Ryner Viray is a director, producer, editor, and production manager working across film, advertising, and digital media. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Film Institute, Ryner’s thesis short film Ang Luha ay Bahagi ng Karagatan (English: Tears are Part of the Ocean, 2025) examines mental health, psychosocial care, and generational trauma through a blend of transcendental cinema and psychological realism. The film has screened widely and received multiple honors and selections — Cannes World Film Festival 2025 — Winner, Best Narrative Short Film; IndieX Los Angeles International Short Film Festival 2025 — Award of Excellence (Special Jury Prize), Winner: Best Drama Short, with nominations for Best Male Director and Best Original Screenplay; Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival 2025 — Official Selection (Student Narrative Shorts); Toronto Art Film Spirit Awards 2025 — Nominee, Best Student Film; 12th Bakunawa Fantastic Film Festival (Philippines) — Official Selection, Pinoy Phantasms Section; and Hollywood Short Film Festival 2025 — Honorable Mention. Ryner has edited both long- and short-form documentaries, commercials, and social-content campaigns, and produced UP Diliman’s 100 Years of Broadcasting commemorative programs for DZUP (2022). His professional practice spans post-production, production management, and creative development for independent and commercial projects. Driven by an interest in systems of control, healing, and identity within Filipino society, Ryner makes deeply personal, politically minded films that confront shame, longing, and survival amid economic and social hierarchies. He currently works freelance while developing his next narrative short and continuing to submit work to local and international festivals.
