Joselito Altarejos


Joselito Altarejos is a Filipino filmmaker having won several awards in the Philippines as well as internationally. He is known for gay-themed film features like The Man in the Lighthouse, Antonio's Secret, Kambyo, The Game of Juan's Life, Pink Halo-Halo, Unfriend, The Commitment. His 2017 film Tale of the Lost Boys was filmed in Taiwan.

Career

Unfriend premiered at the Panorama Section of the 2014 Berlinale and got international and local media attention for highlighting the "dangerous power of social media". Unfriend has been featured by major news organizations like Reuters, Huffington Post, ABS CBN and Philippine Daily Inquirer. It was released internationally by Fortissimo Films.
In 2017, Altarejos released Tale of the Lost Boys, his first international feature, shot and produced in Taiwan. It is a story of friendship between a straight Filipino man and a gay Taiwanese aborigine who both have issues regarding their identities. It has been screened at several international festivals, including Rainbow Reel Tokyo, New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, Taiwan International [Queer Film Festival] among others. In 2018, Altarejos made a comeback to Sinag Maynila International Film Festival in the Philippines with the film.
Altarejos has also worked for television doing series and anthologies for Philippines top networks GMA and TV5. Using the names Jay Altarejos and Jay Altajeros, he has directed a number of television series, notably the youth-oriented POSH and the long-running 98-episode TV series Legacy on the GMA Network.
The Revolution Knows No Gender, directed and written by Altarejos, was set to release at an independent film festival in Manila in February 2020. The film was disqualified for deviating from a previously approved script and removed from the festival. Altarejos alleged that the decision to not screen his film was politically motivated censorship.

Awards and nominations

Wins

  • 2010 Festival de la Luna, the Valencia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival: Won "Best Film" for Antonio's Secret.
  • 2010 6th Cinemalaya [Independent Film Festival|Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival]: Won "Best Edit" for Pink Halo-Halo.
  • 2014 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival: Winner for "Best Film - Director's Showcase" During the festival, it also won the "Cinematography" - Director's Showcase" category, "Production Design" - Director's Showcase" and "Original Music" - Director's Showcase"
  • 2015 Gawad Tanglaw: Jury Prize for Best Film
  • 2016 Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival: Winner for "Best Screenplay" for his film in T.P.O..
  • 2017 Serile Filmului International Film Festival: Winner for "Best Film" for Tale of the Lost Boys
  • 2018 Sinag Maynila International Film Festival: Winner for "Best Film" for Tale of the Lost Boys. During the festival, it also won "Best Screenplay" and "Best Editing".

Nominations

  • 2008 Philippines FAP Awards: Nominated for "Best Production Design"
  • 2008 Philippines Golden Screen Awards: Nominated for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama, Musical or Comedy"
  • 2010 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival: Nominated for "Best Film - Directors Showcase"
  • 2010 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival: Winner of Special Jury Prize: Films for Children for Pink Halo-Halo)
  • 2014 Berlin International Film Festival: Nominated for "Best Film for "Unfriend" that premiered at the Panorama Section of the Berlinale)

Filmography

Director

;Films and features
;TV series

Producer

  • 2007: Ang Lalake sa Parola
  • 2008: Ang Lihim ni Antonio
  • 2008: Kambyo
  • 2010: Pink Halo-Halo
  • 2010: Laruang Lalake
  • 2013: Unfriend
  • 2014: Kasal
  • 2016: ''T.P.O.''

Writer

  • 2007: Ang Lalake sa Parola
  • 2008: Ang Lihim ni Antonio
  • 2008: Kambyo
  • 2009: Ang laro ng buhay ni Juan
  • 2010: Pink Halo-Halo
  • 2014: Kasal
  • 2016: T.P.O.
  • 2016: ''Death by Gokkun''