While in high school, Berlin-born Thor Freudenthal wrote and illustrated a series of comics for German publisher Carlsen, publisher of the Tintin series. He discovered his passion for film as a student at the Berlin Academy of Arts, and his self-produced short films garnered awards and accolades on the European festival circuit. While at visual effects house Sony Pictures Imageworks, Freudenthal worked closely with director Rob Minkoff on "Stuart Little" and "Stuart Little 2." After making the leap into directing with commercials, Freudenthal became second unit director on Disney’s "The Haunted Mansion." He then wrote and directed darkly comic short "Motel," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won best short at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Freudenthal’s feature film directorial debut was "Hotel for Dogs" for DreamWorks.