Filmmaker and visual artist Kidlat de Guia, an emerging movie director best known for his artworks and son of National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik, has died in Madrid, Spain. He was 46.

His brother Kawayan de Guia shared the family’s loss in a Facebook post Thursday.

The younger Kidlat helped his father in mounting his art pieces for a colonial art exhibition in Madrid, which began October 2021.

At the time of his death, de Guia was working on the completion of his documentary under the auspices of the Film Development Council of the Philippines ( FDCP) and the building of a cinema center in Baguio.

“I am shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Kidlat de Guia. He was a good friend for many years even before I chaired FDCP,” FDCP chairperson Liza Diño told ABS-CBN News Thursday.

“I was so pleased that FDCP was working with him to finish his 8-year-old documentary 'Rangtay Papan Idjaybangir' which was granted the CreatePHFilms Post-Production Support, as well as finding a new home for our Cinematheque Baguio, and working on the collection of his Tatay through the Philippine Film Archive.“

The younger Kidlat was also known his unique and evocative weaving of photography and other visual arts forms.

“He was as talented and as dedicated to the arts as a visual artist as his father. We had so many plans of working together, and I am devastated to lose a dear friend,“ added Diño.

The de Guia family has yet to share official details of the exact date and cause of Kidlat’s sudden passing.

In his post, his brother Kawayan paid tribute to Kidlat with these words: “To you, my brother, our brother, our friend, our partner in crime, the playful eye, the comfort zone, the bearer of good and bad news, you, my friend, you! The backbone. My love, our love, love.”