Roque Federizon Lee, known professionally as Roxlee, is a Filipino animator, filmmaker, cartoonist, and painter. Considered by many to be the godfather of young Filipino filmmakers, Roxlee is best known for creating Cesar Asar with his brother, Monlee.
Lee began as a cartoonist, first contributing cartoons to Jingle Magazine. Shortly after, he created the comic strip Cesar Asar for Manila Bulletin in collaboration with his brother, Monlee, from 1980 to 2000. Lee is one of the founding members of Animagination, which has now evolved into Animahenasyon and Sinekalye, a group of filmmakers taking films and music into the street. His surreal humor, edgy approach, and originality have been praised by many critics. In the 1980s, his works were done in super-8 film, divided between hand-drawn works like The Great Smoke and pixelated live-action pieces like Juan Gapang. Although he has not worked in the animation industry, Roxlee’s independent approach to filmmaking has influenced a generation of younger animators, many of whom took up courses at the Mowelfund Film Institute in the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, he has amassed a cult following in places like Western Europe, Japan, and Singapore. Lee is also into oil painting and has currently finished a book titled Cesar Asar in the Planet of the Noses, a collection of his cartoons and short stories. In 2020, for his pioneering work in alternative cinema and animation, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from FAMAS, the Philippines' oldest award giving body.
Major works and exhibitions
1989 - "Spit/Optik" Premieres in Berlinale Forum Section with 8 other RP short films 1990 - Selection of Roxlee films in "No-Budget Film Festival" in Hamburg, Germany 1990 - Retrospective in Hamburg, Germany 1992 - Roxlee retrospective at Image Forum (Tokyo's Premier Experimental Film Art House) 1992 to 1993 - Fellowship Grant in Tokyo, Japan 1994 - Roxlee retrospective at 18th Hong Kong International Film Festival 1995 - Roxlee retrospective at Animagination, First Filipino Animation Festival, CCP 2004 - Exhibition of over 50 Cartoon Paintings at Singapore International Film Festival 2009 - "Green Rocking Chair" in Rotterdam and Singapore International Film Festival 2008 - Filipino participant at Busan Bienalle Art Festival 2011 - A Twist of the Past for the Present + Heat Studies - University of the Philippines Film Center 2012- Along with other Filipino artists at Sharjah Bienalle 2019 - RETROX (Roxlee Retrospective) - UPFI Film Center 2019 - Kaliskis (Oil Painting Exhibition) - Mono 8 Gallery
Organizational affiliations and positions
1978 to 1980 - Cartoonist for Jingle Magazine
1995 to 1997 - Cartoonist for 1st Yamagata International Film Festival
1980 to 2000 - comic strip contributor ("Cesar Asar") at Manila Bulletin
2001 to 2004 - Executive Committee Member of National Committee on Cinema - NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts)
Honors and awards
1982 to 1985 - Annually won at Experimental Cinema of the Phils. (ECP) 1986 - Honorable Mention - Experimental Short Film - Kelibia Short Film Festival, Tunisia 1987 to 1992 - Annually won at Gawad CCP (Cultural Center of the Phils.' Short Film Contest) 1988 - Best Student Film - Film Academy of the Philippines 1987 - "Juan Gapang" - Best Experimental Short Film - Gawad Urian Awards 2006 - Daluyan Awardee (progressive leaders and pioneers in the independent film community in the Philippines) - Philippine Independent Filmmakers' Multi-Purpose Cooperative (IFC) and Robinsons Galleria Movieworld 2008 - a Tribute at .MOV Digital Film Festival 2010 - Lifetime Achievement Award - Animahenasyon - Animation Council of the Philippines Incorporated (ACPI) 2016 - "Manila Scream" (with Blair Camillo and Bob Macabenta ) - Juror's Award for Short Film - Metro Manila Film Festival 2020 - Lifetime Achievement Award for Alternative Cinema- FAMAS