Biografia
Arí Maniel Cruz Suárez is an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer in film and television.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1978, Arí Maniel began his career at Puerto Rico's public television network WIPR channels 6 & 3. He started as a writer for the shows "micasa.com" and "Huellas musicales," later becoming a producer for "En la punta de la lengua." In 2004, he co-directed, co-produced, and co-wrote the mini-series "Barrios" for WIPR. The following year, he directed the children's TV feature film "Zompi." In 2006, he wrote and directed another TV film, "El brindis del bohemio," which depicted a Puerto Rican New Year's Eve tradition. From 2005 to 2007, he was an on-camera host for the prime-time cultural television show "Cultura Viva" on WIPR.
Between 2007 and 2012, Arí Maniel worked in New York City as a producer and on-camera talent at V-ME, a US Hispanic television network, eventually becoming Executive Producer for original programming. During this time, he covered major events across the US, including NFL Super Bowl XLIII and XLIV, and the 2008 elections.
In 2011, he wrote the bilingual off-Broadway play "La Barbería," which premiered on February 3, 2011, at New World Stages in NYC, receiving strong acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
In 2012, he directed and produced the independent feature film "Under My Nails," which opened the San Juan International Film Festival and earned the Special Jury Award and Best Actress Award. The film also won Best US Picture at the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, along with the Cleveland International Film Festival, selected Arí Maniel for the "Focus on Filmmakers Latino" showcase. In 2013, he debuted as a theater director with the play "La Memoria De Los Elefantes," which received excellent reviews and sold-out audiences in San Juan.
In 2016, he directed and produced "Antes que cante el gallo," a film that won multiple international awards and became a milestone in Puerto Rican cinema. That year, he also wrote "Mis planes son amarte," the visual album for multi-Latin Grammy winner Juanes.
His next feature, released in 2017, was "¿Quién eres tú?" which he wrote and directed, establishing him as one of Puerto Rico's leading filmmakers.
In 2018, he served as showrunner, second unit director, and main writer for the 13-episode Netflix Original Series "El Ganador Nicky Jam," a dramatic portrayal of the life of recording artist Nicky Jam. He also co-wrote and directed the musical films "Más de un siglo" (2018) and "Tiempos de aguinaldo" (2019), both Banco Popular Christmas TV specials featuring performances by Bad Bunny, Pedro Capó, Lunay, and other Latin music stars.
In 2020, Arí was executive producer, director (for two episodes), and writer (for three episodes) of the scripted series "Bravas" for YouTube Originals. That same year, he co-wrote the original screenplay "Barrio Fino" with recording artist Daddy Yankee and writer-producer Eric Newman. He also directed the opening short films for Bad Bunny's X100PRE Tour in 2019 and El Último Tour del Mundo Tour in 2021.
In 2022, he directed a six-episode promotional series for Bad Bunny's "Un Verano sin ti" album and tour, featuring Spanish actor Mario Casas.
In December 2022, Arí Maniel won the Emmy Award in the Suncoast Chapter for the documentary "Sounds of the Rum Capital.
