The Most Famous

FILM DIRECTORS from Philippines

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This page contains a list of the greatest Filipino Film Directors. The pantheon dataset contains 2,041 Film Directors, 4 of which were born in Philippines. This makes Philippines the birth place of the 49th most number of Film Directors behind Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Lithuania.

Top 4

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Filipino Film Directors of all time. This list of famous Filipino Film Directors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

Photo of Brian Yuzna

1. Brian Yuzna (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 55.39, Brian Yuzna is the most famous Filipino Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.

Brian Yuzna is an American film producer, director, and writer. He is best known for his work in the science fiction and horror film genres. Yuzna began his career as a producer for several films by director Stuart Gordon, such as Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986), before making his directorial debut with the satirical body horror film Society (1989). He also served as a co-writer for the comedy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). Yuzna was the first American filmmaker to adapt a manga, Bio Booster Armor Guyver, into a live-action feature, The Guyver (1991). He has directed several adaptations of the work of H. P. Lovecraft, and has assisted many first time directors, including Stuart Gordon, Christophe Gans, and Luis De La Madrid, in getting their projects made.

Photo of Lav Diaz

2. Lav Diaz (b. 1958)

With an HPI of 50.33, Lav Diaz is the 2nd most famous Filipino Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is frequently known one of the key practitioners of the slow cinema genre, producing a diverse range of longest narrative films that explore social and political issues, minimalistic storytelling, long takes and cinematic boundaries. Diaz started making films in the late 1990s. His first international exposure was at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 1999 with his directorial debut Serafin Geronimo: Ang Kriminal ng Baryo Concepcion (The Criminal of Barrio Concepcion). His first notable cinematic trademark were Batang West Side and Evolution of a Filipino Family, both were among the first longest films of his career. European film festivals caught media attention with Norte, the End of History (2013), which was entered into the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and received much critical praise. Diaz is among one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary Filipino filmmakers, with his subsequent films have likewise received positive critical attention and many awards: From What Is Before won the Golden Leopard at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival; A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery won the Alfred Bauer Prize (Silver Bear) at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival; and The Woman Who Left won the Golden Lion at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. He is a recipient of 2018's FAMAS Lifetime Achievement Award and 2021's Natatanging Gawad Urian (Gawad Urian Lifetime Achievement Award).

Photo of Lino Brocka

3. Lino Brocka (1939 - 1991)

With an HPI of 48.41, Lino Brocka is the 3rd most famous Filipino Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. His filmography often addressed the country's societal issues, and despite his initial closeness with the Marcos family, his work eventually grew to have anti-authoritarian themes in opposition to the Marcos dictatorship. He co-founded the organization Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), dedicated to helping artists address issues confronting the country, and the Free the Artist Movement. He was a member of the Coalition for the Restoration of Democracy. He directed landmark films such as Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (1974), Manila in the Claws of Light (1975), Insiang (1976), Bona (1980), Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984), and Orapronobis (1989). His body of work consisted of popular and political melodramas. After his death in a car accident in 1991, he was posthumously given the National Artist of the Philippines for Film award for "having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts." In 2018, Brocka was identified by the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board as a Motu Proprio human rights violations victim of the Martial Law Era.

Photo of Brillante Mendoza

4. Brillante Mendoza (b. 1960)

With an HPI of 46.62, Brillante Mendoza is the 4th most famous Filipino Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Brillante Mendoza (Tagalog: [brɪlˈjantɛ mɛnˈdɔsɐ]; born July 30, 1960), also known as Dante Mendoza, is a Filipino independent filmmaker. Mendoza is known one of the key members associated with the Philippine New Wave.

People

Pantheon has 4 people classified as Filipino film directors born between 1939 and 1960. Of these 4, 3 (75.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Filipino film directors include Brian Yuzna, Lav Diaz, and Brillante Mendoza. The most famous deceased Filipino film directors include Lino Brocka. As of April 2024, 4 new Filipino film directors have been added to Pantheon including Brian Yuzna, Lav Diaz, and Lino Brocka.

Living Filipino Film Directors

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Deceased Filipino Film Directors

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Newly Added Filipino Film Directors (2024)

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