Filmmaker Auraeus Solito: Indigenous and proud

MANILA, Philippines – Auraeus Solito walked into the Rappler office unassumingly.

He led himself to our interns’ area and lay down his laptop bag and light blue umbrella (he would later tell us that it belongs to his mom).

If I didn’t know who he already was based on my research, I wouldn’t have known that the simple guy is actually a brilliant filmmaker lauded the world over.

Solito is an independent filmmaker who reaped mainstream success with Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros in 2005.

His film, Busong, started going around the world in 2011, representing the Philippines in international festivals alongside other great independent Filipino filmmakers.

To date, Busong has received the following awards and citations:

• Grand Prize, Merata Mita Award – National Geographic All Roads Film Festival
• Artistic Achievement Award & Terroir of Cinema Award – Santa Rosa International Film Festival 
• FIPRESCI (International Critic’s Prize) Award – Eurasia Film Festival
• Cinema Of Tomorrow Award – Brussels Indepenedent Internationl Film Festival
• Official selection – Cannes Directors’ Fortnight
• Best Director, Best Sound, Best Score – Cinemalaya Film Festival 

Watch my interview with Aureus, the “indigenous independent filmmaker,” as he tells us about his tribe in Palawan, Busong and his next film, Baybayin:

Baybayin will premiere at the Cinema One Originals film festival on November 29 at the EDSA Shangri-La Cineplex. It will run until December 4.

In Robinsons Galleria, it will run from November 28 to December 9. – Rappler.com