Ely Cruz

Movies

Utang ng Ama
Director of Photography
A 2003 Filipino comedy film starring Jinggoy Estrada, Joey Marquez, and Katya Santos.
Small Voices
Director of Photography
Melinda is a new substitute teacher at the Malawig Elementary School, located in a poor remote barrio. A young university graduate, her family expects her to look for work abroad, but in her idealism she takes on a challenging job in the provincial public school, which lacks resources and has corrupt personnel. The heavy monsoon rains and the nearby NPAs also add to her difficulties. The children are indifferent to their studies, having been affected by the hopelessness around them. Melinda tries to motivate them by capitalizing on their interest and talent in singing. She takes advantage of a funding opportunity to enter them in a choral contest. She encounters some resistance, however, from the school administration and from the parents of her students. Furthermore, the death of one of the choral group’s members at the hands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines casts a pall on their once joyful preparations. Melinda, however, constantly tries to rise above these challenges.
Bestman... 4 Better Not 4 Worse!
Director of Photography
Joey does every outlandish trick in the book to derail Billy and Grasya's wedding plans. Only to get himself harrassed by his girl, May... and into doubly outrageous trouble he finds a hell of a time to get off the hook from. He's got three days to make good on his well-laid plans that always seem to have a sick and sorry way of backfiring on him. It's when the supposed to be wedding's bestman's hare brained schemes seem to be working when fate again springs it's nastiest trick. The moment Billy finds out about Joey's schemes, he sets out to do some scheming of his own. It takes two to bungle, really!
Tatarin
Director of Photography
A ritual performed by women to invoke the gods to grant the blessing of fertility by dancing around a Balete tree that was already a century old.
In the Bosom of the Enemy
Director of Photography
It's the story of a young woman, whose husband, is arrested by the soldiers of a Japanese garrison, on the suspicion that he is a guerilla. Dizon pleads her case to the garrison's commander, who sympathizes and lets Yllana go; when the commander's wife dies and leaves their son motherless, Dizon, is hired to feed the baby from her own breast.
Lagarista
Cinematography
Gregory bikes his way through the streets of Manila and transports film reels from one theater to another giving “extra service” to its patrons. He lives with his grandfather whose dementia worries Gregory, but whose stories of local movies being friends with Rogelio dela Rosa, Carmen Rosales, Leopoldo Salcedo, and other film stars fill him with inspiration.
Always Looking for You
Director of Photography
Adventure story of 2 young professionals, Jinny, a hotel junior executive, and her husband, Brian, a commercial pilot and their daughter Niña.
Woman by the Window
Cinematography
Abandoned by his wife, Mitch finds respite from his depression by spying on beautiful new neighbor Jack; next thing you know, the pair becomes intimately acquainted. But trouble lies ahead: It seems that Jack's lover has ties to Manila's underworld, and Mitch soon finds himself in grave danger.
Where the Heart Is
Director of Photography
After separating for too long, two sisters are reunited but complications are bound to happen when bickerings of past continues. Joy, a succesful careerwoman, attempts to reconcile her parents and reconnects with her siblings.
Child of Darkness
Cinematography
Adela is a young woman who seemed to be cursed from birth. Now a teenager, she begins to show signs of strange abilities which grow stronger as she is bullied.
Istokwa
Director of Photography
Two teenage boys escape from their mothers and embark a journey that turns into a misadventure leading to self-discovery about themselves.
Impakto
Director of Photography
The young Doray takes a job as a babysitter in an old house. It is home of the doctor Sagrado with his wife and the housekeeper Melba. Soon after her arrival happened strange things and she has nightmares. She received warnings from the young Hermie and his mother. The child is a demon, a so called Impakto.
Sarah... Ang Munting Prinsesa
Cinematography
Sarah Crewe is the only daughter of the wealthy Capt. Crewe. They are based in India. However, Sarah is sent by her father to a boarding school in England. He gives her a doll named Emily and a young horse. Because of Sarah’s charm and innate kindness, she instantly earns popularity in school. She is also an excellent student and a good friend to everyone, including Becky, a maid. However on Sarah's birthday, she learns that her father gets killed in the war. Suddenly, Miss Minchin’s fondness to her turns into meanness. She takes all of Sarah’s possession and throws her out of her room to join Becky in the attic. From being a princess, Sarah turns into a maid. Despite the tragedy that happens to her Sarah, maintains her good girl disposition and keeps her positive outlook in life. But will someone save her from her miseries?
Eskapo
Cinematography
Set during the terrifying reign of Filipino despot, Marcos, two upper caste but very different strangers team up to try and survive the physical and mental torture they undergo after they are suddenly jailed. Geny is the conservative businessman while Serge is more sensitive and outgoing. Both of the young men's parents give all of their money, but the government refuses to free them. Even a mutual hunger strike fails to move their jailers. In desperation, Geny and Serge begin plotting their escape.
Pare Ko
Cinematography
A set of happy-go-lucky teenagers struggles to keep the group together as each of them faces various challenges on life, love, friendship, and family.
One and Only Star
Cinematography
Miggy is not an ordinary boy. He grows up as a learning, mentally challenged person. He becomes the center of his brother's life. A psychiatrist gives her time and attention to help Miggy. Together they face the odds and joys of bringing up Miggy in his different world.
Joey Boy Munti: 15 anyos ka sa Muntinlupa
Cinematography
A rich girl dies in childbirth, leaving the baby with her grief-stricken husband. Her parents kidnap the infant but he abducts the little boy back. Poor and jobless, the father is now faced with the responsibility of providing for his son.
Manong Gang
Director of Photography
A 1991 Filipino action film starring Bong Revilla and Dina Bonnevie.
Andrea, How Is It Like to Be a Mother?
Director of Photography
When it is time for her to give birth, Andrea, a communist insurgent seeks refuge in the city to her best friend Joyce. When Andrea's husband is reportedly killed, she temporarily leaves her son to their care. But before Andrea could return to her baby, she is arrested by the military. With no news of Andrea's whereabouts and presuming her to have been dead, the childless couple decided to keep the child and bring him to the United States. Upon returning to the country after seven years for a visit, Andrea confronts them and tries to claim his son back.
Dear Diary
Cinematography
Two teen stories in one movie. "Dear Partyline" tells the story of Badong who falls in love with a girl in a Coke commercial who happens to be the other half of their telephone party line. "Dear Killer" tells the story of Lenny and the mysterious disappearance of a girl who was considered the school's best Soprano singer.
Kapag Napagod ang Puso
Director of Photography
When a harassed movie director takes it on his wife, the battered wife is faced with how long can she take it.
Stupid Cupid
Director of Photography
An anthology film featuring the biggest tandem love teams in Philippine cinema.
Tagos ng Dugo
Director of Photography
A young Pina was traumatized when her family was murdered while she had her first menstruation. She grows up into a serial killer transforming herself to different personalities as she seduced one man at a time grossly killing them while in the act of sexual pleasure.
Huwag Mo Kaming Isumpa
Cinematography
A young man avenges his mother's fate in the hands of her philandering husband by seducing the latter's daughter from an earlier marriage.
Scorpio Nights
Cinematography
In a crowded, multi-appartment house, a young student peeps on his neighbours making love and subsequently develops a steamy affair with the neighbour's wife. The affair slowly becomes an obsession and spins out of control.
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Director of Photography
Shake, Rattle and Roll is the first of the popular series of Filipino horror movies composed of three episodes. 'Baso' talks about the adventure of three friends who performed Spirit of the Glass and discovered the tale of a tragic love triangle. 'Pridyider' revolves around a refrigerator that seemed to be "alive". 'Manananggal' is about a teenager who courts a barrio lass without his knowledge that this lass is a monster. She eventually causes chaos to his family.
'Merika
Director of Photography
A story about a Filipina immigrant nurse's struggle to survive in the United States.
Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala
Cinematography
Rebecca is born to a poor family, a young woman whose life is defined by poverty and deprivation. But of the many things she has to endure, it is the insults that other people hurl that hurt the most. Yet despite of everything, Rebecca remains ambitious and unabashed. She pledges to herself that she will one day raise herself and her family from poverty and when that time comes, she will get back at those who had oppressed them.
Bad Bananas on the Silver Screen
Director of Photography
Zany foursome Errol, Herman, Tacio, and Peewee merely geared up for a short underwater dive towards Hundred Islands when a series of miscalculations cause them to resurface on the shores of Mexico.
Pusong Uhaw
Director of Photography
Two women in a story of love, desire, passion, and jealousy. Two hearts thirsty for possession.
The Rites of May
Cinematography
During a return to his provincial home, a young man gets involved with a woman who is ultimately possessed by her sister's spirit, paving the way to revealing the painful truth about her unsolved disappearance.