In Haguenau where he was born and grew up, Emmanuel Linderer loved to draw and produce gory films with his childhood friend. Together, they perfected a "brilliant formula for fake blood" and had a ball dreaming up special effects inspired by Steven Spielberg or Joe Dante’s popcorn movies that they devoured with relish. After A-levels, Emmanuel wavered between a career in carpentry or comics and finally enrolled in a classical art school in Lyon to master drawing. An animation project at the school caught his imagination. "I was fascinated by the idea of drawings coming to life," he says with the same enthusiasm even today. He was accepted into the highly selective Ecole des Gobelins, but chose to work as a computer games designer in Lyon rather than complete his degree in Paris. With each job his expertise in animation grew. In 2003, he won the best project award at the Annecy Animated Film Festival but could not secure financing to produce his film, Maurice. No problem! The award gave him enough confidence to take the step into working independently and initiating his own projects. It was on his return to Strasbourg in Alsace, "a beautiful, unpolluted city", that Les Mains dans les poches took shape, a project that won him Lagardère’s first Animated Filmmaker Grant. Finally, he could realise his dream – to become an animated film writer for children and adults and perhaps even a film director in the future. Just like his childhood friend.

Age: 29 I Passions: Painting, music and basketball I Philosophy in life: To keep my freedom I Goals: Always better I Favourite films: Gus van Sant’s Elephant; Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line; David Fincher’s Fight Club; Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.