Actor to photog: John Lloyd Cruz is Cinemalaya 2022's official portrait photographer

We may know him for his roles in front of the camera, but actor John Lloyd Cruz proves that he's indeed a jack of all trades after being announced as the official portrait photographer of this year's Cinemalaya film festival.

The independent film festival took to social media to share behind-the-scenes shots of John Lloyd taking the photographs of their 18 competing filmmakers.

"This year, sa pambihirang pagkakataon, isang aktor ang humawak ng camera para kumuha ng larawan ng mga direktor. Yes, it’s the big swap we didn’t see coming" they wrote.

Cinemalaya shared that the actor was with the directors for two days to capture portraits of them at work. His shots will be displayed in the halls of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) during the on-site opening night of Cinemalaya this August 5.

"Sino kaya sa mga filmmakers ang qinilig?! Ugh! I don’t get jealous, I can’t be jealous, I’ve never been jealous - ngayon lang!" Cinemalaya quipped.

Real Florido, the director of the Cinemalaya entry Bakit ‘Di Mo Sabihin?, also shared a shot of John Lloyd in his element while he took the filmmaker's portrait shot.

The John Lloyd Cruz taking my portrait shot for this year’s Cinemalaya. Thanks Idan!🤟🏼📸 pic.twitter.com/NfDTkBkgyk

— Real Florido (@RealFlorido) July 20, 2022

After being postponed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 18th run of the country's premier independent film festival is set to return from August 5 to 14 with the theme "Breaking Through The Noise."

For the first time in two years, guests can now watch the 11 full-length film entries and 12 short features on the big screens of CCP.

Meanwhile, the versatile actor himself is no stranger to supporting local films, as he's starred in a number of indie titles during his commercial hiatus.

His cinematography includes such as Erik Matti's Honor Thy Father and Lav Diaz' Isang Salaysay ng Karahasang Pilipino, among others.