# Brillante Mendoza

Brillante Mendoza (Tagalog:; 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.

## Career

Mendoza was born and raised in San Fernando, Pampanga. He took advertising arts of the College of Architecture and fine arts at the University of Santo Tomas.
Mendoza has directed sixteen films since 2005, also he credited some cinematographer and production designer under his alias. His first collaborated with actor Coco Martin in seven films: Masahista, Kaleldo, Foster Child, Tirador, Serbis, Kinatay, and Captive.
Mendoza directed the first and second State of the Nation Addresses of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Original title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Notes |
| Year | Title | Original title | Director | Producer | Screenwriter | Production designer | Notes |
| 1985 | Virgin Forest | Virgin Forest | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | Takaw Tukso | Takaw Tukso | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | Private Show | Private Show | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | Di Maghilom ang Sugat | Di Maghilom ang Sugat | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | Materyales Fuertes | Materyales Fuertes | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | Magic of the Universe | Salamangkero | No | No | No | Yes | With Arthur Nicdao |
| 1987 | Mga Lihim ng Kalapati | Mga Lihim ng Kalapati | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1989 | Si Baleleng at ang Gintong Sirena | Si Baleleng at ang Gintong Sirena | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1989 | Gabriela | Gabriela | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1989 | Valentina | Valentina | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1989 | Target... Police General (Maj. Gen. Alfredo S. Lim Story) | Target... Police General (Maj. Gen. Alfredo S. Lim Story) | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1990 | "Ako ang Batas" -Gen. Tomas Karingal | "Ako ang Batas" -Gen. Tomas Karingal | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1990 | Mula Paa Hanggang Ulo | Mula Paa Hanggang Ulo | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1990 | Kristobal: Tinik sa Corona | Kristobal: Tinik sa Corona | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 1990 | Iisa-isahin Ko Kayo! | Iisa-isahin Ko Kayo! | No | No | No | Yes | |
| 2005 | The Masseur | Masahista | Yes | | Story | | |
| 2006 | Summer Heat | Kaleldo | Yes | Yes | Story | | |
| 2006 | The Teacher | Manoro | Yes | | | Yes | Also as cinematographer |
| 2007 | Fantasy | Pantasya | Yes | | | | Also cinematographer |
| 2007 | Foster Child | | Yes | | | | |
| 2007 | Slingshot | Tirador | Yes | | | | Also as cinematographer |
| 2008 | Service | Serbis | Yes | | | | |
| 2009 | Butchered (The Execution of P) | Kinatay | Yes | | | Yes | |
| 2009 | Grandmother | Lola | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
| 2012 | Captive | | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2012 | Thy Womb | Sinapupunan | Yes | Executive | No | Yes | |
| 2013 | Sapi | Sapi | Yes | Executive | No | Yes | Also as cinematographer |
| 2015 | Trap | Taklub | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | Ma' Rosa | Ma' Rosa | Yes | Executive | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections | Asia sanmenkyô | Yes | | | | Segment: "Shinauma" |
| 2018 | Alpha: The Right to Kill | | Yes | Executive | | Yes | |
| 2018 | Journey | Lakbayan | Yes | Yes | | | Segment: "Desfocado" Co-director with Lav Diaz and Kidlat Tahimik |
| 2018 | Amo (TV mini-series) | | Yes | | | | TV mini-series, distributed by Netflix (international) |
| 2019 | Mindanao | Mindanao | Yes | Yes | Story | Yes | |
| 2019 | Verdict | | No | Yes | No | No | Also creative consultant |
| 2021 | Gensan Punch | | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2022 | Resbak | | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2022 | Apag | | Yes | Executive | No | Yes | |
| 2024 | Pula | Pola | Yes | Executive | Story | No | Premiered on Netflix |
| 2024 | Motherland | Motherland | Yes | No | No | Yes | |

## Awards and nominations

Mendoza is the first Filipino filmmaker to receive the Best Director award for his film Kinatay at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. His 2009 film Lola won the award for Best Film at the 6th Dubai International Film Festival.
Mendoza's 2012 film Captive was shown in competition at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2012. His 2012 film Thy Womb competed for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival and earned Mendoza the award for Achievement in Directing at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2012.
Mendoza's film Taklub was selected to be screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
Mendoza is one of the few people and is the only Filipino filmmaker to be nominated in all three major prizes from "The Big Three" (Cannes, Berlin, Venice).
| Year | Film | Film festival | Category | Result |
| 1987 | Salamangkero | 3rd PMPC Star Awards for Movies | Best Production Design | Won |
| 1987 | Private Show | 5th Film Academy of the Philippines Awards | Best Production Design | Nominated |
| 1987 | Takaw Tukso | 11th Gawad Urian Awards | Best Production Design | Won |
| 1987 | Private Show | 11th Gawad Urian Awards | Best Production Design | Nominated |
| 2008 | Service | 2008 Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Nominated |
| 2009 | Kinatay | 2009 Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Nominated |
| 2009 | Kinatay | 2009 Cannes Film Festival | Best Director | Won |
| 2009 | Grandmother | 66th Venice International Film Festival | Golden Lion | Nominated |
| 2012 | Captive | 62nd Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Nominated |
| 2012 | Thy Womb | 69th Venice International Film Festival | Golden Lion | Nominated |
| 2016 | Ma' Rosa | 2016 Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Nominated |
| 2021 | Gensan Punch | 26th Busan International Film Festival | Kim Jiseok Award | Won |