Mark Meily

Mark took up Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines before studying film at Mowelfund in Manila and at ESEC inParis as a French Government Scholar. He has been directing TV Commercials since 1991. He also taught film at the Asia Pacific Film Institute and at the De La Salle University.

His two screenplays Bayad Luha and The Good Friday Archipelago are both Palanca-literary prize winners

Crying Ladies, his first feature film won 6 awards at the Metro Manila Film Festival including Best Picture and Best Director. The film premiered in the U.S. and has received good reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, The Village Voice, etc. It has also been shown at film festivals all over the globe. It received the NETPAC Award and the Best Director prize at the International Film Festival of Kerala ,India. His next feature film La Visa Loca garnered the Torch Award for Best Film,Best Director and Best Actor , and gave Robin Padilla his Urian Acting Award. The Film represented the Philippines at this years Fukuoka Film Festival.

Filmography
Short Films

1.“Pangako ng Bagong Simulain” (La Promesse de la Nouvelle Regime) 1987, 20 Mins. Couleur ,
Super –8 Director ,Writer
2.“Sentry” 1988,5 Mins, Couleur ,35mm, Director ,Writer
3.“Mabuhay” 1988, 5 mins, Couleur, Super 8mm- Director ,Writer
4.“Dreaming Filipinos” 1991,50 mins. Couleur, 16mm; Additional Cinematography
5.”Sugar”-2006 ,15 mins.,Director,Writer,Producer

Full-Length Feature

“La Visa Loca” 2005, 100 mins. Color, 35mm.Unitel Pictures.

“Crying Ladies” 2003 ,111 mins.Color , 35mm . Unitel Pictures

Exhibits / Group Shows

“Persistence of Vision-” An exhibit of photographs by Commercial directors and Cinematographers,Optima Digital, Manila.- Aug 5 – Sept 8 1998,

“TOAST” – Brix Gallery, 9 October- 21 October 1998

“Etre Philippin”- An exhibit of Fine Art Photographs commemorating the Centennial of Philippine Independence, Centre Culturel Jacques Franck, Brussels, Belgium, Nov. 1998

“Personal Visions”- an exhibit of Fine Art Photographs by Contemporary Filipino Photographers, Ayala Museum Gallery III, Jan.-Feb. 1999

Directed TV commercial projects for – Malaysia ,Thailand , Indonesia, Singapore, HongKong, and Philippines
Hobbies and Interest: Cooking, Photography, Kendo, Taekwondo

Languages Spoken: English, French (Niveau: Français Supérieure,DALF), Filipino, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Spanish

Professional History

Film Director – Spark Films Inc. ,2006-Present; Responsible for directing Feature Films , TV commercials, music videos ,documentaries

Film Director – Unitel Productions ,2001-2005- Responsible for directing Feature Films , TV commercials, music videos ,documentaries .

Lecturer-Asia Pacific Film Institute ,2005 – Teaches a course in Advanced Directing for film students.

Producer/Creative Consultant- ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs “Pipol” TV magazine format, 2001-2003

Electromedia Productions Inc. 1991-1998. Responsible for directing TV commercials, music videos ,and documentaries

Lecturer- Virlanie Foundation Photography Workshop, Makati. Sep1997-Feb. 1998,.Lectured street children the basics of Photography. Highlights of the programme were exhibits at the Alliance Française- Manille ,Manila Peninsula Hotel Gallery and at The Centre Culturel Jacques Franck in Brussels.

Lecturer- Communication Arts Department, De La Salle University, 1991-1994. Developed and taught a course on Cinematography for Communication Arts Students.

Producer- Image Films, 1988-1990- Responsible for the organization of shoots , logistics, and post production for Corporate Videos, and TV Commercials.

Education

Ecole Supérieure d’Etudes Cinématographiques, (ESEC)
Paris ,France 1989-1990

Centre Audio- Visuel des Langues Modernes, (CAVILAM) Vichy, France 1989

University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts- Diliman Quezon City 1984-1988

Mowelfund Film Institute , Quezon City 1986-1988

Don Bosco Technical Institute –Makati Certificate in Industrial Drafting 1984
Don Bosco Technical Institute –Makati High School 1984

Awards and Achievements

9th International Film Festival of Kerala,India 2004- Best Director, “Crying Ladies”
9th International Film Festival of Kerala,India 2004-NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film-“Crying Ladies”

53rd Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 2004- “The Good Friday Archipelago”, 1st Place Dulang Pampelikula (Screenplay)

Chairman-Directors’ Guild of the Philippines 2005-2006

Official Entry to the 2005 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Picture Category

Metro Manila Film Festival 2003- Best Director, Best Picture , “Crying Ladies”-Winner
Tanglaw Awards 2004- Best Director, Best Picture,”Crying Ladies”-Winner

Gawad Manunuri-( Urian )2003 – Best Picture ,Best Director, Best Screenplay – nominee
Film Academy of the Philippines 2003-Best Director, Best Screenplay – nominee
FAMAS 2003- Best Picture ,Best Director, Best Screenplay – nominee

51st Year Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature- 3rd Place ” Bayad Luha”
Dulang Pampelikula (Screenplay)

2002 Anvil Awards Best TVC-PR Campaign- Shell Petroleum Malampaya Project “Numbers”

2001 Catholic Mass Media Awards- Best Music Video “Heal Our Land”

2001 Philippine Advertising Congress- Bronze Award
-Nizoral ” Linggo”- TV Single Entry Pharmaceuticals
-Jollibee Everyday Specials “Camp-Out” TV Single

1996 London International Advertising Awards -Finalist
TV Public Service- Tuloy sa Don Bosco “Canned Food”

1996 Creative Guild Ad of The Year 1st Runner -up
1996 Creative Guild Ad of The Year -Best Editing
-PLDT “Nocturnal”- Film Director

15th Philippine Advertising Congress
Craftsmanship Award- Best Editing – Marlboro Tour ’96
Craftsmanship Award- Best Animation/ special Effects- Gilbey’s
“Rock”

14th Philippine Advertising Congress
Excellence Award- PLDT “Nocturnal”- Film Director
Merit Award- National Bookstore- “Haircut”- Film Director
Values Award- Don Bosco Canned Food- Film Director
Finalist for Best Cinematography – Freego Jeans “Dance”

13th Philippine Advertising Congress
Excellence Award- Selecta Teddy Tins- Film Director
Merit Award- Selecta “Classics”
Merit Award- Selecta”Chocollection”

Creative Guild Ad of the Month- December 1994
Lady’s Choice Sandwich Spread”Seesaw”-Film Director

Creative Guild Ad of the Month- March 1993
Avon Fashions “Reveal”-Film Director

Citra Pariwara -Indonesian Creative Awards
Gritz Shoes “Flower- Silver award
Kraft Cheese Singles- Bronze award
Gritz Shoes- “Skateboard”- Bronze award

French Government Scholar (Boursiér de Gouvernement Français )-1989