Multi-awarded film director,
Romm Burlat was chosen by
Silliman University to be its Inspirational Guest Speaker of the Seniors Day of the Graduating Class 2020,
Burlat is an alumnus of the first American University in the Philippines. He graduated
Business Administration Management in 1983. As a student,
Direk Romm was a very active leader. He was an
Assemblyman of Silliman's Student Government. He was a member of the
SU Dance Troupe and
Campus Choristers. Likewise, he was a
news editor of the
Honors Course Gazette and
Weekly Sillimanian (
the official student publication of the university). Moreover, he was a member of the
Luce Auditorium Corps of Ushers and Usherettes. Burlat was his college representative in the inter-department oratorical contest and a member of the
Biz-Ad Cheering Team which has never been defeated for four straight years. The Biz-Ad winning cheering team consists of
Helen Araneta, Gemgem Villegas, Erwin Ramos, Lona Valdegamo and
Burlat. For the university-wide dance competition,
Burlat with
Eunice Gammad won the Grand Prize.
Direk Romm was a Class Honors and was awarded the
Outstanding Silliman Student-Talent Award in 1982.
Burlat was also President of the Zeta Phi Sigma Fraternity/Sorority in 1981.
When interviewed,
Direk Romm has been very excited from the time he read the invitation. He wants to go back to his Alma Mater, this time as a guest speaker.
It can be recalled that
Burlat recently won as
Best Director in the 16th We Care International Film Festival in New Delhi, India prompting the
Film Development Council of the Philippines to honor him in the elite circle as
Film Ambassador 2020.
To date,
Direk Romm has directed 21 films consisting of short, feature and full-length films. He has won 8 Best Director awards, 1 Best Actor award, 1 Best Supporting Actor award, 1 Best Talent Manager award, 7 international recognition including Best TV Talk Show Host. Six of his films were finalists in the international film festival. His
Beki't Ako (
an LGBTQ film) was finalist at the
ShanghaiPRIDE International Film Festival in Shanghai, China,
TQU Queer Film Festival in Berlin, Germany and
Playa del Carmen Film Festival in Mexico. His movie about a man's descent to madness,
Cuckoo, was finalist at the
Festival Internacional de Cinema da Figueira da Foz in Portugal. Three of his films namely
Balikuko,
Ama Ka Ng Anak Mo and
Sindi were finalists at the
Lift-Off Film Festival in London, England and his
Akay and
Ama Ka Ng Anak Mo were finalists at the
16th We Care International Film Festival.
In 2018,
Romm Burlat was named one of the
Outstanding Men and Women of the Philippines. Next month, he will be honored as
Philippine Faces of Success along with
Mayor Vico Sotto, Mayor Isko Moreno and some popular celebrities.
On international cruise ships,
Romm Burlat holds the record as the
first Filipino Cruise Director. He was also picked after a rigid screening as one of the Five Filipinos who was sent to Texas, USA as a
Philippine Delegate to the Rotary International. The Philippine government also chose him as one of the
Ambassadors of Goodwill to Southeast Asia and Japan via the Japanese SSEAYP program.
Direk Romm, who has appeared in the cover of two publications of
Manila Bulletin namely
Bisaya and Liwayway magazines and cover of
Showbiz Radar magazine, is filming three movies in the next three months. To wit:
And I Loved Her, a romantic comedy with
Teresa Loyzaga, Rez Cortez, Keanna Reeves, Richard Quan, Neil Perez, Faye Tangonan, Zairah Tangonan and Bidaman
Ron Macapagal. He is also scheduled to shoot a Visayan horror film entitled
Ban-Uk and a film about women empowerment,
Venus In My Mind.
Catch
Direk Romm as inspirational speaker of the Silliman University Graduating Class 2020 on March 19th at the
Luce Auditorium, Silliman University, Dumaguete City.
