UP Film Institute
LECTURERS
Aside from the current faculty members, there are renowned professionals and scholars who have been part of UPFI’s educators team. Some of the past instructors include National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera (†), award-winning writers Dr. Butch Dalisay and Jose F. Lacaba, visiting American professors Collis Davis and Jonathan Beller, director Maryo J. Delos Reyes, Lino Cayetano and Jose Javier Reyes, independent filmmakers Kidlat Tahimik, John Torres, to name a few.
Alemberg Ang
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 159 (Producing)
Glenn Barit
Mr. Barit obtained his BS Management Information Systems degree at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2012. Mr. Barit is a multi-awarded director, writer, editor, music scorer and sound designer from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. His film “Aliens Ata” (2017) won the NETPAC Jury Prize in the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2017, won Best Short Film at the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS), and Nominee for Best Short Film at the Gawad URIAN in 2018. “Aliens Ata” has screened in Kaohsiung Film Festival and SEA Shorts among others.
In 2018, Mr. Barit developed a script in National Artist Ricky Lee’s scriptwriting workshop, entitled “Cleaners” (2019), his debut full-length feature film. A story set and shot in Barit’s Catholic high school in the northern Luzon town of Tuguegarao, the film went on to win Best Film, Best Screenplay and Audience Choice Award at the QCinema International Film Festival Next Wave Section 2019, as Young Critics Circle 2020’s Best First Feature, Best Achievement in Sound and Aural Orchestration and FAMAS 2020’s Best Screenplay award, and Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020’s Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Special Citation for Ensemble Performance, Best in Production Design, and Best in Musical Score awards. The film and has since screened in Busan Int’l Film Festival, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Torino Film Festival and Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, among others.
Beyond Directing, Mr. Barit is the composer of original musical scores behind the 2025 Best Film winner, “Bloom Where You Are Planted” (feature film), “Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos” (Best Short Film, 2024 QCinema International Film Festival), “Hello Stranger” series directed by Petersen Vargas, “Judy Free” award-winning short film by Che Tagyamon, among others. Mr. Barit worked as Sound Editor for the following films “Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story” (Dir. Irene Villamor, 2018), “How She Left Me” (Dir. Joel Ruiz, 2018), “Jhon en Martian” (Series directed by Victor Villanueva, 2019) and “Hayop Ka! (You Animal!)” (Dir. Avid Liongoren 2020)
Mr. Barit’s latest short films, “Luzonensis Osteoporosis (2022)” won the NETPAC Special Jury Award and Audience Choice Award at the QCinema Int’l Film Festival in 2022, won Best Experimental Short Film at the San Diego Filipino Film Festival, 2023, and Special Citation – Asian Shorts at the Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival in 2024. The short film was Official Selection and In-Competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Fantasia Int’l Film Festival, Encounters Film Festival, Kaohsiung Film Festival, in exhibition at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and the National Gallery Singapore Painting with Light in 2025. “Huling Swimming Reunion Before Life Happens (2024)” was selected at the Singapore International Film Festival (Main Competition), Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, QCinema Int’l Film Festival and Cinema Rehiyon in 2025.
He is also an alumnus of BiFan Fantastic Film School 2020 and Talents Tokyo 2025.
COURSES TAUGHT
Introduction to Film and Video Production (Film 101) Directing (Film 158)
Ramon Bautista
Mr. Bautista holds a BA in Film and Audio-Visual Communication from the Institute (2000) and has completed several graduate level courses in MA Communication major in Film with the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippine, Diliman.
He made his first television appearance as he played various characters in Strangebrew, a comedy-reality show television series aired from 2001 to 2003. In 2012, he published his book, Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo? which was then adapted into a film with the same name the next year. In 2013, he gained popularity among Filipino netizens when he published his YouTube online relationship advice series, Tales from the Friend Zone (TFTFZ).
Mr. Bautista’s production credits include: Host and Writer of Discovery Channel’s Science of Stupid (2018); Host and Writer of MTV’s The Ramon Bautista Show (2007-2008); Host of TV5’s Sports 360 (2014-2016) and Basagan ng Bungo (2015-2016); Writer and Director of UNTV (UHF-37) and ABC-5’S program DOKYU (2004-2006); recurring appearances as a Segment Host for the cable sports show, Gameplan (2008-2009). He has also performed in TV Commercials for Emperador Light, Axe Apollo, Efficascent Oil, McDonald’s, Smartbro, Surf TV, Mitsubishi Adventure, OXFAM, and Voter’s Education Campaign. He has also directed music videos and worked as a DJ 99.5 DWRT-FM and 89.9 DWTM-FM.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 10 (Sining Sine)
Kristoffer Brugada
Mr. Brugada earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Documentary Cinema from the Tisch School for Film and Television at Tel Aviv University (TAU) in 2025. A recipient of the 2023-24 Tel Aviv University Lowy International Scholarship Fund, he was also chosen as one of the Most Outstanding Master’s Students at TAU. Mr. Brugada holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and
Audio-Visual Communication (BA FAVC) and graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, in 2000.
Mr. Brugada is an independent documentary filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, editor, creative consultant, and professional lecturer. As a documentary director and producer, he has led several TV documentary productions that have won awards from local and international award-giving bodies, including the George Foster Peabody Award, the New York Festivals, the Japan Prize, and the Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 132 (Documentary Film), Film 154 (Editing), Film 152 (Scriptwriting 2)
Edward Cabagnot
Cabagnot’s career in Philippine cinema spans over three decades beginning as Film Programmer at the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines in 1982. In 1987, he continued at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) where he served as Director of the CCP Media Arts (Film & Broadcast) Division until his retirement in 2013. His work includes the establishment of alternative cinema networks nationwide (the CCP/NCCA Lakbay Sine and the CCP SineKlab), managing the Gawad CCP Para Sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video (the longest-running independent film festival in Southeast Asia), and co-founding the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Since 2008, he has served as a jury member for numerous international film festivals including the Berlinale, the Busan International Film Festival, and the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, to name just a few.
In 2007, he was awarded an API (Asian Public Intellectuals) Fellowship Grant by the Nippon Foundation which focused on the topic “Changing Landscapes, Changing Lives: the Changing Cinemas of Southeast Asia”. In 2010, he also completed a five-week scholarship training on Film Festival Management for the Deutsche Welle in Berlin, Germany.
Cabagnot is a two-time Palanca awardee for playwriting and a prolific writer for Philippine and international publications. His latest work “Martin Heidegger’s Being & Time and Manuel Silos’ Biyaya Ng Lupa” on Philosophy and Pinoy Cinema was recently published by the University of the Philippines Press.
Currently, he is a member of the faculty at the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde -specializing in Contemporary Southeast Asian Cinema, Film Festival Management, and, of late, AI Technology in Media and the Creative/Culture Industries.
In June 2024, he was awarded the Keys to the City of Manila by its mayor and vice-mayor for his role as Key Advisor to and Festival Director of recently-held The Manila Film Festival.
His collection of 3D art and AI-assisted experimental films entitled “Reframing the Human Through the Machine (or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love AI)” was featured in a group exhibit entitled “Studies for the Future” at the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde from September 2025 to January 2026.
COURSES TAUGHT
Sine Pinoy -Intro to Philippine Cinema for Non-Film Majors; Intro to AI & The Creative Arts, Film Festival Management, Philosophy & Philippine Cinema, Film Production Management; HORRORS!: Intro to Genre Analysis; National & Transnational Cinema; Introduction to Southeast Asian Cinema
INTERESTS
Philosophy, Cinema, Film Festivals, AI, Wellness & Fitness, Creative Writing
Gershom Chua
Gershom Chua 蔡天龍 lectures on film theory and criticism, cinema studies, and media theory at the University of the Philippines Film Institute and the Department of Communication of the Ateneo de Manila University. He obtained his MA Media Studies (Film) degree from the University of the Philippines–Diliman and an AB Communication (Media Studies–Film) degree cum laude from the Ateneo de Manila University.
His research and criticism work have been published by the PELIKULA Journal of Film and Moving Image, and his book of literary translation, Tracing My Grandparents’ Pen 影寫著祖父祖母的文墨, has been awarded the 2026 Publication Grant by the National Book Development Board. His research interests include classic Filipino Cinema, diasporic Chinese cinema, the cinemas and film cultures of Cubao, Binondo, and Malabon, as well as star studies, studio studies, and postcolonial approaches to film theory and criticism.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 12 (Sine Pinoy), Film 100 (Introduction to Film), Film 171 (Film Theory and Criticism), & Film 172 (Advanced Film Theory and Criticism)
Kristina Conti is a people’s lawyer in the Philippines. Core to her work is combatting impunity and disinformation. She has a broad background in litigation and legal advocacy in situations of political persecution, in cases of political prisoners, public interest and free speech cases, and in the areas of law enforcement and prison reform, conflict resolution, and peace processes.
As secretary general of the chapter of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in the National Capital Region (NUPL-NCR), she represents and defends the interests of victims of extra-judicial killings and other rights violations. She engages with Philippine courts and, particularly regarding the “war on drugs” of the former president Rodrigo Duterte, with the International Criminal Court.
She graduated from the University of the Philippines with degrees in Journalism and Juris Doctor, and uses both degrees to improve public legal education on human rights issues.
She has been recognized as an outstanding alumna of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Media and Communication for Social Advocacy (Glory Awards 2021), as a Woman of Power (Inquirer 2025), and as one of The Outstanding Women in the Nations Service (TOWNS 2025).
COURSES TAUGHT
Laws on Communication and Media (Comm 120)
INTERESTS
media laws, media information literacy, human rights
Josalee Deinla
Melissa Dela Merced
Jedd Dumaguina
Mr. Dumaguina obtained his BA Film and Audio-Visual Communication degree at the UP Film Institute in 2008, his undergraduate thesis film “Kumot ng Panaginip” won Best Thesis Film Production and he was recipient of the Gloria Feliciano Award. His thesis film won the 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Award (Short Film Category) and the Viewer’s Choice Award in 2008, the 1st Cine Pambata Film Festival Kid’s Choice Award in 2009 and Best Animated Short Film at the Phil Digi Awards in 2009.
A distinguished Filipino filmmaker, producer and sound artist, Mr. Dumaguina is considered to be one of the most prolific and award-winning sound designer in the country, with professional credits as Lighting Designer, Cinematographer, and Editor. As an active media professional, Mr. Dumaguina is experienced in all production, editing and mixing phases of the film audio process including composing and Foley (the live recording of after the fact sound effect in sync with the picture. His practice has expanded beyond film audio processes, production editing and mixing phases into film producing.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 157 (Sound)
ABIGAEL FELIX-ESGUERRA
Avie Felix is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, curator and writer, a graduate of BA Art Studies and MA Art History, assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) teaching cinema studies and film theory, and was an instructor at the Department of Art Studies teaching critical perspectives in the arts. A collaborator of Independent Curators International (ICI), headquartered in New York, she served as curator for the Philippine Pavilion at the 15th Gwangju Biennale. In 2009, Avie founded the art school Young Artists’ Studio based in key cities in Manila, and in 2012 the curator-run space called vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery promoting emerging artists and artists-advocates. She served as Vice Head and executive council member of the National Committee on Art Galleries (NCAG) under the Sub-Commission on Cultural Heritage of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for two consecutive terms. Her diverse background spans academic, curatorial, and cultural work that include exhibit curation, workshop facilitation, speaking engagements, mentorship programs and organizational leadership. She has curated over 50 local and international exhibitions, led nation-wide projects and served as production manager for various productions. Most of her projects are arts-based advocacies forwarding a range of causes including women’s rights, human rights, autism awareness, environmental issues, climate change campaigns, children’s rights, gender equity and Filipino diasporic realities.
Her art and writing explore materials, forms and expressions of feminist identity, while her research focuses on feminist archival history. Her essays, articles and poetry are published in local magazines, journals, academic platforms and anthologies, while her creative works are exhibited in the Philippines, Asia, Canada and the US. Parts of her research on pioneering women directors from early cinema are published in Pelikula Journal, Review of Women’s Studies and Feminist Media Histories (forthcoming). She writes a column on art practices called “Alla Prima” under the Page One Group, tackling issues, success factors and multiple narratives in the art scene.
Pursuing leadership in education and sustainability in the arts, Avie is also a current candidate for the Executive Doctorate on Business Administration at the Asian Institute of Management. Her interests in management research focus on income inequality and job insecurity in creative industries, and adaptive leadership in sustainable artistic endeavors.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 178 (Queer Cinema), Film 100 (Introduction to Film), Film 103 (History of World Cinema), and Film 196 (Special Topics)
Martika Ramirez Escobar
Martika Ramirez Escobar (b. 1992, Metro Manila) is a filmmaker, visual artist and educator known for her playful short films and debut feature, Leonor Will Never Die (2022). The film premiered at Sundance where it received the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit, and was later nominated for Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards. It also won major awards at TIFF, Sitges, and several other festivals around the globe.
Martika’s work is marked by an introspective sensibility, a playful language, and a curious way of confronting personal and social realities. After graduating with honors from the University of the Philippines, where her thesis Stone Heart (2014) was recognized as the Best Thesis of her batch, she continued developing her practice through programs including Berlinale Talents, Talents Tokyo, the Asian Film Academy, the Southeast Asian Film Lab, the ASC Vision Mentorship Program, Full Circle Lab, and the Mowelfund Film Institute.
Her projects have received support from organizations such as the Hubert Bals Fund, Purin Pictures, and Eurimages, and her films have screened at more than a hundred festivals worldwide, as well as in exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution, Art Informal, and Art Fair Philippines.
In the Philippines, Martika was honored with the Parangal ng Sining by the Film Development Council of the Philippines for representing a new generation of Filipina filmmakers who have garnered praise from the international film community. In 2023, her alma mater also recognized her as the youngest Glory Awardee of the College of Mass Communication.
Alongside her filmmaking practice, Martika teaches cinematography and mentors emerging filmmakers. She is currently developing her second feature film, Daughters of the Sea, a three-part work that explores filmmaking as a map across different islands. The project has been supported by the Oxbelly Residency and La Fabrique Cinéma at Cannes Film Festival.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 153 (Cinematography), Film 158 (Directing)
Bryan Quesada
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 101 (Introduction to Film Production) and Film 154 (Editing)
Digo Ricio
Digo Ricio is an esteemed production designer and film educator who has spent over two decades shaping the visual landscape of Philippine cinema and television. Currently, he serves as a distinguished lecturer at the University of the Philippines Film Institute where he specializes in production design, process theory, and the fundamentals of cinematic design. His contributions to the industry were formally recognized in 2019 when he was awarded as a Luminary of Production Design during the Sine Sandaan centennial celebration of Philippine Cinema.
His professional journey is marked by significant tenures at major media institutions, including over a decade as a designer and director for ABS-CBN TV Production and a stint within the Viva Films talent pool. Beyond the set, Ricio is a staunch advocate for professionalizing the craft, serving as the Communications Director for the Production Design Circle of the Philippines. In this role, he works toward the standardization of best practices, ensuring a sustainable and ethical environment for the next generation of art workers.
As a visionary entrepreneur, Ricio founded Bigbulb Design Lab, a pioneering agency that bridges the gap between cinematic storytelling and corporate branding. By applying the meticulous attention to detail found in production design to commercial spaces, he creates “purposeful design” that prioritizes emotional resonance and impactful experiences. Through his work in the classroom and the studio, Ricio continues to foster a culture where design transcends mere aesthetics to tell meaningful, lasting stories.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 158 (Directing), Film 156 (Production Design)
Lyle Sacris
Lyle Nemenzo Sacris is known for his work in independent film and commercials.
One of the all-time most awarded advertising directors in the Philippines, his work is characterized by an anarchic sense of humor and precise craftsmanship. His film to promote Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker was called “the best I’ve ever seen” by producer Kathleen Kennedy.
Sacris was first recognized for making experimental films before winning awards for directing music videos.
Filipino film scholar Teddy Co has cited his film “Ang Lualhati’t Hinagpis ng Ikatlong Hintuturong Nakaririmarim sa Loob ng Hunyangong Bughaw Habang may Luntiang Pag-aaklas sa Kumunoy ng Bahaghari” as the first work of Philippine “triptych cinema.”
Recent projects include multimedia installations such as the moving image work Rebirth in 2024.
His work has been selected for exhibitions in Asia and in Europe.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 101 (Intro to Film Production), Film 133 (Experimental Film) and Film 153 (Cinematography)
Renante Saliva
A graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman with a BA in Film and Audio-Visual
Communication (1994, Best Thesis Award recipient), Renan brings 12 years of dedicated
teaching experience and a deep commitment to Philippine cinema and media education. At
UPFI, he has taught foundational and advanced courses including Film 10 (Sineng Sine): Film as
Art; Film 12 (Sine Pinoy): Philippine Cinema as Art ; Film 100: Introduction to Film; Film 101: Introduction to Film Production; Film 110: Basic Photography; and Film 112: Advanced Digital Photography. Through these courses, he has mentored generations of students in critical film study, technical craft, and the social responsibilities of media makers.
As a well-rounded media practitioner, Renan combines academic rigor with sustained practice across advertising, television, film production, photography, writing, producing, directing, and events management. His professional portfolio spans:
– Advertising: concept development and production oversight for campaign work that bridges
brand objectives with cinematic storytelling. Producing for Television, Radio, Print and Social
Media advertising content.
– Television: directing, writing, and producing for broadcast formats that demand discipline,
collaboration, and audience awareness. National and regional Television station such as GMA 7
(News & Public Affairs), TV 5, and CLTV 35 (Central Luzon, Writer/Producer – Golden Dove
Award for Best Public Affairs Show for So To Speak in 2011).
– Film production: directing, cinematography/photography, screenwriting, and producing for
short and long-form projects grounded in both artistic vision and practical craft.
– Photography: teaching and creating images that emphasize composition, light, and narrative.
regular photography workshop facilitator at UPFI.
– Events management: planning and executing cultural and media events that engage communities, corporate clients that amplify creative work.
COURSES TAUGHT
Film 100 (Introduction to Film), Film 110 (Basic Photography), and Film 112 (Advanced Photography)
INTERESTS
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SOCIALS (ACADEMICS)
SOCIALS (FILM CENTER)
SOCIALS (ARCHIVES)
Academics & Research
- College of Media & Communication Media Center, Ylanan St. UP Diliman, Quezon City
- (8)981 8500 (loc. 2670)
Theater & Extension
- UPFI Film Center, Magsaysay Ave. UP Diliman, Quezon City
- (8)981 8500 (loc. 4286)
Archives
- Ishmael Bernal Gallery, UPFI Film Center, Osmeña Ave. UP Diliman, Quezon City
- (8)981 8500 (loc. 4289)