# Paolo Villaluna

Paolo Villaluna is a Filipino film, television and TV commercial director best known for 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. His tenure will last until June 2026.

## 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 |