# Carl Joseph Papa

Carl Joseph Echague Papa is a Filipino filmmaker and animator. His films employed animation, mostly rotoscoping, that established mature subject matters in the daily life of the Philippines, particularly with the themes of family struggles.
His films have been screened at film festivals worldwide and received multiple accolades during his lifetime including black tragicomedy Manang Biring (2015) and musical comedy-drama Paglisan (2018), both of them which won him Best Film twice at Cinema One Originals Film Festival, and psychological drama science-fiction Iti Mapukpukaw (2023), won the Best Film at the 19th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

## Career

Papa was originally chosen as a software engineer when he was an alumnus of University of the Philippines and pursue his career as a Java consultant at Orange and Bronze Software Labs, he took filmmaking instead to develop cutout animated short films Ang Prinsesa, ang Prinsipe at si Marlborita (2012) and iNay (2013).
He made his directorial debut live action film, a semi-autobiographical experimental drama The Unforgetting (2014) about a young woman struggle to preserve happy memories and forgetting painful ones when her mother left. The film was screened at QCinema International Film Festival.
He gained local recognition for his adult animated films: Manang Biring, which won him the Best Film at the 2015 Cinema One Originals, the first animated film to do so, and Paglisan, which won him another Best Film at the 2018 Cinema One Originals. Iti Mapukpukaw garnered several awards, including Best Film at the 19th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and 47th Gawad Urian Awards, the first animated film to do so, and immense media attention for his submission as the Philippine entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, the first animated film to be submitted by the Philippines.
In addition of directorial films, he is writing several live-action comedy films including Asuang (2018), Mang Jose (2021), and Boys at the Back (2024).

### Upcoming projects

He is currently working on his animated films, Sentinel and 58th, the former set in a high school consumed by dark secrets, while the latter describes as a documentary about the Maguindanao massacre that took place in 2009. The film portrays Glaiza de Castro as Ma. Reynafe Momay-Castillo, a daughter of the disappeared photojournalist Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay, alongside Ricky Davao, Mikoy Morales, Biboy Ramirez, Marco Masa, and Zyren Dela Cruz are announced to be part of the cast line-up.

## Style and themes

With the exception of The Unforgetting and Homecoming, Papa's directorial films are entirely animated with different types of animation: cutout, child art, and rotoscoping. Each films have recorded in live-action or voice recording with storyboard process during pre-production before the animation process in post-production. Additionally, most directorial films have notable, well-known cast members including Cherry Pie Picache, Ian Veneracion, Eula Valdez, Khalil Ramos, Carlo Aquino, and Dolly de Leon.
Papa's films have mature subject matters, often focus on the Philippines' daily lives and family issues such as abandonment (The Unforgetting), cancer and death (Manang Biring), dementia and depression (Paglisan), incest and sexual abuse (Iti Mapukpukaw), and teenage pregnancy (iNay).

## Filmography
### Feature films

| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes |
| 2014 | The Unforgetting | Ang ‘Di Paglimot Ng Mga Ala-Ala | Yes | Yes | No | Directorial debut; also producer |
| 2015 | Old Woman Biring | Manang Biring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also animator Actor: Dream Nurse |
| 2018 | The Leaving | Paglisan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also animation compositor and lyricist ("Hari ng kwento", "Buhay teatro", "Pagod na", "Ten Past Eleven") Actor: Doctor |
| 2018 | Asuang | Asuang | No | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | Mang Jose | Mang Jose | No | Yes | No | |
| 2023 | The Missing | Iti Mapukpukaw | Yes | Yes | No | Also animation director, compositor, and flashback storyboard artist Submitted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards |
| 2024 | Boys at the Back | Boys at the Back | No | Yes | No | Also story by |
| TBA | 58th | 58th | Yes | Yes | No | |
| TBA | Sentinel | Sentinel | Yes | Yes | No | |

### Short films

| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes |
| 2012 | The Princess, the Prince and Marlborita | Ang Prinsesa, ang Prinsipe at si Marlborita | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer, animator, cinematographer, and production designer |
| 2013 | Homecoming | Ti Panagawid | Yes | No | Yes | Also producer and cinematographer |
| 2013 | Mother | iNay | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer, animator, cinematographer, and production designer |
| 2017 | Love Bites | Love Bites | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also production designer |

### Television series

| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes | Ref. |
| 2021 | Puto | Puto | No | Yes | No | 2 episodes | |

## Awards
### Asia Pacific Screen Awards

1 win out of 2 nominations :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
| 2016 | Best Animated Film | Manang Biring | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Best Animated Film | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won | |

### FAMAS Awards

1 win out of 5 nominations :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2019 | Best Original Screenplay | Asuang | Nominated |
| 2019 | Best Original Song | Paglisan | Won |
| 2024 | Best Director | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
| 2024 | Best Screenplay | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
| 2024 | Best Visual Effects | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |

### Gawad Urian Awards

1 win out of 4 nominations :
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2019 | Pinakamahusay na Direksyon (Best Director) | Paglisan | Nominated |
| 2024 | Pinakamahusay na Direksyon (Best Director) | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
| 2024 | Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula (Best Screenplay) | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
| 2024 | Pinakamahusay na Animasyon (Best Animation) | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won |

### Film festivals awards

13 (including runner-up) wins out of 23 nominations :
| Film festival | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Animahenasyon: The Philippine Animation Festival | 2018 | Grand Winner | Love Bites | Won |
| Animahenasyon: The Philippine Animation Festival | 2018 | Best Storytelling | Love Bites | Won |
| Animahenasyon: The Philippine Animation Festival | 2018 | Best in Technical | Love Bites | Won |
| Animahenasyon: The Philippine Animation Festival | 2018 | Best Production Design | Love Bites | Won |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 2024 | Contrechamp Grand Prix | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Best Film | Manang Biring | Won |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Best Director | Manang Biring | Nominated |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Best Screenplay | Manang Biring | Nominated |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Best Editing | Manang Biring | Nominated |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Audience Award | Manang Biring | Nominated |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Champion Bughaw Award | Manang Biring | Won |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2019 | Best Film | Paglisan | Won |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2019 | Best Director | Paglisan | Nominated |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2019 | Best Screenplay | Paglisan | Won |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2019 | Best Editing | Paglisan | Nominated |
| Cinemanila International Film Festival | 2012 | Young Cinema Competition – Best Short Film) | Ang Prinsesa, ang Prinsipe at si Marlborita | Won |
| Cinemanila International Film Festival | 2013 | Young Cinema Competition – Best Short Film) | Ti Panagawid | Nominated |
| Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival | 2023 | Best Film | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won |
| Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival | 2023 | NETPAC Full-length Feature Award | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won |
| Fantasia International Film Festival | 2024 | Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation – Special Jury Mention (Best Animated Feature) | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won |
| Fantasia International Film Festival | 2024 | Audience Awards – Best Animated Feature | Iti Mapukpukaw | Silver |
| Osaka Asian Film Festival | 2024 | Grand Prix | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 2024 | FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |