KL Carpio

Biography

KL Carpio (b. 1994) is a Filipino filmmaker, activist, and critic whose practice spans writing, directing, production, costume design, sound, editing, and producing. His works are rooted in real accounts and guided by a clear moral stance on exploitation, often centering conflict survivors, indigenous peoples, and the Philippines’ National Living Treasures. Carpio began as a film critic for NoInk, ABS-CBN Publishing’s now-defunct digital newsstand, where he honed a sharp sense of storytelling ethics before shifting into filmmaking. His early short, Wakas (2016), became a touchstone for Texture: A Foster Visual Media House, establishing him as a director committed to bold, socially driven narratives while also working as a writer, production designer, wardrobe master, and camera operator. His first works—Fins (2015), If You Dance With Him (2016), and Baon (2019)—shaped his reputation for short-form experimentation rooted in lived experience. Slang/Along (2019), an iFlix Original, marked his first foray into producing and writing for web series, blending youth narratives with his offbeat undertones. As a production and costume designer, Carpio’s signature appeared in Almusal (2020) and Microplastics (2023). The latter, a flagship of QCinema, drew praise for its ambitious art direction and ecological critique. In the mainstream, Carpio worked as the Production Office Coordinator on Erik Matti’s On the Job: The Missing 8 (2022), the MMFF entry Rabid (2021), and Nobody (2021). He also contributed to A Girl and A Guy (2021), one of the rare pandemic-era Philippine releases to turn a profit in theaters. Later, it premiered globally on Netflix, where it held the #1 spot for weeks. His directing credits grew with Open Mik! (2023) and Dear Yuna (2024), featuring Liza Soberano in a tender, culturally resonant story that merged his activist roots with commercial reach. His upcoming A Cold Cut or the Unbearable Echoes of Yearning (2027) expands his auteur vision into long-form storytelling. Beyond independent practice, Carpio worked at Reality MM Studios under Erik Matti and Ronald Monteverde as Head of New Media and Public Relations while also serving as Copywriter. There, he helped mount a rare pandemic retrospective of Hong Sang-soo’s complete filmography with GMovies and Globe Studios, and contributed to the release campaigns of Nobody, The Croods: A New Age, NBCUniversal titles, and local films under broker deals—bridging grassroots programming with global industry logistics. Carpio’s works have screened at Cinemalaya, Gawad Alternatibo, QCinema, Cinema Rehiyon, Pelikultura, Japan Cuts, SXSW, Nowness, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, and the MMFF Short Film Category. Across 17 verified credits archived by the NCCA, CCP, ASC, FDCP, QCFDC, UNESCO Clubs, and other cultural institutions, KL Carpio demonstrates unusual breadth: activist-documentarist roots, indie grassroots work, art department mastery, programming and distribution expertise, and industry discipline. This range positions him as one of the few Filipino filmmakers able to cross between independent storytelling and mainstream productions without losing his ethical compass.