Carlos Saldanha is a renowned Brazilian director of animated films, boasting an impressive portfolio that includes the direction of Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006),Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009),and Rio (2011),as well as co-direction of Ice Age (2002) and Robots (2005).
Born in the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saldanha was driven to follow his artistic instinct and passion for animation, leaving his hometown in 1991 to pursue his dreams. With a strong foundation in computer science and an innate artistic sensibility, he found New York City to be the perfect melting pot to merge his skills and become an animator.
Saldanha's educational journey took him to the MFA program at New York's School of Visual Arts, where he graduated with honors in 1993, having completed two animated shorts, The Adventures of Korky, the Corkscrew (1992) and Time For Love (1993). These shorts have been showcased at animation festivals worldwide, earning him recognition within the industry.
During his time at SVA, Saldanha had the opportunity to meet Chris Wedge, one of the co-founders of Blue Sky Studios, who extended an invitation for him to join their growing team of artists. Saldanha seized this chance, working as an animator on Wedge's short film Bunny (1998).
