Emilio Martinez Lázaro was born in 1945 in Madrid.
His first association with cinema came when he joined the Escuela de Argüelles, a group of independent filmmakers. He made his first short film, Circunstancias del Milagro/The Circumstances of the Miracle, in 1968; re-edited in 1972 and retitled El Camino del Cielo/The Road to Heaven, it was shown at several international film festivals. He made his first feature, Pastel de Sangre/Blood Cake, in 1971. Martínez-Lázaro entered the television industry in 1974, directing episodes of numerous television series, and since then has continued to work in both venues. Martínez-Lázaro\'s 1978 film Las Palabras de Max/What Max Said shared a Golden Bear at that year\'s Berlin Film Festival with García Sánchez\'s La Trucha/The Trout. In addition to directing, Martínez-Lázaro has established himself as a noted screenwriter.