Manny grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is of Mexican & Native American (Choctaw) decent. His parents were small business owners. Their dedication and work ethic, combined with his faith and ethnic background, are all elements Manny has brought to his filmmaking.

He studied film at the Art Center College of Design. It was here Manny deepened his love for cinema, and was convinced that every day people with a story to tell is where he needed to train his camera. Manny is known through his work as a director and cinematographer, but he also has formal training as a screenwriter.

After 23 years on the West Coast, Manny is back in Tulsa, OK with his wife and five children. He directs short-form documentaries for an array of clients ranging from pharmaceutical companies, financial firms, breweries, and beyond. Manny also directs broadcast commercials and music videos. One of his distinct pleasures in doing this work is when it aligns with his Catholic faith, for example, when he gets to work with Word on Fire. His feature film Psychopath was released in 2014, and his award winning short film Operation Allie was runner up at the 2018 Big Sky Documentary Festival, and selected for the the GI Film Festival San Diego. He is currently in post production on his second feature documentary Make Peace or Die.