Gerardo de Leon, born as Gerardo Ilagan, was a medical doctor by profession but his passion for film arts led him to his prolific career as an actor and director. Notable works: Noli Me Tangere (1961), El Filibusterismo (1962), Sisa (1951), Banaue: Stairway to the Sky (1975), Dyesebel (1953), Pedro Penduko (1954), and American-financed cult horror films in the 1960s like Terror is a Man (1959), Brides of Blood (1968), and Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1969), among others He died in 1985 and was conferred the title of National Artist for Cinema in 2009, among his other prestigious accolades. He was a prolific actor, director, and producer, and was known for successfully finishing films of epic scale in terms of production design despite shoe-string budgets. He came from Daet, Camarines Norte and released his first film entitled Mahiwagang Biyolin in 1935. Manuel Conde (born Manuel Urbano) had initially used the screen name Juan Urbano in the 1930s. It showcases Conde's resourcefulness and the creativity of his co-director and co-actor Lou Salvador and his production designer Carlos 'Botong' Francisco, who was eventually conferred as a National Artist. Cited for its technical achievement, the film was also well received at the 1952 Edinburgh Film Festival. As one of the biggest names in the film industry during its golden age in the '50s, Manuel Conde was the first to bring Philippine cinema to the international stage with his epic film Genghis Khan at the 1952 Venice Film Festival.

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