Craig Gerber

Craig Gerber is an American executive producer and creator of children's television programming, best known for Disney Junior's Sofia the First, which ran from 2012 to 2018, Elena of Avalor, which ran from 2016 to 2020, and Firebuds, which began airing on September 21, 2022. Gerber has been praised for creating shows that deal with blended families, breaking gender stereotypes, difficulty fitting into society, and representation of Latin culture. Early life Gerber was raised in outer suburban New York. His mother and father divorced when he was eight years old. His father remarried and had another son, while his mother had a boyfriend who had a daughter of his own. Having a family that was not “together” made Gerber feel uneasy, but after he discovered that these kinds of families were more common than he thought, he was inspired to create Sofia the First. Gerber is of Jewish background. Education and early career Gerber graduated from University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. His career began when he entered a school screenwriting showcase, which led to a major Hollywood studio displaying his first screenplay. Gerber has won awards for directing his comedic short “Hang Time”. He also won Best Narrative Short at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival and Best Digital Short at the Sedona Film Festival in 2003. Before branching into children's television, Craig Gerber worked at Pixie Hollow Games and wrote screenplays for Rogue Pictures, Radar Pictures, and Intrepid Films. Filmmaking credits Sofia the First - 2012-2018 - creator, writer, lyricist, composer: main title theme, executive producer, and voice actor The Pirate Fairy - 2014 - story Elena of Avalor - 2016-2020 - creator, director, writer, lyricist, and executive producer Firebuds - 2022-present - creator, writer, lyricist, and executive producer