Paolo Villaluna is a Filipino film, television and TV commercial director best known for directing the official music video for the Philippine national anthem (2024) and the films "Selda (The Inmate, 2007)", and "Pedicab (2016)". He is part of the Philippine New Wave’s "most significant, most exciting digital frontliners of the alternative movement" (Philippine New Wave, Movfest Publishings, 2010) that emerged during the mid 2000’s that helped usher a new era in local cinema.
Career
Short films Villaluna's short films have been screened in film festivals including Yamagata, Clermont-Ferrand, and Rotterdam.
His Urian-award winning short documentary,, "Palugid (Margins, 2001)", is considered as an influential coming out of the closet biographical work and has been programmed in Philippine Cinema retrospectives in Germany and the Czech Republic.
Feature-length films
His first full length film, co-directed with animator Ellen Ramos, Ilusyon (Illusion, 2005) was awarded with CJ Selections at the 2006 Busan International Film Festival.
In 2007, his second film Selda (The Inmate) was the first Filipino film to be accepted in the main competition of both the Montreal World Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Sid Lucero and Emilio Garcia tied as Best Actors in Thessaloniki for the film.
The "Love Trilogy" ended with 2009's Walang Hanggang Paalam (Endless Farewell) which won the Best World Showcase award in Soho International Film Festival in New York in 2010.
His fourth and latest film is 2016's Pedicab, which won the coveted Golden Goblet Award at the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival where Cannes-winner and jury head Cristian Mungiu (Romanian Director) stated, "For the humanism and universality of the story, for the simplicity of the style and realization – for the non-conformism with which it represented our desire to believe that there is a sense in this Universe, the award for the Best Film goes to PEDICAB, from the Philippines." It also won six awards in the Tofarm Film Festival including the Special Jury Prize and Best Acting for leading actors Bembol Roco and Cherry Pie Picache.
Television
In 2009, together with journalist Patricia Evangelista he made his TV directorial debut with Storyline for the ABS-CBN New Channel. His television work has garnered back-to-back Gawad Tanglaw awards, a Catholic Mass Media award and New York Film Festival medals.
TV commercials
In 2010, he began to work for advertising as an in-house director for the country's biggest TVC production supplier, Filmex and has made successful campaigns for brands like McDonald's and Jolibee.
Villaluna has written opinion pieces and directed short documentaries for Rappler.
Other positions On August 8, 2024, Villaluna was appointed as director-general of the Film Academy of the Philippines by Cultural Center of the Philippines chair Jaime C. Laya.
Full-feature films Year Title Director Producer Writer Editor Notes 2016 Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Yes Yes Yes Produced by Ellen Ramos/Co-written, co-edited with Ellen Ramos 2009 Walang Hanggang Paalam (Endless Farewell) Yes Yes Yes Yes Co-produced, co-directed, co-edited with Ellen Ramos 2007 Selda (The Inmate) Yes Yes Yes Yes Co-produced with Leo Dominguez; Co-directed, co-written, co-edited with Ellen Ramos 2005 Ilusyon (Illusion) Yes Yes Yes Produced by Jon Red; Co-directed with Ellen Ramos; Co-written with Jon Red
Short films Year Title Director Producer Writer Editor Notes 2001 Palugid (Margins) Yes Yes Produced by Mowelfund Film Institute; Edited by Dexter Cayanes 2004 Godspeed (animation) Yes Yes Yes Yes Co-directed, co-produced, co-written, co-edited with Ellen Ramos 2006 One Shot (from the omnibus film Imahenasyon) Yes Yes Yes Produced by Patricia Evangelista 2007 Ramblings From the Sea (from the omnibus film Guimaras) Yes Yes Yes Yes 2010 Wasteland (from the omnibus film Ambisyon) Yes Yes Yes Produced by Patricia Evangelista 2011 Intolerance (from the omnibus film Kinse) Yes Yes Yes Produced by Patricia Evangelista 2013 An Ordinary Day (documentary) Yes Yes Produced and written by Patricia Evangelista 2013 The Gravediggers (documentary) Yes Yes Produced and written by Patricia Evangelista 2013 The Children Of Sta. Barbara (documentary) Yes Yes Produced and written by Patricia Evangelista 2013 Sta. Catalina (documentary) Yes Yes Produced and written by Patricia Evangelista 2016 Mandaluyong (documentary) Yes Yes Produced and written by Patricia Evangelista 2016 Alyas Heart (documentary) Yes Yes Produced and written by Patricia Evangelista
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Film Result 2017 Shanghai International Film Festival The Golden Goblet for Best Film Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Won 2017 15th Gawad Tanglaw Presidential Jury Award Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Won 2017 Urian Awards Best Director Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 Urian Awards Best Screenplay Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 Urian Awards Best Editing Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 Urian Awards Best Music Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 PMPC Star Awards Indie Movie of the Year Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 PMPC Star Awards Indie Movie Director of the Year Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 PMPC Star Awards Indie Movie Editor of the Year Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2017 PMPC Star Awards Indie Movie Musical Scorer Of The Year Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2016 1st ToFarm Festival Awards Special Jury Prize Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Won 2016 1st ToFarm Festival Awards Best Director Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Nominated 2016 1st ToFarm Festival Awards Best Story Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Won 2016 1st ToFarm Festival Awards Best Editor Pauwi Na (Pedicab) Won 2015 38th Gawad Urian Awards Best Documentary Sta. Catalina Nominated 2012 10th Gawad Tanglaw Awards Best Documentary Storyline Won 2012 35th Gawad Urian Awards Best Short Film Intolerance Nominated 2011 54th New York Festivals for International TV and Film Awards Silver World Medal Storyline Won 2011 54th New York Festivals for International TV and Film Awards Bronze World Medal Storyline Won 2011 9th Gawad Tanglaw Awards Best TV Documentary Storyline Won 2011 4th Ani ng Dangal Ani ng Dangal for Cinema Walang Hanggang Paalam (Endless Farewell) Won 2010 1st Soho International Film Festival Best World Showcase Walang Hanggang Paalam (Endless Farewell) Won 2010 8th Gawad Tanglaw Awards Best Film Walang Hanggang Paalam (Endless Farewell) Won 2010 8th Gawad Tanglaw Awards Best TV Documentary Storyline Won 2009 Philippine Graphics Magazine Top 10 Young Leaders Storyline Won 2008 32nd Montreal World Film Festival Grand Prix des Amériquez Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2008 49th Thessaloniki International Film Festival Golden Alexander Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2008 31st Gawad Urian Awards Best Director Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2008 6th Gawad Tanglaw Awards Best Editing Selda (The Inmate) Won 2008 24th Star Awards for Movies Digital Movie Director of the Year Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2008 24th Star Awards for Movies Digital Movie of the Year Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2008 24th Star Awards for Movies Digital Movie Screenplay of the Year Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2008 24th Star Awards for Movies Digital Movie Editor of the Year Selda (The Inmate) Nominated 2006 11th Pusan International Film Festival CJ Selection Ilusyon (Illusion) Won 2006 29th Gawad Urian Best Editing Ilusyon (Illusion) Nominated 2006 3rd Golden Screen Awards Best Motion Picture Ilusyon (Illusion) Nominated 2006 3rd Golden Screen Awards Best Editing Ilusyon (Illusion) Nominated 2006 3rd Golden Screen Awards Best Visual Effects Ilusyon (Illusion) Nominated 2001 Yamagata International Film Festival 2001 Ogawa Shinsuke Prize Palugid (Margins) Nominated 2001 24th Gawad Urian Awards Best Short Film Palugid (Margins) Won 2001 Gawad CCP Best Short Documentary Palugid (Margins) Won 2001 eKsperimento International Film Festival Audience Award Palugid (Margins) Won
References