Born March 29 1990 in Manila, and based between Amsterdam, London, and Manila, Rafael Manuel's short films have won a Silver Bear at the Berlinale, have screened at Locarno, IFFR, and FIDMarseille, and are exhibited by ARTE and the Criterion Collection. He is the last film protege at the Rolex Arts Initiative where he was mentored by Jia Zhang-ke. Filipiñana is his debut feature-length film.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
