Blue Sky Studios Animation Director Carlos Saldanha and characters from "Rio." Courtesy 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. All rights reserved.

Blue Sky Studios Animation Director Carlos Saldanha and characters from "Rio." Courtesy 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. All rights reserved.

The Making of Rio!
With Blue Sky Studios Animation Director Carlos Saldanha
Saturday, October 15, 1 p.m.


Meet renowned animation director Carlos Saldanha, who will share a rare behind-the-scenes look at the making of Rio, the acclaimed feature length film that has received rave reviews since its worldwide release this spring. Set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the film traces the adventures of Blu, a domesticated blue macaw, and reflects the color, beauty and excitement of Saldanha’s native city. This lively look at the complex process of creating a 3D animated film is sure to delight! Carlos Saldanha is also the director of Robots and the beloved Ice Age series. Art activities and a reception with the director will follow. Free with Museum admission.

Carlos Saldanha began his filmmaking career in 1991 upon leaving his hometown of Rio de Janeiro to attend the MFA program at New York’s School of Visual Arts. He graduated with honors in 1993 after finishing two animated shorts, The Adventures of Korky, the Corkscrew (1992) and Time For Love (1993) which have been screened at animation festivals around the world. At SVA, Carlos met Chris Wedge, one of the founders of Blue Sky Studios, who invited him to join their growing team of artists.

Since joining Blue Sky in 1993, Saldanha has had a hand in creating Blue Sky’s most critically acclaimed projects. With Wedge, Carlos co-directed Blue Sky’s first animated feature, the Oscar™ nominated Ice Age (2002). His following project, a short called Gone Nutty (2004) also garnered him an Oscar™ nomination.

As a Director, Saldanha’s continued success came with building the franchise of Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) followed by Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), the fourth highest grossing international film of all time.

Saldanha most recently directed the feature, Rio. This passion project is the one closest to his heart as it allowed him to share the beauty and excitement of his culture and home country.