Paris Zarcilla

Paris Zarcilla
Zarcilla at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival
Born
Philip Julian Zarcilla

July 1986[1]
Westminster, London, England
Alma materUniversity of Hertfordshire
Years active2011–present
Websitewww.pariszarcilla.com

Philip Julian Zarcilla (born July 1986), known professionally as Paris Zarcilla, is a British film director and writer. His debut feature Raging Grace (2023), the first in a trilogy, was nominated for a British Independent Film Award.

Early life

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Zarcilla was born in central London to Filipino parents who ran a cafe on Lisson Grove.[2] He studied Digital Animation at the University of Hertfordshire, graduating in 2008.[3]

Career

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During university, Zarcilla had his first filmmaking experiences shooting music videos for friends. He had his first professional gigs with commercials.[4] With Daryl Atkins,[5] Zarcilla co-founded the production company Sudden Black in 2011 and served as creative director until 2016.[6][7] He filmed the music video for Cher Lloyd's "Dub on the Track" (2011).[8] He directed Slow Magic's Feel Flows,[9] which was named Best Music Video at the 2013 London Independent Film Festival and featured in the Cannes Short Film Corner.[10]

Zarcilla's first short film Pommel (2018), about rival gymnastics brothers,[11] was nominated for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA).[12] He was commissioned to write and direct a Singaporean two-part drama The Century Egg for StarHub and worked as a second-unit director to Sally Wainwright on the Disney+ series Renegade Nell.[13] In December 2021, Zarcilla was one of six selected for the BFI Flares x BAFTA Crew programme, through which he was mentored by Tze Chun.[14]

Angered by the treatment of immigrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and uptick in anti-Asian racism, Zarcilla channeled that into making his feature directorial debut Raging Grace,[15] a gothic horror film and the first in a trilogy. The film opened at the 2023 South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas, where it won the Narrative Feature Jury Award and the Thunderbird Rising Award for Best Debut.[16][17] It went on to pick up three awards at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival[18] and was nominated for the 2023 British Independent Film Awards' (BIFA) Raindance Maverick Award.[19][20]

The second installment in the Rage trilogy, made with producer Chi Thai, will be titled Domestic and set in the British-Filipino community of 1990s London, while the third, titled Ocean On Fire, will be set in the Philippines. Once he completes the trilogy, Zarcilla intends to go in a different direction with a romantic comedy.[21]

Artistry

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On Letterboxd, Zarcilla named nine films that influenced Raging Grace: Joseph Losey's The Servant (1963), Bong Joon Ho's short Shaking Tokyo (2008), Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940), Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander (1982), Alfonso Cuarón's Roma (2018), Peter Medak's The Changeling (1980), Danny DeVito's Matilda (1996), Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows (2004), and Alejandro Amenábar's The Others (2001).[22]

In terms of writing, Zarcilla has praised the likes of Sally Wainwright, Russell T Davies and Sharon Horgan, and expressed a desire to work with Nathan Bryon, Lee Sung Jin, Craig Mazin, and Mika Watkins.[13]

Personal life

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In 2018, Zarcilla went viral on social media when he unexpectedly found a cat and her litter of four kittens in his East London flat. He ended up taking the cats in and became known online as "cat dad".[23][24]

Select filmography

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  • "Dub on the Track" (2011) – music video, Cher Lloyd
  • "Feel Flows" (2013) – music video, Slow Magic
  • Pommel (2018) – short
  • Raging Grace (2023)
  • Domestic (TBA)
  • Ocean On Fire (TBA)

References

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  1. ^ "Philip Julian Zarcilla". England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  2. ^ Zarcilla, Paris (30 November 2023). "A place beyond rage". Talk House. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  3. ^ "University of Hertfordshire alumnus wins at SXSW Film Festival". University of Hertfordshire. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  4. ^ Clapham, Phil (6 September 2024). "Desert Island Bookworm interviews filmmaker Paris Zarcilla". The Beachcomber. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. ^ Ismail, Aymann (10 June 2013). "Animal London: Sudden Black and the Camden Collective". Animal New York. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ Creevy, Eran (25 November 2013). "Paris, meet Eran". CMDN Collective. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  7. ^ "CV - Paris Zarcilla" (PDF). The Agency. April 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  8. ^ Brown, Jimmy (16 December 2011). "Cher Lloyd ft. Mic Righteous, Dot Rotten & Ghetts 'Dub On The Track' by Paris Zarcilla". Promonews. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  9. ^ MarBelle (23 May 2013). "Slow Magic: Feel Flows". Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  10. ^ Propes, Richard. ""Feel Flows" a Tremendous Music Short". The Independent Critic. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Sibling Rivalry Gets Deadly in the Gruelling World of Professional Gymnastics in Paris Zarcilla's 'Pommel'". Directors' Notes. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Pommel". BIFA • British Independent Film Awards. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b Baughan, Nikki (14 April 2023). "New Talent Focus: 'Raging Grace' director Paris Zarcilla on spotlighting Filipino stories, UK diversity". Screen International. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  14. ^ "BFI Flare x BAFTA Crew reveal 2021 industry mentors for emerging talent support programme". BAFTA. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  15. ^ "'Raging Grace' Director Paris Zarcilla Discusses Mother's Filipina Immigrant Inspiration". Resonate. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  16. ^ Debruge, Peter (14 March 2023). "'Raging Grace,' 'Angel Applicant' Top SXSW Film Festival Awards". Variety. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  17. ^ Baltar, Lé (2023-04-09). "How Paris Zarcilla confronts the British-Filipino diaspora in SXSW winner 'Raging Grace'". Rappler. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  18. ^ Vlessing, Etan (19 September 2023). "Paris Zarcilla's 'Raging Grace' Goes to Brainstorm, Music Box Films (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  19. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2 November 2023). "Jodie Comer, Paul Mescal Score Nods as 'Rye Lane,' 'Scrapper', 'All of Us Strangers' Lead British Independent Film Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  20. ^ Jones, Ellen E (26 November 2023). "'It's been the craziest moment of my life': the 2023 British independent film award nominees on risk, romance, and why UK film is on fire". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  21. ^ Geisinger, Gabriella (9 October 2023). "'Raging Grace' director Paris Zarcilla reveals plans for the third in his 'Rage' trilogy (exclusive)". Screen International. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  22. ^ Zarcilla, Paris (9 December 2023). "9 films that inspired Paris Zarcilla's Raging Grace". Letterboxd. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  23. ^ Nargeth, Ashitha (1 June 2018). "Man becomes loving 'cat dad' after finding random kittens under his bed". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  24. ^ Peters, Lucia (15 November 2018). "Twitter's "Cat Dad" Made A Calendar Of The Kittens He Found Under His Bed". Bustle. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
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