An Afternoon with Filipino and Filipino-American Filmmakers
By Nickee V. de Leon/Asianjournal.com
LOS ANGELES – For film buffs, critics and aspiring filmmakers, spending a few hours with a team of Pinoy indie filmmakers from the United States and the Philippines may be an all-too-rare event.
A panel discussion on “The Pinoy Film State of Independents: A Conversation With Filipino and Filipino American Filmmakers” was held last Saturday, May 6 at the Directors Guild of America Atrium. It was here where Filipino and Filipino-American independent filmmakers gathered for an informal discussion on digital cinema and other matters relevant to indie filmmaking.
Winston Emano, Chair Emeritus of the Board of the Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm Arts) and a co-founder of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Reception at the Sundance Film Festival moderated the panel discussion.
The panel is one of the many activities of VC Filmfest 2006: The 22nd Annual Los Angeles Pacific Film Festival currently ongoing at various locations in Los Angeles: Directors Guild of America, Laemmle’s Sunset Five Theatre, National Center for the Preservation of Democracy and the Aratani/Japanese American Theatre. The festival will run from May 4-11, 2006.
Panelists included Yam Laranas, writer/cinematographer/director of “Sigaw” (The Echo) which won Best Cinematography and Visual Design for the Young Critics Circle of Manila and Best Musical Score at the Screamfest LA International Horror Film Festival; Aureaus Solito, who received acclaim for his notable film “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) with 11 international awards including the Golden Zenith Award at the Montreal World Film Festival, three awards at the Berlin International Film Festival and three awards at the Las Palmas de la Gran Canarias Film Festival in Spain; Neill De La Lllana and Ian Gamazon, co-directors of “Cavite” and recipients of the Someone To Watch Award at the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards; Multi-awarded husband and wife tandem Keith Sicat and Sari Lluch Dalena from New York; David Maquiling from New Jersey, also an Independent Spirit Nominee in 2002 and the first Filipino American director elected to the Directors Guild of America and Cindy Sison, Head of International Sales and Distribution for Unitel Pictures and General Manager of Unico Entertainment. Unitel recently acquired worldwide rights (outside North America) of “Cavite” and “The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros.”
The panel discussion centered on the questions, Why Digital EDSA? Why are indie filmmakers plotting a cinematic people’s power?
With the saturation of highly-commercialized and exorbitantly-produced films in mainstream cinema, indie filmmakers had to be, as Yam put it, “innovative and resourceful.” The revolution of digital cinema was their resort in producing films that go against the mainstream grain.
Sari, a staunch supporter of the anti-commercialist alternative cinema believes that the genre needed to adapt itself through a less costly form. “Digital cinema broke the elitist mentality of studio-approved films,” she said.
Asked what inspired them to come up with films that matter, Yam explained that it is the “lack of recognition back home” that fuels the passion of indie filmmakers like himself. He said that “the arrival of technology catapulted the industry of indie filmmaking.”
Coming from a Fil-Am perspective, David thinks that finding an audience to support their films is a meaningful moment in itself. “The support of the Fil-Am community is what drives us to take on the responsibility of telling meaningful and relevant stories,” he stated.
The panelists claimed that they are not “victims of assimilated power.” From a distributor’s point of view, Cindy said that “a good story is all you need.” She articulated how digital revolution has afforded fresh new faces on film. She takes “Cavite” as an example, of breaking from the mold. She stressed that the film’s success came from having an edge and an exotic location with only a two-man crew to get the feat done.
Neil and Ian admitted that choosing the Philippines as their location for “Cavite” gave the film its unique character. “We wanted to show something you don’t see everyday to the American audience,” the co-directors added.
Looking for investors though, can be a major hurdle. So how do our indie filmmakers adapt? Ian and Neil sold their camera after shooting to meet post-production expenses. Cindy illustrated that “Filipino filmmakers can produce a high-quality movie on a price that’s considered low budget in America.”
In producing his first film, David had to rely on funds raised by his community. His current film gained funding from investors both from the Philippines and the United States.
“Film is not as tangible as real estate and is a high-risk investment, but support from the Fil-Am community attracts investors. Exposure from media like the Asian Journal or Filipinas Magazine also helps a lot. We’re not reinventing the wheel, we are just jumping in for the ride,” he said.
Keith and Sari feel that more than the budget itself, the production value, equipment and crew make a film priceless . Recommendations and support from figures of authority in the industry are the only capital they need to make a good film.
On non-Filipino filmmakers doing Filipino stories, David thinks it’s a bit of a stretch. In terms of authenticity, it just wouldn’t be effective.
Keith felt otherwise, saying that ethnicity does not really matter. Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility is a perfect support for his claim. He believes that the filmmaker and the work should surpass all the differences.
How about a Filipino doing a Hollywood film? Yam set the record straight with Sigaw (The Echo) which is poised for a remake with Executive Producer Roy Lee (Ring, Grudge, Dark Water), transitioning from an ethnic film into a full-fledged Hollywood movie.
The filmmakers have their own dream projects in mind. Yam envisioned making biographical films on national hero Andres Bonifacio and Mama Rosa, one of the controversial comfort women of World War II. Meanwhile, Aureaus is hoping to create an epic about his Palawanese roots.
Keith, being more into “aesthetically-esoteric” films said that he just might experiment with a comedy this time while Sari wanted to explore narratives and short films.
Ian and Neil are aspiring to come up with a film that would show the more “beautiful side of the Philippines.”
The talk, though short and casual, was very inspiring and educational. Could this become an annual affair for more Pinoy indie filmmakers at the VC Filmfest? Hopefully our Filipino and Fil-Am filmmakers will have more insights and more world-class films for show and tell next year.
Included in the line-up of film screenings for VC Filmfest 2006 are Aureaus Solito’s ‘Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros’(The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) , Yam Laranas’s ‘Sigaw’ (The Echo) and Keith Sicat and Sari Lluch Dalena’s Rigodon. For tickets and screening schedules, please visit their website at www.vconline.org. (AJ)
