Elvert Bañares

Elvert Bañares is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist based in both Manila and Iloilo cities in the Philippines who usually shoots his films independently, also acting as his own cinematographer, editor, sound designer and production designer. His debut film "Banal" (Holy) is the first short film in the Philippines to win the Regional Entry Gawad CCP (Award) for independent film given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He started making underground experimental films and video art since 1993 and has moved on to direct narrative shorts and documentaries starting from 2008. He has exhibited and screened his films and artworks in more than 30 countries in Asia, The Americas, Australia, Africa and Europe. His films have been selected in more than 60 international film festivals. For TV, he did production design for "Maalaala Mo Kaya", the Philippines' longest running and most awarded TV series (ABS-CBN 2); directed a special segment for GMA 7; and worked on NCCA productions for ABC 5, NET 25 and IBC 13 television networks and many institutional clients around Asia including the Asian Development Bank, Ms. Earth, Bonifacio Global City, Star City and many LGUs. An Art Association of the Philippines winner; three-time CCP Award winner for Independent Film; recipient of the Garbo sa Bisaya Award for Film & Visual Arts at the VIVA Excon Biennale 2016; producer of two Urian Awards nominated films and two-time Urian Awards nominee given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino for his films "Pamati-i Bala Ang Akon Ihutik Nga Mga Binalaybay" and "LIkha-an: Habi ng Yakan".