Thomas de la Cal was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Spain and Portugal. He earned a degree in History and European Cultural Studies from Princeton University and was a correspondent in Johannesburg, London, Madrid and New York City. He has contributed to the Penguin and Birnbaum travel guides on Iberia, scouted and produced award-winning documentaries for the National Geographic on flamenco and bullfighting, and led an expedition for the Discovery Channel into the jungles of Peru. He is the Director of The Film Festival Agency that provides Hollywood actors, directors, producers and writers to film festivals worldwide. He lives in Southern California with his wife and has two grown sons who have inherited his passion for soccer and food.