Seán Devlin 叶 世民
Writer / Director / Producer / Comedian
A Filipino-Canadian filmmaker and Juno-nominated comedian. His sophomore feature, ASOG, was EP'd by Adam McKay and Alan Cumming. It was selected for Cannes Docs-in-Progress, Tribeca Festival, SXSW Sydney, BFI London, Warsaw, Goa and São Paulo. The New York Times praised the film for “irreverently mixing genres and tones to create something proudly original - with humor, rage and imagination.” Time Magazine described it as “a remarkable victory of society’s poorest over entrenched corporate interests,” highlighting its focus on residents of Sicogon Island displaced following a post-typhoon land grab perpetrated by Ayala Land. Following the film’s festival run, the company paid $7 million in reparations to 784 displaced families. The film has effectively been banned in the Philippines, prompting Rolling Stone to describe it as “The Biggest Movie The Philippines Has Never Seen.” In 2025, Sean was named to the TOFA list of “The Most Influential Filipinos in the World”
Sean served as Consulting Producer on the Oscar-nominated BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM, winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. His debut stand-up album, AIRPORTS. ANIMALS, was released by Arts & Crafts. His performances at Just For Laughs Northwest and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival have been broadcast on CBC. He is an alum of the Rotterdam Producers Lab. His debut feature received the Emerging Canadian Director Prize at VIFF 37, presented by the Directors Guild of Canada. While still in film school he was hired by Zach Galifianakis as a segment director and editor on the comedian's first special LOOK WHO IT ISN'T (2005)
Work
ASOG (2025) - Feature Film
ASOG was presented as a work-in-progress at Cannes in the "Docs-in-Progress" programme. An Official Selection at Tribeca, SXSW Sydney, BFI London, Goa, Warsaw and Sao Paulo.
“A remarkable victory of society’s poorest over entrenched corporate interests... a black comedy, the film features residents of Sicogon Island, some 6,000 of whom were subjected to a poststorm land grab perpetrated by Ayala Land Inc. to build a luxury resort. Following Asog’s success on the festival circuit, Ayala eventually started listening to residents’ demands and paid $7 million (CAD) in reparations to 784 displaced families.”
- TIME Magazine
“Defies all labels, irreverently mixing genres and tones to create something proudly original... All the characters are real people who play themselves, but Devlin crafts a fable-like film, with animated interludes, slapstick comedy, flamboyant agitprop and many other flourishes that allow the subjects to tell their stories on their own terms — with humor, rage and imagination. ”
- The New York Times
Winner of a 12 international jury prizes for direction, writing and actiong including: The VIFF Audience Award (Spectrum), and the 2026 SIMA Grand Jury Catalyst prize in recognition of its impact campaign.
AIRPORTS. ANIMALS. (2021) - Comedy Album
*Nominated for the 2022 Juno Prize for "Comedy Album of the Year". Released by Arts & Crafts.
“Devlin breaks apart Western society’s racist, capitalist structure with the elegant precision of a Michelin star chef cracking open an egg... His debut ranks among the most thought-provoking and thoroughly funny comedy releases of the year.”
- PASTE MAGAZINE
WHEN THE STORM FADES (2020) - Feature Film
"Beautiful, breathtaking... hilarious" - VICE
"But the film also brings in fictional characters – a couple of well-intentioned, but ineffectual, aid workers from Canada (played by Vancouver actors/comedians Kayla Lorette and Aaron Read). Devlin immerses them in this very real tragedy, where they interact with real victims and give the audience some laughs. It sounds bonkers – but it works." - The Globe & Mail
*Winner - Emerging Canadian Director
37th Vancouver International Film Festival
*Winner - Best Director
Liverpool International Film Festival
Indian Cine Film Festival Mubai
*Winner - Best Canadian Film
Gimli International Film Festival
*Winner - Best Supporting Actress (Canadian Film)
*Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Canadian Film)
Vancouver Film Critics Circle (2018)
ShitHarperDid.com (2011 - 2015)
- Tactical Media Campaign
From 2011 to 2015 organized a diverse group of comedians, artists, filmmakers, actors, musicians and activists to create ShitHarperDid.com. The website went live two weeks before the 2011 Canadian federal election and quickly went viral, receiving over a million hits within hours of its launch. The Globe & Mail described the tactical media project as a “a stealth campaign that's been spreading like prairie wildfire.” The National Post observed that “The site drew more than 4.1 million sets of eyes in its first three days and at one point had the YouTube video most-shared in Canada.” Charlie Smith, Editor of The Georgia Straight praised the group’s work saying “Through a series of pranks and videos that would have made The Daily Show proud, they revealed the brutality of the Conservative government” SHD was a prominent part of a wider movement that bolstered an unprecedented youth voter turnout in 2015, ousting the Conservatives from power.