Based in Manila, Philippines, Dan Villegas started as an award winning cinematographer before directing his first feature film, the coming-of-age “Mayohan (Maytime)” in 2010. It was awarded Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Music, and Best Actress in the Cinemalaya Film Festival. In 2014, Dan directed the sleeper hit, “English Only, Please,” which won him Best Director. He has since directed box-office hits for the biggest studios in the Philippines – “The Break- Up Playlist,” “How to be Yours,” and “Always Be My Maybe,” which was named one of the best Filipino films of 2016 by CNN Philippines. His 2018 hit “Exes Baggage” earned over 7 million USD worldwide. Romance drama “Walang Forever (There Is No Forever)” was in competition at the 2016 Osaka Asian Film Festival and won Best Picture at the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival. In 2014, Dan co-produced That Thing Called Tadhana (That Thing Called Meant-to-Be) with Bianca Balbuena, one of the country’s highest grossing independent films of all time. With a budget of 134,00 USD, “That Thing Called Meant to Be” grossed 8,000,0000 USD worldwide. This began Dan’s love for producing, having helped create a film that shaped the modern romance genre in the Philippines. 

In 2017, with fellow filmmaker and “That Thing Called Tadhana” director Antoinette Jadaone, he founded Project 8 Projects, a production house that caters to both mainstream and independent films alike. Dan and Antoinette first produced “Changing Partners” for Cinemaone Originals, and then followed that up with the blockbuster “Never Not Love You,” which not only garnered box office success, but also critical praise. 

Dan has since produced quite a number of films, from independents like “Lucid” (which won at the Austin Asian Film Festival), “The Hospice” the horror that bagged the Best Supporting Award at the Cinemaone Originals Film Festival and “Heaven’s Waiting,” an audience choice and Best Actor winner at the QCinema International Film Festival and The Golden Samartian at the Orenburg International Film Festival.