Won first prize at a national art contest in Grade 6; used to draw religious pictures on the back of cigarette cartons
Rejected a high-paying job in advertising and worked as a wardrobe assistant for director Marilou Diaz-Abaya's Muro-Ami (1999)
Founded the Loyola Film Circle, a filmmaking club, at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1997
Made his directorial debut with Jay (2008) that premiered at the Venice Film Festival; won three awards, Best Film, Best Actor and Best Editing, at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival
Directed Sampaguita, National Flower (2010) that was Philippine's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2011 Oscars; won the Special Jury Prize at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival