Elvert Bañares is a film director, producer and multidisciplinary artist who shoots his films independently, acting as his own cinematographer, editor and production designer. He started making underground experimental films and video art since 1993 and has moved on to direct narrative shorts and documentaries starting from 2008 onwards.
He is a two time Urian Award nominee (given by the Maunuri, the Philippines’ longest-running Critics' Group); three time Cultural Center of the Philippines Winner for Independent Film; and, winner of 5 international awards during the pandemic years in Copenhagen, Berlin, Los Angeles and Ontario. His films and art have been selected in more 70 international film and art festivals in 30+ countries across 6 continents. In 2021, he was one of the invited guests of the 34th Tokyo International Film Festival for its Southeast Asian Conference of Filmmakers and Programmers.
His latest film "Sa Paglupad Ka Banog" is the first film in Philippine history to have been given consent by the Panay Bukidnon Elders to do a cinematic translation of portions of the indigenous Sugidanon Epics. The film had its World Premiere at the prestigious 42nd FANTASPORTO International Film Festival and its International Premiere as part of the opening day program at the Academy Award Qualifying 38th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival at the Directors Guild of America Cinema. The film is, by far, selected at the 8th Maoriland Film Festival, 21st DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, 16th Wairoa Maori Film Festival, 4th Film & Folklore Festival, 8th Festival Internacional Cine en las Montañas, 13th Festival Internacional de Cine de Santander and the 33rd São Paulo International Short Film Festival.