Mike Accion is a known cinematographer in the Philippine film industry. He did not take any courses in photography and only self-studied in how to handle the camera by experience and reviewing photography magazines and catalogues.

Films by Lamberto V. Avellana, Gregorio Fernandez, and Gerry de Leon including Anak Dalita, 1956, Badjao, 1957, Malvarosa, 1959, El Filibusterismo, 1962, Daigdig ng mga Api, 1965, and Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino, 1966 are considered classics because of Mike Accion’s lighting and camera work.

Accion is generous with his know-how and his time. He shares how he was able to achieve the special affects in the aforementioned films. In the movie, Badjao, he memorized the actors’ script because he believes he can do his work better if he can time the movement of the camera with the actors’ performance.

He was born on January 10, 1919 in Catanduanes and began as clapperboy for Director Carlos Vander Tolosa in 1939 when he joined the recently formed Sampaguita Pictures. He would not go home even after long hours of shooting and would instead stay in the studio to learn how to use the camera. He knew even then that he wanted to work as a cameraman.

His partnership with Lamberto V. Avellana started in 1948 when he was sought out by the director to be the cinematographer in his films including Anak Dalita and Walang Sugat. That latter won for Accion the best cinematography award in 1957 and Accion became a member of the Halls of Fame of both FAMAS and the Urian.

He passed away at the age of 73 on January 15, 1992

By Danny Villanueva, FAMAS souvenir book