Carl Joseph Papa
Filipino filmmaker and animator
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Carl Joseph E. Papa is a Filipino filmmaker and animator. His films employ rotoscoping and unique animation techniques to explore the country's social and personal conflicts.
- Film director
- screenwriter
- animator
Carl Joseph Papa | |
|---|---|
Carl Joseph Papa at the IFFR 2026 | |
| Born | Carl Joseph Echague Papa Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Alma mater | UP Diliman |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2012–present |
His animated films have been screened at film festivals, and pioneered top honors during his lifetime including black tragicomedy Manang Biring (2015) and musical comedy-drama Paglisan (2018), both of which won him Best Film twice at Cinema One Originals Film Festival,[1][2] and psychological drama science-fiction Iti Mapukpukaw (2023), won the Best Film at the 19th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.[3] His recent film, 58th, was premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.[4]
Career
2012–2014
Originally intended 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,[5] Papa took filmmaking instead to develop cutout animated short films Ang Prinsesa, ang Prinsipe at si Marlborita (2012) and iNay (2013).[6]
He made his directorial debut live action film, the semi-autobiographical experimental drama The Unforgetting (2014), about a young woman's struggle to preserve happy memories and forgetting painful ones when her mother left. The film was screened at QCinema International Film Festival.[7][8]
2015–present
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,[1] and Paglisan, which won him another Best Film at the 2018 Cinema One Originals.[2] 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.[3]
In his recent film, 58th, describes as a documentary about the Maguindanao massacre that took place in 2009.[9] 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; it was Davao's last acting film prior to his death in May 2, 2025.[9]
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).[10][11][12]
Upcoming projects
He is currently working on his animated film, Sentinel, set in a high school consumed by dark secrets.[9]
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.[13] 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 explore social and personal conflicts that reflected the country's daily lives, most often including abandonment (The Unforgetting), cancer and death (Manang Biring), dementia and depression (Paglisan), incest and child sexual abuse (Iti Mapukpukaw), political corruption (58th), rape (The Next 24 Hours), and teenage pregnancy (iNay).[14]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | English title | Original title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Unforgetting | Ang ‘Di Paglimot Ng Mga Ala-Ala | Yes | Yes | No | Directorial debut; also producer | [8][7] |
| 2015 | Old Woman Biring | Manang Biring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
[1] |
| 2018 | The Leaving | Paglisan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
[2] |
| Asuang | No | Yes | No | [10] | |||
| 2021 | Mang Jose | No | Yes | No | [11] | ||
| 2023 | The Missing | Iti Mapukpukaw | Yes | Yes | No |
|
[3] |
| 2024 | Boys at the Back | No | Yes | No | Also story by | [12] | |
| 2026 | 58th | Yes | Yes | No | Also animation director | [9] | |
| TBA | Sentinel | Yes | Yes | No | [15] | ||
Short films
| Year | English title | Original title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Princess, the Prince and Marlborita | Ang Prinsesa, ang Prinsipe at si Marlborita | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer, animator, cinematographer, and production designer | [16] |
| 2013 | Homecoming | Ti Panagawid | Yes | No | Yes | Also producer and cinematographer | |
| Mother | iNay[17] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer, animator, cinematographer, and production designer | ||
| 2017 | Love Bites | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also production designer | ||
| 2025 | The Next 24 Hours | Yes | Yes | Yes | [18] | ||
Television series
| Year | English title | Original title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Puto | No | Yes | No | 2 episodes | ||
Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Best Animated Film | Manang Biring | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won | [19] |
FAMAS Awards
Gawad Urian Awards
Film festivals awards
| Film festival | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animahenasyon: The Philippine Animation Festival | 2018 | Grand Winner | Love Bites | Won | [25] |
| Best Storytelling | Won | ||||
| Best in Technical | Won | ||||
| Best Production Design | Won | ||||
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 2024 | Contrechamp Grand Prix | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated | [26] |
| Cinema One Originals Film Festival | 2015 | Best Film | Manang Biring | Won | [27] |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Best Editing | Nominated | ||||
| Audience Award | Nominated | ||||
| Champion Bughaw Award | Won | ||||
| 2019 | Best Film | Paglisan | Won | [28] | |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
| Best Editing | Nominated | ||||
| Cinemanila International Film Festival | 2012 | Young Cinema Competition – Best Short Film) | Ang Prinsesa, ang Prinsipe at si Marlborita | Won | |
| 2013 | Ti Panagawid | Nominated | |||
| Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival | 2023 | Best Film | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won | [29] |
| NETPAC Full-length Feature Award | Won | ||||
| Fantasia International Film Festival | 2024 | Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation – Special Jury Mention (Best Animated Feature) | Iti Mapukpukaw | Won | [30] |
| Audience Awards – Best Animated Feature | Silver | [31] | |||
| Osaka Asian Film Festival | 2024 | Grand Prix | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated | [32] |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 2024 | FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film | Iti Mapukpukaw | Nominated |
See also
- Cinema of the Philippines
- Filipino cartoon and animation
- Independent animation
- Nonoy Marcelo - a Filipino pioneering animation filmmaker.
- Richard Linklater - an American filmmaker linked to his rotoscoping animated films.