Vahn Leinard Pascual

Biography: Vahn Leinard C. Pascual is a young and talented Filipino film director, writer, and actor. He was born on April 30, 2000, and studied at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Filmmaking. Pascual's passion for filmmaking started at a young age, and he has been honing his craft ever since. While he was a student, Pascual has already made more than twenty short films that have been officially selected and won numerous awards in different film festivals worldwide. He is known for his unique style and artistic approach, which often explores political and queer themes. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Pascual was awarded the prestigious Ani ng Dangal or "Harvest of Honors" for Cinema by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, an agency under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. He was also recognized as a Film Ambassador at Film Ambassador's Night by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. In 2022, Pascual was named one of CNN Philippines Life's "Eight emerging Filipino directors to watch out for.” And in 2023, Pascual represented the Philippines in the Tokyo International Film Festival's student exchange program, fully funded by the Japan Foundation. Building on his achievements, in 2024, he secured a scholarship for the Niigata International Animation Film Festival Camp in Japan. Additionally, he also became the youngest recipient of the first-ever CREATE Awards in the Audiovisual domain from the Congress, House of Representatives of the Philippines.