User Profile

THIRTY year old, six-feet four, and two-hundred twenty pound SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ was born to a family of writers and artists in Vito Cruz, Manila. The second of six kids, at 16 years old he already wrote articles and interviewed alternative and underground musicians for 1990s Filipino rock music bible, Rock & Rhythm, while studying Political Science and trying out for a basketball varsity slot at the University of the East-Recto campus. His love for films started when he was kicked out of the school's library for the rest of his tenure at his high school eventhough he was only in his sophomore year. He spent his library breaks going home instead and watching old black and white films on a local channel then switching to another channel afterwards that showed Filipino Western films.

He also switched to the lyrics of his favorite local and foreign bands as his books as he noticed that bands and artists like U2, Sting, Sinead O'Connor, Michelle Shocked, Tori Amos, Tracy Chapmann, Bob Marley, 10,000 Maniacs, and others during that time tackle more meaningful and more truthful themes than what the local media fed him. During his college years, he decided to leave school to learn more about filmmaking after watching short films done by Jon Red ("Trip") and Roxlee ("Tito's Wedding"), which a Humanities professor asked them to watch.

In 1999, he became part of the prestigious 11th Ricky Lee Scriptwriting Workshop and shortly after studied directing at the Filipino Feature Filmmaking class of Direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya in Ateneo. The year after, he further honed his craft at the 10th Cinema-As-Art Filmmaking Workshop at the Univeristy of the Philippines Film Center (UPFC) under directors Tikoy Aguiluz and Raymond Red, among others.

His first job in the movie industry was as a script reader for Viva Films in 2000 until he was given a chance towrite his first script "Alas Dose" (2000). His next assignments include writing "Kilabot at Kembot" (2002), "Bertud ng Putik" (2003), and "Prosti" (2003) and acting for "Dos Ekis" (2001). He also wrote for TV shows like "Erik Matti's Kagat ng Dilim" (2001) and "Darating Ang Umaga" (2003) and acted for kiddie shows like "Hirayamanawari" and "DetekKids". In between, he was also taken as script reader for Seiko Films (2003).

His first foray into indie filmmaking was as an actor for Jon Red's "ASTIGmatism" (2004) whom he met for an aborted project ("Balong Malalim") back in 2001. He then acted for Khavn dela Cruz's "Barong Brothers" (2004), Topel Lee's "Nak Ng!" (2004), Ato Bautista's "Sa Aking Pagkakagising Mula Sa Kamulatan" (2004), and again for Jon Red in "Boso" (2004).

Before the year 2004 ended, he was finally given a chance to direct his first two films via film grants from Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals. The result were the black comedy "Lasponggols (Last Take, Last Shot)" and the mockumentary "Ang Anak Ni Brocka (The Son of Lino Brocka)". Aside from these, he also wrote Topel Lee's Cinemanila entry "Dilim" and acted for other
indie film festivals finalists like Mike Daganalan's "Isnats," Ron Bryant's "Baryoke," and Jon Red's "Anak Ng Tinapa".

Sanchez is also an accomplished music video director. He recently won Best Director plum for last year's Awit Awards for Sugarfree's "Hari Ng Sablay". His next video, Hale's "The Day You Said Goodnight" was the most requested music video in 2005 for the MTV and MYX countdowns and is also nominated for this year's Awit Awards and Myx Music Awards. His third video Kyla's "Till They Take My Heart Away" also fared well in the charts. He was also assistant director to Bamboo's "Hallelujah" video and recently directed Shamrock's "Okey Lang" and a short film for Digital Viva, "Aksyon Star," which will be included in a compilation of 20 short films by 20 indie Filipino directors tackling about 20 years after the 1st EDSA People's Power Revolution.

He considers his stint at the actual film shoots of his filmmaker friends and mentors Erik Matti and Jon Red his best film schools. His indie stint has freed
him as an artist and has helped him in making films that, hopefully, will free others as well.

director's filmography
Director, "Aksyon Star" Imahe-Nasyon: 20 Short Films by 20 Indie Directors (2006, Digital Viva)
Screenwriter, "Metro" (2006)
Screenwriter, "Lababo" (2006)
Director, "Ang Anak Ni Brocka" (2005, Cinema One Originals)
Director, "Lasponggols" (2005, Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival)
Scriptwriter, "Dilim" (2005, Cinemanila International Film Festival)
Actor, "Isnats" (2005, Cinemalaya)
Actor, "Baryoke" (2005, Cinemalaya)
Actor, "Anak Ng Tinapa" (2005, Cinema One Originals)
Actor, "Boso" (2005, Viva Films)
Actor, "ASTIGmatism" (2004, Pelipula)
Actor, "Nak Ng!" (2004, Core 24 Productions)
Actor, "Sa Aking Pagkakagising Mula Sa Kamulatan" (2004, Une Mode)
Actor. "Barong Brothers" (2004, Filmless Films)
Scriptwriter, "Prosti" (2003, Regal Films)
Scriptwriter, "Bertud Ng Putik" (2003, Imus Productions)
Script Reader, Seiko Films (2003)
Scriptwriter/ Actor, "Kilabot at Kembot" (2002, Imus Productions)
Actor, "Dos Ekis" (2001, Viva Films)
Scriptwriter, "Alas-Dose" (2000, Viva Films)
Script Reader, Viva Films (1999)

music videos
Director, Shamrock's "Okey Lang" (2006)
Director, Hale's "Tollgate" (2006)
Director, Shuffle Union's "Just Keep Dancing" (2006)
Director, The Brockas' "Action!" (2005)
Director, The Brockas' "Olats" (2005)
Director, Kyla's "Til They Take My Heart Away" (2005)
Assistant Director, Bamboo's "Hallelujah"
Director, Hale's "The Day You Said Goodnight" (2005)
Director, Sugarfree's "Hari Ng Sablay" (2004, Awit Awards Best Music Video)
Talent, Gloc 9's "Christmas Rapper" (2004)

tv works
Scriptwriter, "Lespu" ABS-CBN (2006)
Scriptwriter, "Oha!" ABC 5 (2006)
Director/ Scriptwriter, "Persona" Cinema One (2005-2006)
Scriptwriter, "Blind Item" ABC Ch.5 (2005-2006)
Actor, "Panday" ABS-CBN Ch.2 (2006)
Talent, "Wow! Mali" ABC Ch.5 (2005)
Actor, "DetekKids" ABS-CBN Ch.2 (2003)
Actor, "Hirayamanawari" ABS-CBN Ch.2 (2003)
Scriptwriter, "Darating Ang Umaga" ABS-CBN Ch.2 (2003)
Scriptwriter, "Erik Matti's Kagat Ng Dilm" VTV-IBC 13 (2001)

advertising
In-House Director, Filipino Pictures (2005-2006)
Copywriter/ PR Writer, DDB Worldwide Communications Group (2005)
Copywriter, Reality Entertainment (2003)
Copywriter, "Tsismis" Epilepsy TV Ad (2002, Bronze Ad Congress)
Copywriter, "Kim" Epilepsy TV Ad (2002, Bronze Ad Congress)
Copywriter, "Nagagamot Ang Epilepsy" Epilepsy TV Ad (2002)
Copywriter, "Kisay" Epilepsy Radio Ad (2002)

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