UP Film Institute

THEATER Personnel

Meet the team behind UPFI’s theater and extension. From curating programs to managing spaces and engaging audiences, their work extends UPFI’s reach beyond the classroom and into the wider community. Get to know the people who make these experiences possible and help create a vibrant, accessible space for film appreciation and learning.

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Napoleon U. Angat

Administrative Assistant I

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Also a member of the pioneer staff, Napoleon U. Angat has faithfully served the UP Film Center and the UP Film Institute for 38 years as Administrative Assistant I. Over time, his work has expanded to include responsibilities as Supply Officer and Disbursing Officer, earning him the UP College of Mass Communication’s Tapat sa Tungkulin Award in 2006.

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Sinag De Leon

Media Production Specialist II

Sinag is a B.A. Philippine Studies graduate of UP Diliman with double majors in Art Studies and Anthropology. She holds the position of Media Production Specialist II and has been with the UPFI Programming and Workshops team since 2018. 

Also a visual artist, Sinag has held papercut art exhibits and workshops since 1997. She is the mother of Raya Sidhi and Dakila Likha.

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Lloyd Evangelista-Marcelo

Creative Arts Specialist III

He previously served as a faculty member at the UST Senior High School and later at Far Eastern University, where he contributed to the academic and creative development of students in various fields. Building on his experience in education, he transitioned into a more specialized role as Cinematographer II at the UP Film Institute, where he further honed his technical and visual storytelling expertise.

Currently, he holds the position of Creative Arts Specialist III at UPFI. In this capacity, he plays a key role in shaping the institute’s public presence and engagement. He is responsible for conceptualizing and executing promotional strategies for various events and activities, ensuring they reach a wider audience. His work includes designing and producing publicity materials that effectively communicate the institute’s vision and offerings. In addition, he oversees and manages multiple communication platforms, maintaining a cohesive and dynamic flow of information between the institute and its stakeholders.

Beyond his institutional roles, he considers himself an urban photographer, with a keen eye for the geometric elements and textures of buildings. His photographic practice often explores the interplay of lines, patterns, light, and shadow within the built environment, revealing the visual rhythm embedded in everyday cityscapes. Equally central to his work are the people who inhabit these spaces—capturing candid moments along the busy streets of Metro Manila, he documents the movement, energy, and lived realities of urban life.

His design philosophy is deeply influenced by the principles of the Bauhaus, emphasizing clarity, functionality, and the unity of form and purpose. This influence is evident across his visual outputs, where clean compositions, structured layouts, and a disciplined use of typography and space come together to create works that are both aesthetically compelling and purpose-driven.

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Felimon Fontanilla

Administrative Aide VI

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Phillip started working at the UPFI Film Center as a Cinema Technician and technical support for various events, and then as assistant electrician. He became a permanent employee in April 2018 as Admin Aide VI (Electrician II) up to the present.

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Rey Gabato

Administrative Aide III

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Lucenio Martin L. Lauzon

Media Production Specialist III

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Lucenio Martin L. Lauzon is Media Production Specialist III for Theater and Extension division of UPFI. Employed in June 1997 several years before the former Film Center was merged with then Film and Audiovisual Communication Department of then UP College of Mass Communication to be hence known as UPFI, he has held on to his position as cinema programmer for close to 30 years. He has double undergraduate degrees, namely, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy and Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from UP College of Arts and Letters.

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Fernando G. Manalo

Creative Arts Specialist II

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Fernando Manalo began his career as an artist in 1986 and is among the pioneering staff of the UP Film Center, back when it occupied a single room in Palma Hall. Through the years and across the Center’s transfer to its current home, Ferdie has taken on a wide range of roles, including layout artist, cinematographer, videographer, and events photographer. He now serves as the Theater Operations Officer, overseeing event coordination and venue operations. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling and taking long rides on his motorcycle.

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Nawruz B. Paguidopon

Cinematographer IV

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Nawruz Paguidopon is a filmmaker and audience designer based at the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI), where he serves as Cinematographer IV and coordinates film workshops and programs. He completed his Master’s degree at the Arts University Bournemouth in the United Kingdom.

 

His work bridges creative documentary and animation, focusing on socially grounded narratives that engage with issues of identity, migration, and historical memory. At UPFI, Nawruz has led and coordinated over 40 workshops since 2018, contributing to the institute’s mission of strengthening film education and cultivating new voices in Philippine cinema. His approach emphasizes audience engagement, encouraging participants to see cinema as a shared cultural and critical space, often integrating screenings at UPFI Film Center to deepen film appreciation and discourse.




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Jericho Mari A. Pascual

Creative Arts Specialist II

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Icho currently serves as a member of the UPFI Film Center Programming team. His work revolves around film programming, screening partnerships, title bookings, and audience development.

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William N. Pedrosa

Movie Equipment Technician III

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William N. Pedrosa is an employee of the UP Film Institute and currently holds the position of Movie Equipment Technician III. He initially started working at the UPD College of Mass Communication’s radio station DZUP in 1997, and eventually became part of the UPFI Archives Team. He has received awards such as the 2017 UP CMC Natatanging Kawani Award , and the 2020 “Puso” Award (Inspirasyon at Husay Kagalingan Award). He also served as a volunteer at the UP Diliman Vaccination Center from April-December 2021.

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Brian Spencer B. Reyes

Cinematographer II

Brian Spencer B. Reyes is a Filipino fiction writer and filmmaker whose work explores character, memory, and longing. His writing moves between literary fiction and screen narratives, often centered on intimate, coming-of-age stories. An award-winning writer-director with ten years of experience in independent film and media production, he also teaches film, development communication, knowledge management, and journalism. When not writing, he practices photography as another way of studying light, story, and the quiet details of everyday life.

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Christian Sagun

Administrative Aide III

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