Miguel Pamintuan De Leon, also known as Mike De Leon, is a renowned Filipino film director, cinematographer, scriptwriter, and film producer, born in Manila on May 24, 1947, to Manuel De Leon and Imelda Pamintuan.
His fascination with filmmaking began when he pursued a master's degree in Art History at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
De Leon first ventured into filmmaking by creating two short films: 'Sa Bisperas' in 1972 and 'Monologo' (Monologue) in 1975.
In 1975, he co-founded the Cinema Artists Philippines and produced Lino Brocka's 'Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag', while also serving as the film's cinematographer, earning him the best cinematography award from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (Famas) for his work on the film.
De Leon's films are a reflection of the Filipino psyche, exploring themes of social class, political absurdities, and fragmentation in various forms.
His debut full-length feature film, 'Itim' (Black),released in 1976, delves into the complexities of guilt and violence, showcasing De Leon's mastery of cinematic elements in projecting mood and character.
The film received critical acclaim, earning De Leon the best director award at the 1978 Asian Film Festival in Sydney, Australia, and was later voted one of the Ten Outstanding Films of the Decade: 1970-1979 by the Philippine's Urian Awards.
In 1977, De Leon created 'Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising', a tribute to his grandmother, Dona Sisang, to celebrate the family's film company, LVN Pictures.
Known for his experimentation with different directing styles, De Leon pioneered the new musical in 'Kakabakaba Ka Ba?,' which won him the Urian award for best director.
His other notable films include 'Kisapmata' (1981),'Batch '81' (1982),and 'Sister Stella L.' (1984),which tackled social and political issues with powerful and disturbing imagery.
In 1985, De Leon released the blockbuster film 'Hindi Nahahati ang Langit,' an adaptation of an earlier Filipino Komiks version of the same title.
In 1987, he created 'Bilanggo sa Dilim,' a full-length video commissioned by Sony Entertainment, which explored themes such as incest, fraternity violence, and the Filipino workers' cause.
These films, along with 'Kisapmata,' 'Batch '81,' and 'Sister Stella L.,' became cinematic masterpieces in Philippine film history and were later listed as the Philippines's Ten Outstanding Films of the Decade: 1980-1989 by the Philippines (FAP),where De Leon also won a best screenplay award for 'Sister Stella L.'
De Leon continued to push boundaries in his work, winning best director and best screenplay in the Philippines's Urian Awards in 1984 for 'Kisapmata' and 'Batch '81,' which were presented during the Directors' Fortnight at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.
The film 'Sister Stella L.' was an entry during the 1985 Venice Film Festival.
In 1988, De Leon pioneered the use of computer graphics animation for the TV advertising industry.
In 1993, his film 'Aliwan Paradise' became part of the Southern Winds, a collection of four films from Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Japan, commissioned by the NHK and Japan Foundation.
