Roxlee | |
---|---|
Born | Roque Lee August 16, 1950 |
Nationality | Filipino |
Alma mater | Naga Elementary School, Ateneo de Naga University, National University, Mowelfund Film Institute |
Occupation(s) | Experimental Filmmaker and animator, cartoonist, painter, musician[1] |
Organization(s) | Animagination, Sinekalye, Baybayin Prod. |
Notable work | Green Rocking Chair (2006), Juan Baybayin (2007), and Manila Scream (2016) |
Roque Federizon Lee (Roxlee) is a Filipino animator, filmmaker, cartoonist, and painter.[1] Considered by many to be the godfather of young Filipino filmmakers, Roxlee is best known for creating Cesar Asar with his brother, Monlee.[citation needed]
Lee began as a cartoonist, first contributing cartoons to Jingle Magazine. Shortly after, he created the comic strip Cesar Asar for Manila Bulletin in collaboration with his brother, Monlee, from 1980 to 2000. Lee is one of the founding members of Animagination, which evolved into Animahenasyon and Sinekalye, a group of filmmakers taking films and music into the street. His surreal humor, edgy approach, and originality have been praised by many critics.[citation needed]
In the 1980s, his works were done in super-8 film, divided between hand-drawn works like The Great Smoke and pixelated live-action pieces like Juan Gapang. Although he has not worked in the animation industry, Roxlee’s independent approach to filmmaking has influenced a generation of younger animators, many of whom took up courses at the Mowelfund Film Institute in the 1980s and 1990s.[citation needed] Additionally, he has amassed a cult following in places like Western Europe, Japan, and Singapore.[citation needed]
Lee is also into oil painting and wrote the book Cesar Asar in the Planet of the Noses (2008), a collection of his cartoons and short stories.[2][3] In 2020, for his pioneering work in alternative cinema and animation, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from FAMAS, the Philippines' oldest award giving body.[4]