Carlo Canlas Mendoza, LPS is a multi-awarded Filipino cinematographer whose work has been showcased at major international film festivals including Venice, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, Busan, San Sebastián, and Karlovy Vary. Since beginning his career in 2007, he has photographed more than a dozen feature films, collaborating with both acclaimed directors and emerging voices across Asia and the United States.
His body of work includes internationally recognized films such as GOMBURZA (Metro Manila Film Festival), JAY (Venice International Film Festival), BARBER’S TALES (Tokyo International Film Festival), BWAKAW (Philippine entry to the Academy Awards and New York Film Festival), and SHADOW BEHIND THE MOON (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival). His cinematography reflects a consistent pursuit of emotional depth, visual clarity, and human truth.
Carlo made history in the Philippines after being elevated to Hall of Fame status by both the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) and the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), placing him among the 100 Luminaries of Philippine Cinema. Across his career, he has received over 25 awards from major institutions including Gawad Urian, FAMAS, the Film Academy of the Philippines, the Young Critics Circle, and international festivals. He is also a founding member of the Lupon ng Pilipinong Sinematograpo, the Philippines’ leading guild of cinematographers, contributing to the development and recognition of the craft in the country.
He earned his MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2018, where he was a recipient of the Rachel Morrison Scholarship. His thesis film, THE CHEF (dir. Hao Zheng), won Silver at the Student Academy Awards. He was later selected for Film Independent’s Project Involve, where he received a $60,000 Panavision camera grant, and his short film LONELY BLUE NIGHT (dir. Johnson Cheng) was featured in the HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries Competition.
Following AFI, Carlo was selected for the American Society of Cinematographers Vision Mentorship Program, where he was mentored by Dave Perkal, ASC (RUNAWAYS, COWBOY BEBOP), and continues to be part of BAFTA Connect, further deepening his engagement with the global film community.
In 2025, he worked alongside Academy Award-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter (TITANIC, TRUE LIES, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER) as C-camera operator, cinematography liaison, and second unit cinematographer on the feature film THE LAST RESORT, starring Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich. His recent work also includes SISA (dir. Jun Robles Lana), which premiered at the 2025 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Carlo began his training under master cinematographer Lee Briones and was selected for the Asian Film Academy at the Busan International Film Festival in 2007, where he was mentored by Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Mohsen Makhmalbaf. In 2011, he was also selected to participate in Berlinale Talents (formerly Berlinale Talent Campus), further expanding his international training and network. He has since returned to mentor emerging filmmakers across Southeast Asia.
For Carlo, cinematography is more than craft—it is a purpose-driven form of expression. His work seeks to capture the emotional landscape of each story, using camera and light to explore the human condition. He believes in the power of visual storytelling to evoke empathy, inspire change, and reveal truth.
He currently divides his time between the United States and Southeast Asia.