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IMDbPro

Brillante Mendoza

  • Director
  • Producer
  • Production Designer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Brillante Mendoza
Brillante Mendoza is a Philippine director and producer. He is the first Filipino to receive the Best Director award at Cannes for his film Kinatay in 2009. He is also the only Filipino to receive France's "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2014.

He was born on October 30, 1960, in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. He studied Advertising Arts at the University of Santo Tomas.

He worked in advertising, and became a production designer. He was in his forties when he directed his first film, Masahista, which won the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival's Golden Leopard (video competition). His films have received awards and nominations in major competitions in Venice, Berlin, Cannes, San Sebastian, Cairo and others.

His film Mindanao in 2019 received the Henry Barakat Best Artistic Contribution and Best Actress awards. In 2018 his film Alpha: The Right to Kill took home the Special Jury Prize in the San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2016 Ma Rosa was nominated for Cannes' Palm d'Or, and won Best Actress for Jaclyn Jose, the first Filipina to bag it.

His film Taklub, which tackles climate change, was nominated for the Un Certain Regard, and won the Ecumenical Jury Prize in the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Captive, which stars Isabelle Huppert, competed for the Golden Bear at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival. Thy Womb, which was selected for the main competition in 2012 Venice Film Festival also took home the La Navicella, P. Nazareno Taddei and Bisato d'Oro awards; it also won the Best Director award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Lola, in 2009, was the Best Feature Film in Dubai International Film Festival, and was nominated for Venice's Golden Lion. In 2007 Tirador won Singapore International Film Festival's Best Director and Best Asian Feature Award; it also received the Caligari Film Award in Berlin. In 2007 Serbis was the first Philippine film to be nominated for Cannes' Palm d'Or. The same year his film Foster Child was screened at the Directors Fortnight in Cannes, which also bagged the NETPAC Jury award in Brisbane. Manoro in 2006 took home the Cinema for Peace award at the Torino Film Festival.

Mendoza's Amo is the first Philippine crime drama series shown on Netflix. His upcoming films are Resbak, and the Philippine-Japanese co-produced sports biopic Gensan Punch (2020). He produced successful festival films like Kintsugi (2020), Verdict (2019) Pailalim (2016), and Imbisibol (2015); he is also a producer of The Brokers, to be released soon.
BornJuly 30, 1960
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJuly 30, 1960
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 64 wins & 92 nominations total

    Photos20

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    Known for

    Allen Dizon and Elijah Filamor in Alpha: The Right to Kill (2018)
    Alpha: The Right to Kill
    6.0
    • Director(as Brillante Ma. Mendoza)
    • 2018
    Kaleldo (2006)
    Kaleldo
    6.1
    • Director
    • 2006
    Nora Aunor and Lovi Poe in Thy Womb (2012)
    Thy Womb
    6.9
    • Director(as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
    • 2012
    Allen Dizon and Judy Ann Santos in Mindanao (2019)
    Mindanao
    6.4
    • Director(as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
    • 2019

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Director



    • Cocoon
      • Director
      • Pre-production
    • Chameleon
      • Director
      • Post-production



    • Bansa (2024)
      Bansa
      1.6
      • Director
      • 2024
    • Coco Martin in Red (2024)
      Red
      4.2
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2024
    • Laurice Guillen in Moro (2023)
      Moro
      3.0
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Moro (2023)
      Moro
      1.3
      Short
      • Director
      • 2023
    • Julio Diaz, Jaclyn Jose, Gina Pareño, Gladys Reyes, Lito Lapid, May Gosioco, Marc Pangilinan, Owen Canlas, John Luigi Pineda, Elaine Gosioco, Franzen Ghelo Tolentino, Rosette, Bea Dizon, Coco Martin, Mercedes Cabral, and Ronwaldo Martin in Feast (2022)
      Feast
      4.6
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Angeli Khang, Katrina Dovey, Robb Guinto, and Micaella Raz in Virgin Forest (2022)
      Virgin Forest
      4.3
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Julia Barretto, Xian Lim, and Marco Gumabao in Bahay na pula (2022)
      Bahay na pula
      3.8
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Vince Rillon, Paolo Gumabao, and Kylie Verzosa in Sisid (2022)
      Sisid
      5.5
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Jela Cuenca and Cara Gonzales in Palitan (2021)
      Palitan
      5.2
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2021
    • Vince Rillon in Resbak (2021)
      Resbak
      3.2
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2021
    • Shogen in Gensan Punch (2021)
      Gensan Punch
      4.4
      • Director (directed by)
      • 2021
    • Allen Dizon and Judy Ann Santos in Mindanao (2019)
      Mindanao
      6.4
      • Director (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2019
    • Lakbayan (2018)
      Lakbayan
      4.0
      • Director (segment "Desfocado/Defocused")
      • 2018
    • Allen Dizon and Elijah Filamor in Alpha: The Right to Kill (2018)
      Alpha: The Right to Kill
      6.0
      • Director (as Brillante Ma. Mendoza)
      • 2018
    • Derek Ramsay in Amo (2017)
      Amo
      6.4
      TV Mini Series
      • Director
      • 2017

    Producer



    • Mylene Dizon and Enzo Osorio in The Hearing (2024)
      The Hearing
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Coco Martin in Red (2024)
      Red
      4.2
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2024
    • Ali Asistio, Angela Morena, Denise Esteban, and Vince Rillon in Japino (2023)
      Japino
      5.3
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Laurice Guillen in Moro (2023)
      Moro
      3.0
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Ali Asistio, Angela Morena, Denise Esteban, and Vince Rillon in Hosto (2023)
      Hosto
      6.8
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Nico Locco, Katrina Dovey, Luke Selby, and Andrea Garcia in Sandwich (2023)
      Sandwich
      4.8
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Angela Morena, Richard Solano, Micaella Raz, and Benz Sangalang in Sabel Is Still Young (2022)
      Sabel Is Still Young
      4.8
      • executive producer
      • 2022
    • Ali Asistio, Katrina Dovey, Luke Selby, Josef Elizalde, Andrea Garcia, and Chesca Paredes in Alapaap (2022)
      Alapaap
      4.1
      • executive producer
      • 2022
    • Angeli Khang, Katrina Dovey, Robb Guinto, and Micaella Raz in Virgin Forest (2022)
      Virgin Forest
      4.3
      • executive producer
      • producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Jela Cuenca, Angeli Khang, Vince Rillon, and Janelle Tee in Pusoy (2022)
      Pusoy
      5.0
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • AJ Raval, Denise Esteban, and Vince Rillon in Kaliwaan (2022)
      Kaliwaan
      4.9
      • executive producer
      • 2022
    • Julia Barretto, Xian Lim, and Marco Gumabao in Bahay na pula (2022)
      Bahay na pula
      3.8
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Vince Rillon, Paolo Gumabao, and Kylie Verzosa in Sisid (2022)
      Sisid
      5.5
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Jela Cuenca and Cara Gonzales in Palitan (2021)
      Palitan
      5.2
      • executive producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2021
    • Vince Rillon in Resbak (2021)
      Resbak
      3.2
      • producer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2021

    Production Designer



    • Coco Martin in Red (2024)
      Red
      4.2
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2024
    • Ali Asistio, Angela Morena, Denise Esteban, and Vince Rillon in Japino (2023)
      Japino
      5.3
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Laurice Guillen in Moro (2023)
      Moro
      3.0
      • Production Designer (as Dante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Ali Asistio, Angela Morena, Denise Esteban, and Vince Rillon in Hosto (2023)
      Hosto
      6.8
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Nico Locco, Katrina Dovey, Luke Selby, and Andrea Garcia in Sandwich (2023)
      Sandwich
      4.8
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2023
    • Angela Morena, Richard Solano, Micaella Raz, and Benz Sangalang in Sabel Is Still Young (2022)
      Sabel Is Still Young
      4.8
      • Production Designer (as Brillante Ma Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Ali Asistio, Katrina Dovey, Luke Selby, Josef Elizalde, Andrea Garcia, and Chesca Paredes in Alapaap (2022)
      Alapaap
      4.1
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Julio Diaz, Jaclyn Jose, Gina Pareño, Gladys Reyes, Lito Lapid, May Gosioco, Marc Pangilinan, Owen Canlas, John Luigi Pineda, Elaine Gosioco, Franzen Ghelo Tolentino, Rosette, Bea Dizon, Coco Martin, Mercedes Cabral, and Ronwaldo Martin in Feast (2022)
      Feast
      4.6
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Angeli Khang, Katrina Dovey, Robb Guinto, and Micaella Raz in Virgin Forest (2022)
      Virgin Forest
      4.3
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Jela Cuenca, Angeli Khang, Vince Rillon, and Janelle Tee in Pusoy (2022)
      Pusoy
      5.0
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • AJ Raval, Denise Esteban, and Vince Rillon in Kaliwaan (2022)
      Kaliwaan
      4.9
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Julia Barretto, Xian Lim, and Marco Gumabao in Bahay na pula (2022)
      Bahay na pula
      3.8
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Vince Rillon, Paolo Gumabao, and Kylie Verzosa in Sisid (2022)
      Sisid
      5.5
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2022
    • Jela Cuenca and Cara Gonzales in Palitan (2021)
      Palitan
      5.2
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2021
    • Vince Rillon in Resbak (2021)
      Resbak
      3.2
      • Production Designer (as Dante Mendoza)
      • 2021

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Alternative names
      • Brillante Ma. Mendoza
    • Born
      • July 30, 1960
      • San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Received the Special Honorary Award at the Cinema One Originals in 2009.
    • Quotes
      You know The Philippines is the only country with eight local film festivals that gives grants to filmmakers. These local film festivals have also become an avenue to budding filmmakers to showcase their talents; eventually, exposing themselves for more projects. In addition, the spring of amateur and potential filmmakers through the democratization of filmmaking thanks to the advancement of technology creates a significant market for short films in various online platforms especially to younger generations with shorter attention span. With that, I can say that cinema in the Philippines is very much alive. It's just a matter of broadening and developing audiences for alternative cinema through various institutions. [Variety 2015]

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