Face of the Week: Filipino filmmaker Gilb Baldoza

Known for his bold cinematic voice, Filipino filmmaker Gilb Baldoza is featured in the Japanese-organized film festival “Fathers of Circumstances” with this social absurdist film “Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos,” combining social realism with elements of magical realism in his storytelling.

“Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos” won Best Film at the 2024 Quezon City International Film Festival.

Glib is notably known for his last short film, “Girly is in Control of His Life” which won Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Cinemalaya in 2019, Best Film at the Shanghai Queer Film Festival and screened over 20 film festivals until today like the Nabunturan Independent Film Exhibition (NABIFILMEX) in Nabunturan in Mindanao where it won Best Director, Best Actor and Best Editing with Bab Baldoza and Vanette Mendoza; Interfilm Berlin International Short Film Festival in Germany, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Art House Cinema Series etc.

Other short films of Baldoza are “We Forgot About the Children” (2017) and “Aren’t We Here for Each Other” (2016).

“Fathers of Circumstances” runs from June 15 to 15, 2025 at the Red Carpet Cinema of Shangri-La Mall in Mandaluyong City.