Joel Saracho
Birthday: Born in in
Deathday: Alive
Joel Saracho is a Filipino actor, writer, dramaturg, and activist.
TV Credits
Unlocked
Character: Greg
An anthology of nine different episodes dealing with queer relationships during one of the longest lock-downs in the world in Manila....
Almost Paradise
Character: Miguel Castro
A former DEA agent forced into early retirement runs a gift shop in in the Philippines. Despite his best efforts to begin a tranquil new life, he’s pulled back into a world of dangerous people and deadly situations, either through his friends in the local police department or running into people from his old life. And the problem is: he likes it....
Lyric and Beat
Character: William Guico
As she enters a prestigious conservatory, an aspiring singer joins the underdog show choir to try and make it to the nationals. But the journey to the top is steep, and she must go all out with her group to prevent her dream from fizzling out....
Simula sa Gitna
Character:
Simula sa Gitna is a comedy-drama series that follows the (after)life of souls working as custodians of Middle and guardians to newly deceased people....
Replacing Chef Chico
Character:
When a head chef falls into a coma, it's up to his devoted sous-chef to keep their Filipino fine dining restaurant from closing down....
2 Good 2 Be True
Character: Attorney
Car mechanic Eloy makes a terrible first impression on Ali, who works for a real estate magnate. But both of them are hiding their true personas....
Since I Found You
Character: Berto
Five people looking for different kinds of love—the tough boss, the reliable practicumer, the career-driven assistant, the hardworking secretary, and the humorous company driver. Failures might stop them in their search, but love finds its way....
Jhon en Martian
Character: Spielberg
Two misfits from different planets will find an unlikely love that transcends differences and distance. 223, a Martian princess, flees her planet to get herself out of an arranged marriage then lands on earth, oblivious to its inhabitants’ languages and norms. Jhon, meanwhile, is a kind and hardworking delivery guy who is sent by his boss on his last courier errand before he flies to Malaysia, where he intends to reset his life....
What We Could Be
Character: Antonio Cruz / Tonyo
Cynthia, a hopeful young woman filled with dreams and love for the people around her. Currently working as a nurse to sustain the needs of her poor but happy family, she has not given up on her greatest dream: to rebuild their family panaderia burnt to ashes in a fire incident years ago. In an unfortunate event, Cynthia is suddenly laid off from her job. This leads her to take on a new gig, a homecare nurse for a grumpy old lady. As she navigates a new job, challenges come along the way. Confus...
K-Love
Character: Uncle Carlitos
As the story unfolds, K-Love is set to take on a journey filled with growing friendships, budding romance, inevitable chaos, and life-long lessons....
Starla
Character: Mang Ambo
...
I Heart Davao
Character: Jun Ayuban
...
Saving Grace
Character:
Anna, an elementary school teacher, discovers that her student Grace is a victim of abuse. Driven by maternal instinct, Anna abducts Grace to protect her and assumes the role of a mother. As they bond amid threats from the authorities and Grace's abusive mother, Anna confronts her painful past, realizing that she needs healing as much as Grace does....
Love Beneath the Stars
Character: Father Giboy
After that kiss in the field, Dominic and Luke are now entering a new stage in their relationship. But being in a same-sex relationship in an all-boys catholic school is never meant to be easy. The pressure from their friends, their parents, and the school prove to be insurmountable obstacles for a relationship destined by the stars. Despite all that life throws at them, Dominic and Luke try to be strong and keep their love going....
Movie Credits
Tibak
Character:
The film is based on the progressive and nationalist youth organization “Kabataang Makabayan” (KM), founded in 1964. Kabataang Makabayan was led and co-founded by Prof. Jose Ma. Sison, four years before they also reestablished the Communist Party of the Philippines...
Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka
Character: Bangkero
A romantic comedy story on how to move on with heartaches and painful memories. A tale full of tears and laughter as Jaz Cruz deals with different stages of moving on....
Out of Body
Character:
Elle, a young model new to the industry, arrives to the set of her first commercial job to discover that the initial idea was scrapped. A mysterious new concept has been developed, but the crew and director keep forgetting to let her know what it is. However, after an afternoon of tight costume fittings, rough prop work, and meetings with creepy producers, Elle begins to suspect something else might be afoot....
Sex Games
Character: Shiela's Father
A rich couple often spices up their sexual relationship by doing their so-called Sex Games. But when they meet a new set of "playmates"- a conservative couple, their game becomes more challenging....
2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten
Character: Mr. Pangan
Felix is a friendless achiever in high school whose life changes after the arrival of the half-American Snyder brothers, entangling him in their dark ambitions....
Portraits of Mosquito Press
Character: Himself
The documentary about the history and struggle for Press Freedom of Mosquito Press during the dark days of Marcos dictatorship....
Bela Luna
Character: Bela's Father
When Luna, a battered wife, and Bela, an empowered artist, meet for the first time, their hearts will be freed by the people and society that chain them....
The ExorSIS
Character: Mang Ruben
The film follows Gina, who must find an exorcist after her younger sister gets possessed by a dead woman’s spirit....
Ang Duyan ng Magiting
Character:
A collection of interwoven stories about life and violence in the Philippines, following a college professor, a university chancellor, a social worker, a police chief, two students, two mothers, and a lawyer....
Tawa Na Lang Tayo
Character: Al
...
Metamorphosis
Character: Filipino Priest 2
An evil spirit that changes faces infiltrates one family placing one brother in danger while the other tries to save him....
The Baseball Player
Character:
A Moro child soldier aspires to become a baseball player amidst an all-out war....
New Queer Visions: Seeing is Believing
Character:
In a world where men hide their true love and feelings, where a mother turns a blind eye to her son's identity, and where religion dictates that a man may only lie with a woman — is everything we see truly what it seems to be? The latest release from New Queer Visions takes a look at representations of boys and men, how desires are hidden from those around them, and how self-belief conquers doubt. The short films are: Adult (2017); Hello, Stranger [Dag vreemde man] (2016); Little Potato (2017);...
Mañanita
Character: Vendor
An ex-military sniper who was honorably discharged accepts a mission that will indefinitely change her life in the attempts to make ends meet. It is a quiet character study of when your life’s purpose is stripped away, but you still pursue it, only to realise that it could kill you....
From What Is Before
Character: Father Guido
The Philippines, 1972. Mysterious things are happening in a remote barrio. Wails are heard from the forest, cows are hacked to death, a man is found bleeding to death at the crossroad and houses are burned. Ferdinand E. Marcos announces Proclamation No. 1081 putting the entire country under Martial Law....
GomBurZa
Character: Padre Francisco Campmas
A powerful and moving historical drama that tells the courageous story of three Filipino Catholic priests: Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora....
Trigger
Character:
A young soldier comes home after a siege and faces a different war....
Pride and Honor
Character:
When the people of Maratabat finally realize that their time under the corrupt politician clan of the Abubakars has to come to an end— a series of violent acts occur one after another. The people rally behind another clan –the Mahardikas – to end the violence and place a new leader in their region. Will the Mahardikas choose a path of violence or peace? Will it be for honor or will it be for pride?...
Kawalan
Character: Tatang Turing
Tomas, the old venerable mayor of the remote town of Kawalan, learns that the invading Japanese will set up a garrison there. He organizes willing members in his community to set up a hidden settlement in the middle of the forest, where they can live unaffected by the horrors of war. As a young revolutionary during the 1896 fight against Spain and then as a soldier fighting against the Americans, Tomas had witnessed the effects of violence on people and become a pacifist. Now, he must see if inh...
Trophy Wife
Character: Nong
A woman falls in love with a man, but is wronged by him and his brother. She then tries to exact revenge on him, his brother and his new lover....
My Valentine Girls
Character: Bernie (segment "BBF")
The Valentine offering starts with a loveless bespectacled author pondering over possible themes for his trilogy of love stories. He gets a ribbing from his precocious little sister for wasting too much time writing on the computer....
The Healing
Character: Swimming Coach
A community rushes to a faith healer after learning that one of them was miraculously healed from a deadly disease by the same person. They are torn apart afterwards as the healing brings them a terrible curse that wreaks harm and death....
Salvage
Character: Bong
A news team investigating rumors of aswang killings in a remote barrio are attacked by a group of soldiers, forcing them to run for their lives in the deeps of the forest, where more mystery and danger lay in wait....
Matangtubig
Character:
A story of how a violent crime disrupts a quaint rural town in Batangas. A girl’s dead body is discovered and puts the whole town on trial while the former’s companion remains missing. The ensuing media spectacle slowly exposes the town’s secrets. As they celebrate its yearly festival by the lake, an unknowing sleeping evil unravels and haunts the townsfolk....
A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery
Character: Mang Karyo
Andrés Bonifacio is celebrated as the father of the Philippines Revolution against Spanish colonial rule. This eight-hour epic examines this myth, undertaking an expedition into history through various interwoven narrative threads, held together by an exploration of the individual’s role in history....
Balota
Character: Pastor
A land-grabbing tycoon and a former sexy male actor are in a tight race for mayor in a small town. When violence erupts, Emmy, a teacher, runs into the wilderness with a ballot box, the last copy of the election result....
Tandem
Character: Elmer
In the traffic-laden streets of Metro Manila, two brothers use the chaos of the city roads as a smokescreen for their shady occupation tandem robbers on motorbike. But when a robbery goes sour, the brothers are forced to graduate from low level thieves to high profile hit men in an act that tests both their resolve and their relationship....
Macho Dancer
Character: Boy
Pol moves to Manila for better opportunities after his American lover leaves. However, he gets drawn into the gritty world of gay prostitution and sexual slavery....
Ballad of a Blind Man
Character: Claudio
Living alone as a caretaker to her ailing but overbearing dad, a demure and loving daughter unravels the secrets of her estranged mom as her dad’s grip on her life tightens....
Fruitcake
Character: Ospret's Dad
In modern-day Metro Manila, a diverse group of Filipinos faces life's lows as their destinies collide on a fateful train ride, unfolding a heartwarming and comedic tapestry of interconnected stories....
Paglipay
Character:
An Aeta from Baytan village in Zambales makes a living from cutting down and burning of trees and hunting on the foothills of Mt. Pinatubo....
Pektus
Character:
The story of a day in the lives of two men in the city -both proud, indifferent, and bound by the confines of their milieu and their choices in life- and their incidental yet preordained meeting in a one-way alley that would change their lives thereafter. Raising questions of how far people have control over what happens in their lives, the film seeks to explore circumstance versus choice, breaking points, and second chances....
Bullet Day
Character:
Diego Loyzaga and Joel Torre go head to head in this action-packed movie about a former hit man trying to live a normal life when someone from his past sees him and puts his family and friends in danger. Can he sacrifice his new life to fight for the ones he loves?...
Singing in Graveyards
Character: Joey Smith fan
Pepe, a 68-year-old impersonator of a Filipino rock legend, lives alone on the borders of reality, imagination and mysticism. One day, he is finally given the chance to open for the rock legend’s concert but he must do something neither of them has done before – write a love song....
Contestant #4
Character:
A young boy frequently visits an old man who lives alone, keeping him always in good company. One night, he chances upon the old man watching a dated clip of himself as a cross-dressing boy. This sparks within the young boy an interest to find out more about the old man's past. What he ultimately discovers aids both him and the old man towards a richer understanding of how the weight of life and identity should be carried....
Ilawod
Character:
A story of a family's breakdown in the midst of a demonic attack. Dennis, a reporter, accidentally invites the ilawod which is a water spirit into his home where it attaches to his son, Ben....
Instalado
Character:
A social science fiction set in a farming village in the not-so-distant future. Victor lives in a time when the dominant form of education is through installation, a process wherein bodies of knowledge can be installed directly into people's brains using technology owned by big corporations. However, like many others in the agricultural town of Porac, Victor cannot afford the sky-high cost of installation; which he believes is the key to escape his rural life. To raise money for installation, V...
Season of the Devil
Character: Ahas
Philippines, late 1970s. A military-controlled militia is oppressing a remote village, spreading terror both physical and psychological. The fearless young doctor Lorena who opened a clinic for the poor disappears without a trace. Her husband, activist poet Hugo Haniway, attempts to find her....
Bomba
Character: Kuya Rod
Pipo makes ends meet by taking on the toughest jobs. Life is more difficult because he’s deaf. He supports himself and his teenage lover Cyril. His irate boss is getting difficult and Ben, his childhood friend wants his daughter Cyril back. Like a bomb, Pipo’s ticking to explode, anytime soon....
Drunkaraoke
Character:
Drunken customers of a small bar end up fighting over a song in the karaoke machine....
Liway
Character: Mang Roger
The true story of a young mother who uses story-telling to protect her child from the reality of growing up in prison and the difficult life she endured....
Heaven's Waiting
Character: Tagasuri
Lisang’s soul is trapped in purgatory due to her bad behavior. Once again, her name is picked and reconsidered. Will she be able to make it this time?...
BuyBust
Character: Good Samaritan
A special forces team is sent to snuff out a drug den, but find themselves trapped inside it after being set-up and betrayed....
Signal Rock
Character:
Intoy was left to take care of his parents when his sister Vicky leaves to work overseas. Eventually, like many women in the island, Vicky married a foreigner thinking it will solve all her family’s problems. Living in a remote area, Intoy can only get in touch with his sister by scrambling atop strange rock formations on the island....
The Halt
Character: Mailman
Madmen control Manila in 2034 after massive volcanic eruptions have plunged Southeast Asia into darkness....
Feng Shui 2
Character: News Reporter
It focuses on Lester who, upon getting the cursed bagua, starts to get all the luck and prosperity he could get in his life, but with deadly consequences....
Lola Igna
Character: Mang Rene
Lola Igna is a foul-mouthed and stubborn woman who is eager to die but her neighbors are hung up on her winning "the oldest living grandmother in the world." Her long-lost great-great-grandson, Tim, is an aspiring vlogger who wants to latch on her now-famous grandma but ends up giving her a new reason to live....
Genus Pan
Character:
Three illegal miners journey back to their island after months of toiling in hellish conditions. With their hard-earned money, they traversed the sea, the mountains and the forest until they reached their destination. Or did they really reach their cursed place?...
Dama de Noche
Character:
Daisy Resurrection, an overseas Filipino worker, comes home from years of working broad, but her homecoming is unlike any other OFW story you’ve heard of....
Doors: Team B Terror
Character:
A nightmare of a basketball team during their stay at an old dormitory....
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay
Character: Chairman Boy English Resuello
A professional horror movie extra prepares for her first ever acting award nomination....
What You Did
Character: Police
Arvin and Ace, haunted by past traumas and dreams shattered by the pandemic, collide as they chase online fame, forcing them to confront buried secrets and redefine their identities....
Ghosts of Kalantiaw
Character:
Delving into figures like the pseudohistorical Kalantiaw and President Bongbong Marcos, this documentary is a deep exploration of the post-truth era....
If I Were A Voice
Character:
A gay student leader finds himself in the collective voices of an ensemble to avenge and reclaim the voice once taken from him....
Sa Oras ng Paghuhukom
Character: Ama
On the eve of an imminent apocalypse, daughter helps her father prepare for a religious event of their sect. But as the hours tick, sinister events unravel that endanger her own safety....
Metamorphosis
Character: Priest
Born with both male and female genitals, but raised like a boy by his conservative family, Adam goes through all the things prepubescent boys go through, including a fascination with strange animals he takes for pets and being smitten by a lovely girl. His bucolic world turns upside down when he gets his first menstrual period setting him off on a journey that tests the spiritual and physical limits of sexual identity and into a new world of ambiguity and desire....
Isang Himala
Character: Mr. Chua
Amid drought and famine in Cupang, a young woman named Elsa claims to have seen the Virgin Mary and been blessed with the ability to heal the sick. As people flock to witness her powers, the village becomes consumed by faith, prosperity, greed, and deceit. Is Elsa a true symbol of hope in a world desperate for salvation? “Isang Himala” is a rousing adaptation of “Himala” (1982), written by National Artist Ricky Lee....
Moneyslapper
Character: Lucy
In dreary Porac Pampanga, a young man, Daniel, abandons his motherland after winning the biggest cash prize in the history of Philippine lottery. Five years later, he is searching for home and redemption through the people that make up his past. With each visit, his story unfolds like the last digit of a winning combination....