Born in 1990 in Manila, Rafael Manuel works between London, Amsterdam, and Manila. His short film Filipiñana (2020) was screened at numerous international film festivals, including the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Singapore International Film Festival, and received the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the Berlinale. His debut feature, Filipiñana, expands on the short film of the same title and received the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
