Martin Guigui has directed 5 Films, all which he raised the financing for.  Two of those films he successfully self distributed.  Martin has written 12 screenplays, 4 of which have been produced.  Guigui has also produced over 40 music albums.

Born in Buenos Aires Argentina, son of Symphony Orchestra Conductor Efrain Guigui, Martin grew up in New York, Puerto Rico and Vermont.  Guigui began his film career while a student at Hofstra University and soon thereafter won several student film festival awards for his shorts and documentary films.  Guigui worked the New York stand-up circuit, wrote for Saturday Night Live, was an editor/sound engineer at ABC News, Produced documentaries for PBS and enjoyed acting stints, starring in the indie cult classic “Time Chasers.” 

Guigui then wrote his first feature film, “MY X-GIRLFRIEND’S WEDDING RECEPTION” and went on to direct and star in the quirky comedy with Dom DeLuise and Debbie Gibson.  Tooted by Rolling Stone as the “Spinal Tap of wedding receptions”, he won critical acclaim in the Festival circuit garnering “Best Comedy” award at the Monte Carlo Comedy Festival and “Audience Favorite” awards at Palm Springs International Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and the Milan International Film Festival. Guigui won “Best Director” at the Monte Carlo Comedy Fest.  

Guigui’s second directorial effort “CHANGING HEARTS” starring Faye Dunaway, Tom Skerritt, Lauren Holly, Ian Sommerhalder and Rita Coolidge enjoyed critical acclaim and found it’s way to Golden Globe consideration in three categories including “Best Song”.  Martin then went on to directed “SWING”, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Jonathan Winters, Tom Skerritt, Nell Carter, Barry Bostwick and Mindy Cohn.

Guigui wrote and directed the blockbuster National Lampoon’s “CATTLE CALL”, released by Lions Gate. He also produced the album soundtrack. Most recently completed “BENNY BLISS AND THE DISCIPLES OF GREATNESS”, his 5^th directorial effort, which Martin also Executive Produced, the first his newly formed company Sunset Pictures as distributor on. 

Up next, Guigui is directing “SWEETWATER”, a passion project he penned about the first African American to play in the NBA, to be brought to the big screen by producer Michel Shane (“Catch Me If You Can”, “I Robot”) with Guigui Executive Producing as well. Latest exciting news is Martin wrote “Raging Bull II” slated for production in the spring of 2009 and is Executive Producing “American Gladiators” with Scott Mednick (“300”, “Superman Returns”, “We Are Marshals”).

A grounding quality of Martin Guigui’s heart and soul is his extensive musical background. As a pianist and Hammond B-3 organ player, he has performed and recorded beside John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Joan Osborne, Bo Didley, Phish, Laverne Baker, Sandra Wright & Soul Kitchen, Bill Sims and Don McClean.  Among others he has opened with his own group for Eddie Money, Talking Heads, Mathew Sweet, Steve Forbert and NRBQ and has produced The Slip, Jim Infintino, Jamie Lee Thurston, Gordon Stone, Kip Meaker and classical pianist Fritz Steinegger.  Guigui, a Grammy voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, has built a reputation as a skilled composer whose work has appeared in Independent Films, Network Television, and National Radio and children’s programming.

Guigui received numerous Billboard Awards for his songwriting, ASCAP Performance Awards and is the proud recipient of a Caesar Award for his contribution as a Hispanic to the arts in America. Martin is a member of The Directors Guild Of America and won a Best Director award at the Latin USA Film Festival in New York for his work on "SWING".  Martin is co-founder and President of Sunset Pictures which also houses Sunset Artists Music Publishing and Old School Records, a music label.

In 2007, Martin founded and brought to fruition one of his lifelong dreams- The First Time Film Festival.  The independent film festival, whose sole mission is to build a bridge for emerging first time filmmakers, was a grand success in its inaugural year bringing in filmmakers and their movies to Los Angeles from around the world and securing distribution for the winning entries.

 Every year, Guigui finds time to organize events to raise thousands of dollars for charities such as Prevention Of Child Abuse, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and Cancer research.