Lex Bonife

Writing

Lex Bonife

Lex is a marketing practitioner, yoga instructor and a writer for film and television. His screenwriting credits include two internationally awarded Filipino independent films (Antonio's Secret and The Game in Juan's Life) and a TV show for The Filipino Channel. He is based in Manila, Philippines

Acting credits

Boy Toys poster
4.8

Laruang Lalake is a realist film that portrays the workers within the Filipino gay film industry and their personal stories - from the naughty to the gritty, from the horny to the hopeful. The film weaves the journey of ambitious probinsyano actor Samuel, Marc the idealistic film crew member who is secretly in love with Samuel and Wilredo a filmmaker on the brink of bankruptcy. And then there is also Peejay who is determined to steal a name for himeslf. As the camera grinds between naked bodies in homerotic play, its all in a day's work for eveyone living in a society that is yet to acept the Filipino gay man.

Boy Toys

2010

Antonio's Secret poster
5.7

The story about a teenage boy, Antonio, whose emerging gay sexuality alienates him from his friends and family, until his libertine uncle, Jonbert, comes to live with him and his mother.

Antonio's Secret

2008

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking poster
5.7

In the seedy underbelly of Manila, teenage runaway Zion links up with a group of queer street hustlers who lead him on a heated journey of self-discovery in the tempting and dangerous nocturnal city.

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking

2025

Tale of the Lost Boys poster
4.6

Tale of the Lost Boys is the story of the friendship between two men Alex, a Filipino mechanic, and Jerry, a Taiwanese aborigine student. The two meet randomly when Alex flees to Taipei from Manila, upon learning that his girlfriend is pregnant. A casual conversation develops into a surprising personal connection between them. Both realize that they yearn for a more intimate connection with their mothers, since Alex’s abandoned him for a new family while Jerry is afraid that his traditional parents will reject him for being gay. The two men go on a road trip and end up at Jerry’s tribe. The trip eventually makes them reconnect with their mothers and both discover a certain sense of identity and freedom.

Tale of the Lost Boys

2018

Pulupot poster
4.2

Eva, a hardworking transsexual entrepreneur, waits for the love of her life, Edgardo who is currently enmeshed in complicated relationships with a possessive gay man, a pragmatic sex worker and his OFW girlfriend. This story an upbeat testament to the simple truth that love is a choice. And sometimes the most inconvenient choice is the key to one's happiness.

Pulupot

2010

The Man in the Lighthouse poster
5.3

Mateo is a lighthouse caretaker dating a teacher Suzette. The small town they are in is trying to increase tourism. Jerome stumbles across Mateo and Suzette having sex, whilst he is on holiday from Manila. A local a gay man, who pays local teenage boys for sex, talks to Mateo about the negative aspects of being gay in the Philippines. According to local legend, a lighthouse fairy seduces desirable men who then never marry. Mateo's relationship with Jerome leads to self reevaluation

The Man in the Lighthouse

2007

Little Boy Big Boy poster
4.0

"Little Boy Big Boy" tells the story of a carefree graphic artist named Raymund and how he is filled with doubt as he is suddenly faced with the responsibility of looking after his seven-year-old nephew Zach. But while taking care of Zach, Raymund finds himself in the middle of building a relationship with his new lover Tim where he teaches him the value of acceptance and self-respect.

Little Boy Big Boy

2009

Showboyz poster
4.2

The manager of a failing gay bar and his macho dancer boyfriend are having relationship troubles as their business collapses around them. But things turn around when a provincial young man arrives looking for a childhood friend and becomes a part of their lives.

Showboyz

2009

T.P.O.: Temporary Protection Order poster
4.8

Miguel is an abusive husband to Teresa, a former town-beauty queen. They have an eight-year old son, JR. Their small family lives with Miguel’s parents. The family is shattered by the vicious cycle of domestic abuse. After a night of beating, Teresa, goaded by a friend, seeks TPO (Temporary Protection Order) from the court. TPO is a legal remedy that a woman can avail of under Republic Act 9262 (Violence Against Women and Children Law) to protect her and her child against anyone harming them. Teresa is granted the TPO against Miguel. But in this legal tug-of-war of familial rights, their son ,JR, is ignored. Until, he shows aggression in school.But Miguel’s parents coax Miguel to file for Child Custody.

T.P.O.: Temporary Protection Order

2016

The Game of Juan's Life poster
4.3

The Game of Juan’s Life explores two hours in the life of Juan Reyes, a live-sex performer at an underground gay bar, who has decided to leave Manila and go back to his home province. On the day of his departure, he will take us with him as he makes life decisions, big and small. The most important one of all is leaving the impoverished place he called home for the past year, capping it with emotional goodbyes to his lover, Noel. Then, he will lead us to the underground bar for his last performance, and an event that will cause him to question his resolve.

The Game of Juan's Life

2009

Behind the camera

Lonely Connections poster
NR

The protagonist and his boyfriend Marco have a steady relationship, but when he meets Joaquin at the same time, he develops an unexpected connection.

Lonely Connections

2023

Antonio's Secret poster
5.7

The story about a teenage boy, Antonio, whose emerging gay sexuality alienates him from his friends and family, until his libertine uncle, Jonbert, comes to live with him and his mother.

Antonio's Secret

2008

Pulupot poster
4.2

Eva, a hardworking transsexual entrepreneur, waits for the love of her life, Edgardo who is currently enmeshed in complicated relationships with a possessive gay man, a pragmatic sex worker and his OFW girlfriend. This story an upbeat testament to the simple truth that love is a choice. And sometimes the most inconvenient choice is the key to one's happiness.

Pulupot

2010

The Man in the Lighthouse poster
5.3

Mateo is a lighthouse caretaker dating a teacher Suzette. The small town they are in is trying to increase tourism. Jerome stumbles across Mateo and Suzette having sex, whilst he is on holiday from Manila. A local a gay man, who pays local teenage boys for sex, talks to Mateo about the negative aspects of being gay in the Philippines. According to local legend, a lighthouse fairy seduces desirable men who then never marry. Mateo's relationship with Jerome leads to self reevaluation

The Man in the Lighthouse

2007

Kape Barako poster
4.7

Rico owns the struggling coffee shop Kape Barako. The shop only has one regular customer, aside from a lady who orders nothing but ice water and leeches off their Internet connection. As a result, Rico is having trouble paying off his mortgage. He now has just two weeks to raise 120,000 pesos to keep the bank from foreclosing on the property. He tries a variety of things to raise the cash, even going as far as considering selling his body. Luckily, one of his baristas Jek accidentally stumbles on a solution to the shop’s problems. A prank goes wrong and a special ingredient ends up making their coffee a real hit among a certain section of their clientele.

Kape Barako

2011

The Escort poster
4.7

A story of a pragmatic escort who unexpectedly falls in love to one of his potential client.

The Escort

2011

The Escort poster
4.7

A story of a pragmatic escort who unexpectedly falls in love to one of his potential client.

The Escort

2011

Memories of Forgetting poster
3.0

Two men who have an unacknowledged relationship five years ago meet each other during the pandemic. Will they finally have a happy ending or a mother’s love get in the way to protect her son?

Memories of Forgetting

2021

The Game of Juan's Life poster
4.3

The Game of Juan’s Life explores two hours in the life of Juan Reyes, a live-sex performer at an underground gay bar, who has decided to leave Manila and go back to his home province. On the day of his departure, he will take us with him as he makes life decisions, big and small. The most important one of all is leaving the impoverished place he called home for the past year, capping it with emotional goodbyes to his lover, Noel. Then, he will lead us to the underground bar for his last performance, and an event that will cause him to question his resolve.

The Game of Juan's Life

2009