., and attended Virginia State Primary School 1967-1974 and then Brisbane Grammar School 1975-1979.-Study:Christopher is an alumnus of Stella Adler Studio Of Acting New...
, and also features Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings (actor)
Ken Jennings is an actor most famous for his 1979 role as Tobias Ragg in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street...
. This film is based on the experiences of his maternal great-grandfather, who was one of the Germans from Russia
Germans from Russia
Germans from Russia refers to the large numbers of ethnic Germans who emigrated from the Russian Empire, peaking in the late 19th century. The upper Great Plains in the United States and southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan have large areas populated primarily of descendants of Germans from Russia...
who survived the Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
and was arrested and thrown into prison during Stalin's Great Terror
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
in the late 1930s. One of the chess endgames in the movie was created by grandmaster Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...
.
2010 saw the DVD release of "Christianity and the Competition", a eight-part seminar by Dr. Paul L. Maier, which Munoz produced.
As of January 2011, Munoz is working on a documentary about the closing of the Bick's
Bick's Pickle
Bick's Pickle is a pickle producer in Canada originally based out of Scarborough, Ontario. The brand is now sold in Canada by U.S.-based The J.M. Smucker Co.....
plant in Dunnville, Ontario
Dunnville, Ontario
Dunnville is an unincorporated community of 6,000 people located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Position |
| 2008 | Dear J Dear J (film) Dear J is a 2008 Independent Film drama by CubeCity Entertainment. Directed by Roberto Munoz and Mann Munoz. The film is the story of an evangelist who admits himself to a psychiatric institution after the death of his agnostic girlfriend.-Plot:... |
Director, Writer, Producer |
| 2008 | FINALe: Larry Norman Live in NYC | Producer |
| 2008 | Grandmother Granddaughter | Producer |
| 2010 | Christianity and the Competition | Producer |
| 2011 | Under Jakob's Ladder Under Jakob's Ladder Under Jakob's Ladder is an independent drama film by CubeCity Entertainment. Based on a true story, it tells how a teacher named Jakob is arrested and thrown into a Soviet prison in the early 1940s. Mann Munoz directed the film and Roberto Munoz produced. Jeff Stewart plays the lead role of Jakob... |
Writer, Producer |
Awards
- 2000 Finalist Award at the WorldFest Houston International Film FestivalWorldFestWorldFest-Houston International Film Festival is an annual film festival, dedicated to various types of independent films, held in Houston, Texas.-History:...
for A Christmas Card. Co-produced television Christmas Special for Spirit Connection, aired on VisionTV. - 2008 Awarded four doves by the Dove FoundationDove FoundationrightThe Dove Foundation is a registered United States tax deductible non-profit organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan known among other programs for its activities of rating, reviewing and endorsing films and for campaigning against the portrayal of sexual activity and violence in Hollywood...
for Dear JDear J (film)Dear J is a 2008 Independent Film drama by CubeCity Entertainment. Directed by Roberto Munoz and Mann Munoz. The film is the story of an evangelist who admits himself to a psychiatric institution after the death of his agnostic girlfriend.-Plot:...
. - 2010 Redemptive Film FestivalRedemptive Film FestivalRedemptive Film Festival is a film festival located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded in 2006, it has been an annual event in November. It showcases films, both shorts and of feature-length, professional and students filmmakers. Entries are judged by a panel of film and television professionals...
. Won the Redemptive Storyteller Award for Under Jakob's LadderUnder Jakob's LadderUnder Jakob's Ladder is an independent drama film by CubeCity Entertainment. Based on a true story, it tells how a teacher named Jakob is arrested and thrown into a Soviet prison in the early 1940s. Mann Munoz directed the film and Roberto Munoz produced. Jeff Stewart plays the lead role of Jakob...
. - 2011 Manhattan Film Festival. Won Best Period Piece Under Jakob's LadderUnder Jakob's LadderUnder Jakob's Ladder is an independent drama film by CubeCity Entertainment. Based on a true story, it tells how a teacher named Jakob is arrested and thrown into a Soviet prison in the early 1940s. Mann Munoz directed the film and Roberto Munoz produced. Jeff Stewart plays the lead role of Jakob...
.
Interest in Education
In the late 1980s, Munoz developed an educational tool, called Y7K. It's a series of flash cards that are based on historical figures and can be used as a game.In 2004, he began teaching a theatre/film course at the New York School of the Bible in Manhattan.