Roxlee

He started out as a cartoonist—first contributing cartoons to Jingle Magazine, and then doing the comic strip Cesar Asar for Manila Bulletin (one of the most popular broadsheet in the Philippines) in collaboration with his brother Monlee from 1980 to 2000. Roxlee is one of the founding members of Animagination now evolved into Animahenasyon and Sinekalye, a group of filmmakers taking the films and music into the street. He is a pioneer of independent film animation in the Philippines. Working outside the "factory" system, usually with only one or two collaborators, he’s a magician who can instantly conjure up an original piece working only with the barest of materials, usually with just pen and paper and ink. Spontaneity and irreverent situational ideas are paramount for him over fanciful techniques and linear storytelling. His edgy approach is surreal sense of humor . What is incalculable is his originality as an animator and filmmaker, which can be considered as an attempt to create a modern Filipino style and philosophy of filmmaking. His early works were done in super-8 film—divided between hand-drawn scratchy works like "The Great Smoke", and pixilated live action pieces like "Juan Gapang". Both are now considered classics of the independent film movement of the 1980s. In the 2000s, he reinvented himself as a digital filmmaker. His "12 commandments of filmmaking" has turned him into some kind of guru, an inspiration to filmmakers young and old. Although he never worked in the animation industry, Roxlee’s independent approach to filmmaking has influenced a whole generation of younger animators, many of whom first took up courses at the Mowelfund Film Institute in the 80s and 90s. Some of these animators are now stalwarts in the industry. Roxlee also has a modest but keen international following, mostly in Western Europe, Japan and Singapore. Maybe computers and 3D animation software may have made Roxlee’s animation antiquated and old school, but he has proven that anyone can be an animator, as long as he has pen, paper, ink, interesting ideas, and the will to get it done. Roxlee is also onto oil painting and currently finished book entitled “Cesar Asar in the Planet of the Noses,” a collection of his cartoons and short stories.

1989 - "Spit/Optik" Premieres in Berlinale Forum Section with 8 other RP short films 1990 - Selection of Roxlee films in "No-Budget Film Festival" in Hamburg, Germany 1990 - Retrospective at Hamburg, Germany 1992 - Roxlee retrospective at Image Forum (Tokyo's Premier Experimental Film Art House) 1992 to 1993 - Fellowship Grant at Tokyo, Japan 1994 - Roxlee retrospective at 18th Hong Kong International Film Festival 1995 - Roxlee retrospective at Animagination, First Filipino Animation Festival, CCP 2004 - Exhibition of over 50 Cartoon Paintings at Singapore International Film Festival 2009 - "Green Rocking Chair" at Rotterdam and Singapore International Film Festival 2008 - Filipino participant at Busan Bienalle Art Festival 2011- A Twist of the Past for the Present + Heat Studies - University of the Philippines Film Center 2012- Along with other Filipino artists at Sharjah Bienalle

1983 - Tronong Puti(White Throne) - shorts 1984 - Tatlong 'A'(Three A's) - animation 1984 - The Great Smoke - animation 1984 - Tao at Kambing (Man and Goat) - animation 1985 - Inserts - animation 1985 - ABCD - animation 1987 - Lizard, or How to Perform in Front of a Reptile - experimental 1987 - Ink - animation 1987 - Juan Gapang (Johnny Crawl) - experimental 1987 - Prayle (Friars) 1988 - Juan Tunog - experimental 1989 - Juan Toga - shorts 1989 - Pencil 1989 - Spit/Optik - animation 1989 - Moron's 1989 - Moron's Monolog - experimental 1990 - Mix 1 & 2 - experimental 1993 - Tito's Wedding - shorts 1993 - Harajuko - experimental 1999 - Cesar Asar - full length film 2000 - Juan Gulay - shorts 2001 - Nose 2001 - Tronong Puti 2 - shorts 2003 - Haus of Sing - experimental 2004 - Two Birds Hit with one Big Stone - experimental 2005 - Batumbuhay (Live Rock) - documentary 2005 - Romeo Must Rock - documentary 2005 - Ghost of Rocker Janis - experimental shorts 2006 - Left Turn (Juan Kaliwa) - animation 2006 - 35 MM Man - experimental 2006 - La Pula (Red Chief) - shorts 2007 - Musika Dong - documentary 2007 - Bahay Kubo on Wheels - documentary 2008 - Monkey and the Turtle - animation 2008 - Green Rocking Chair (Juan Baybayin Story) - creative documentary

1982 to 1985 - Annually won at Experimental Cinema of the Phils. (ECP) 1986 - Honorable Mention - Experimental Short Film - Kelibia Short Film Festival, Tunisia 1987 to 1992 - Annually won at Gawad CCP (Cultural Center of the Phils.' Short Film Contest) 1988 - Best Student Film - Film Academy of the Philippines 1987 - "Juan Gapang" - Best Experimental Short Film - Gawad Urian Awards 2006 - Daluyan Awardee (progressive leaders and pioneers in the independent film community in the Philippines) - Philippine Independent Filmmakers' Multi-purpose Cooperative (IFC) and Robinsons Galleria Movieworld 2008 - a Tribute at .MOV Digital Film Festival 2010 - Lifetime Achievement Award - Animahenasyon - Animation Council of the Philippines Incorporated (ACPI)

1978 to 1980 - Cartoonist for Jingle Magazine 1995 to 1997 - Cartoonist for 1st Yamagata International Film Festival 1980 to 2000 - comic strip contributor ("Cesar Asar") at Manila Bulletin 2001 to 2004 - Executive Committee Member of National Committee on Cinema - NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts)