(CNN) -- Feted by Sean Penn and applauded by Quentin Tarantino at Cannes, Filipino filmmaker Brilliante Mendoza appears to finally live up to his name.
Despite only directing for four years, Mendoza won the award for best director at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year for "Kinatay", beating off competition from filmmaking royalty including Tarantino himself.
After picking up the award, Tarantino wrote to Mendoza congratulating him on his award and saying his film was "bold, daring and... the whole point of making movies in the first place."
Making movies is something that the 49-year-old from San Fernando in the Philippines is relatively new to. He spent 20 years as a production designer before directing his first film in 2005, but since then he hasn't looked back and in just over four years has made another seven films.
His style of social realism has attracted as much critical acclaim as it has baffled and alienated audiences.
