Jerrold Tarog

Jerrold Viacrucis Tarog (; born May 30, 1977) is a Filipino film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and composer. He is best known for directing Heneral Luna, Bliss (2017) and Goyo: The Boy General (2018). His first feature film was the independently-produced Confessional (2007), followed by Mangatyanan (2009) and Sana Dati (2013). He also directed segments for the Shake, Rattle & Roll film series.

Early life and education Jerrold Tarog was born in Manila on May 30, 1977, and grew up in Dapdap St. CERIS 1, Canlubang, Laguna. He is the only child of Jose, an Overseas Filipino Worker from Bicol, and Aurora, who hails from Leyte. Tarog learned to play the drum at age six, and the piano at age seven. He briefly attended the International Academy of Film and Television in Cebu City.

Career While a student at the UP Diliman, Tarog developed an interest in filmmaking and began taking film classes at the UP Film Center, which is located near the College of Music building. He recalled watching classic films that were directed by Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen.

2000s In 2002, he landed a job as a musical director of the film Agimat starring Bong Revilla Jr. Subsequently, he worked for independent film director Dante Mendoza to compose the score in his films Masahista (2005), Manoro (2006), Tirador and Foster Child (both in 2007).

In 2006 Tarog began his directorial debut in a short film entitled Carpool, which he also wrote and edited. The film was the first installment in what Tarog has dubbed the Camera trilogy, explaining: "It's three films wherein the protagonist in each movie has a camera, and it's about the contrast of life and truth in front of the camera and behind it. The stories of the movies are different from each other, they're not related, and they just have common plot elements." It garnered a total of five awards at the 24th Star Awards for Movies, two of which were given to TarogDigital Movie Director (shared with co-director Ruel Antipuesto) and Digital Original Movie Screenplay. In 2009 he directed the drama film Mangatyanan (also known as The Blood Trail), starring Irma Adlawan, and was the second installment in the Camera trilogy.

2010s

In 2010, Tarog directed Senior Year, a coming-of-age romantic drama film which tells the story of ten high school students during their final year in a private school in Manila. The film was partly inspired by Tarog's experience as a music student at the UP Diliman. The same year he was tapped by Regal Entertainment to direct a segment in Shake, Rattle and Roll 12, the twelfth installment in the Shake, Rattle & Roll horror anthology franchise, which marked Tarog's transition to mainstream Philippine cinema;

In 2011, Tarog directed Aswang, a remake of Peque Gallaga's 1992 horror film of the same name, which stars Lovi Poe, Paulo Avelino, and Albie Casiño among others. The same year he directed another segment in the Shake, Rattle and Roll franchise in its thirteenth sequel Shake, Rattle & Roll 13, entitled "Parola". who have also previously worked together in Aswang. The romantic drama film (the last installment in the Camera trilogy

In 2015 Tarog co-wrote, directed, edited and scored Heneral Luna, a historical biographical film which chronicled the leadership of General Antonio Luna of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War. The film was a commercial success in the Philippines, having earned nationwide (about three times its production costs). The film garnered praise for its cinematography, writing, acting and plot, as well as critical acclaim from Filipino professional critics and historians alike. It has since been regarded as the most expensive Philippine historical epic film ever made. The Philippine edition of Esquire considered Heneral Luna as Tarog's breakthrough film due to its successful run.

In 2017, Tarog wrote, directed, edited and scored Bliss, a psychological thriller film starring Iza Calzado. Tarog pitched the idea for the film right after Heneral Lunas Philippine commercial release and was accepted. It took him roughly three to four months to write the screenplay, and three weeks to score it. The film competed in Japan at the 12th Osaka Asian Film Festival from March 3 to 12, 2017, and received critical acclaim during its run. Calzado received the festival's Yakushi Pearl Award for Best Performer.

Prospective films In December 2016, Tarog announced that he and screenwriter Jade Castro had been developing a screenplay for an adaptation of Arnold Arre's The Mythology Class, to which he said that "hopefully [it] materializes". Owing to its success, he hired Arre and his wife to design the poster for his film Senior Year. The film began principal photography on January 19, 2020.

Personal life Tarog has cited Se7en, Taxi Driver, The Silence of the Lambs, and Bullets over Broadway as some of his favorite films, He credited Filipino films Crying Ladies and Tanging Yaman as influences in filmmaking, In regards to his civil status, he has said he is much more "overjoyed" staying single.

2004

2006 Also known as The Teacher

2006 Also known as Summer Heat

2006 Short filmDirectorial debut

2007 Also known as Slingshot

2007 Also known as John-John in France

2007 Directed with Ruel AntipuestoScore composed with Arodasi

2007 Spin-off short film of Confessional

2009 Also known as The Blood Trail

2010 Also sound designer

2010 Short filmAlso sound designer

2010

2010

2010 Segment: "Punerarya"

2011

2012 Short film

2012 Documentary filmAlso sound designer

2012 Edited with Vincent Sandoval

2012

2012 Composed with Carmina Cuya and Von de Guzman

2013 Also known as If OnlyProduced with Jose Mari Abacan and Daphne Chiu

2013

2014 Segment: "Ulam"Written with Zig Marasigan; edited with Ben Tolentino

2015

2015

2017 Short film

2017

2017

2018

2019

2023 Segment: “Mukbang”

2025

Awards and nominations + Awards and nominations received by TarogAward-giving bodyDate of ceremonyFilmDirectorCategoryResult Notes Young Critics Circle 2005 Masahista Brillante Mendoza Best Achievement in Aural Orchestration Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival July 29, 2007 Kadin Adolfo Alix Jr. Best Original Music Score Cinema One Originals December 1, 2007 Confessional Jerrold Tarog Best Director Shared with co-director Ruel Antipuesto Best Sound Design Received as Roger "TJ" Ladro Best Editor Received as Pats R. Ranyo Best Actor Received as David Barill Gawad Urian 2007Kaleldo Brillante Mendoza Best Music Kubrador Manoro Gawad Urian 2008Confessional Jerrold Tarog Best Director Best Screenplay Received as Ramon Ukit Best Actor Received as David Barill Best Editing Received as Pats R. Ranyo Best Sound FAMAS Award December 2, 2008Confessional Jerrold Tarog Best Screenplay Received as Ramon Ukit Best Editing Gawad Urian May 18, 2011 Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria Adolf Alix Jr. Best Music Luna Award July 10, 2011 Emir Chito S. Roño Best Editing Young Critics Circle December 6, 2011 Shake, Rattle and Roll 12: "Punerarya" Jerrold Tarog Best Film Young Critics Circle June 27, 2012 Loy Arcenas Best Achievement in Sound and Aural Orchestration Best Editing Received as Pats R. Ranyo Best Original Music Score Best Sound Received as Roger "TJ" Ladro Young Critics CircleSeptember 3, 2013 Aparisyon Vincent Sandoval Best Achievement in Editing PMPC Star Awards for Movies March 6, 2016Heneral Luna Jerrold Tarog Movie Director of the Year Movie Screenwriter of the Year Shared with co-writers Henry Francia and E.A. Rocha Movie Editor of the Year Movie Musical Scorer of the Year Gawad Urian June 22, 2016Heneral Luna Jerrold Tarog Best Director Best Editing Best Screenplay Shared with co-writers Henry Francia and E.A Rocha Best Editing Best Music Luna Award September 18, 2016Heneral Luna Jerrold Tarog Best Director Best Screenplay Shared with co-writers Henry Francia and E.A Rocha Best Editing Best Musical Scoring