José Miguel Ribeiro was born in 1966 in Amadora, Portugal. He graduated with a degree in Plastic Arts – Painting from ESBAL (Art University of Lisbon) and studied drawing and puppets animation in Lazzenec-Bretagne / Rennes and in Filmógrafo / Oporto in 1993/4.
During several years he taught puppets animation in Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.
He was animator of “Os Salteadores” directed by Abi Feijó (special pryze of Cartoon D’Or 94) and some other portuguese films and pilots. He was co-director of “O Ovo / The Egg”, which won several international awards; he directed short animations for portuguese version of Sesam’s Street and in 1996 won, for the first time, an award in Cinanima/Portugal with “O Banquete da Rainha”.
Between 1997 and 1999, produced by Luís da Matta Almeida/Zeppelin Filmes, he directed “A Suspeita / The Suspect”, film awarded with Cartoon D’Or 2000 and more 25 international awards.
In 1999 he directed two short animation films: “Cinanima 99 spot” and “Timor Loro Sae”.
In the year 2000 José Miguel was invited to direct the spot for Lisbon Illustration Meeting and two corporate films about the European day without cars in the city of Almada.
During 2001 and 2002 he directed in claymation the child series “As Coisas Lá de Casa / Home Things” (26×2’30’') which has had an excellent reception by the international market, has won several awards and has received several prestigious invitations.
In 2004, he directed a short film based in a theme from a Portuguese genial musician and composer named Carlos Paredes, entitled “Abraço do Vento”. In 2007 he founds, with Nuno Beato and Eva Yébenes, the production company Sardinha em Lata. After releasing in April of 2009 the film “Passeio de Domingo/Sunday Walk” he recently finished another short animation entitled “Viagem a Cabo Verde”.
He has had a regular activity as an illustrator in several books.