Roxlee

Roque Federizon Lee, known professionally as Roxlee, is a Filipino animator, filmmaker, cartoonist, and painter. Considered by many to be the godfather of young Filipino filmmakers, Roxlee is best known for creating Cesar Asar with his brother, Monlee.

Lee began as a cartoonist, first contributing cartoons to Jingle Magazine. Shortly after, he created the comic strip Cesar Asar for Manila Bulletin in collaboration with his brother, Monlee, from 1980 to 2000.

Lee is one of the founding members of Animagination, which has now evolved into Animahenasyon and Sinekalye, a group of filmmakers taking films and music into the street.

His surreal humor, edgy approach, and originality have been praised by many critics. In the 1980s, his works were done in super-8 film, divided between hand-drawn works like The Great Smoke and pixelated live-action pieces like Juan Gapang. Although he has not worked in the animation industry, Roxlee’s independent approach to filmmaking has influenced a generation of younger animators, many of whom took up courses at the Mowelfund Film Institute in the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, he has amassed a cult following in places like Western Europe, Japan, and Singapore. Lee is also into oil painting and has currently finished a book titled Cesar Asar in the Planet of the Noses, a collection of his cartoons and short stories. In 2020, for his pioneering work in alternative cinema and animation, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from FAMAS, the Philippines' oldest award giving body.