AllMovie

Factsheet

• Initially aimed to get established in the Filipino theater industry; played Joan of Arc at the age of 20.
• Featured in many University of Philippines' plays; formed the Barangay Theater Guild along with his future wife.
• Made his directorial debut with the film Sakay (1939), which won him great reviews from critics and journalists alike.
• The success of his first movie earned him the title The Boy Wonder of Philippine Movies.
• Won a Grand Prix Award at the Asian Film Festival for the movie Anak Dalita (1956).
• Became the first Filipino filmmaker to have his film Kandelerong Pilak (1954) screened at the Cannes International Film Festival.
• Is also the first-ever Filipino to be named National Artist for Theater and Film in 1976.
• One of his classics A Portrait Of The Artist As Filipino (1965) is his first movie to be restored in 2015.
• Has been immortalized with the release of three stamps carrying his portrait in February 2015, as a way of marking his birth centenary and celebrating the National Arts Month.