‘No Pinoy’ Films from Pinoys to be Showcased at LA Film Festival
THIS month, two Filipino-American filmmakers will premiere separate feature films in this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) marking the first time in five years since a Fil-Am had their work showcased in the annual film festival, which is a qualifying festival for the Independent Spirit Awards.
Philip Flores of Hemet, Ca. and Andrew Luis of New York will make their directorial debut with The Wheeler Boys and Upstate, respectively. Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana’s movie Cavite, a thriller set in the Philippines, was the last time a Fil-Am’s work was featured in the LAFF in 2005.
The 28-year-old Flores won the first ever Netflix FIND Your Voice film competition, where his short film Touchback (which was then changed to The Wheeler Boys) was selected out of two thousand entries to be made into a feature film last year.
The Wheeler Boys is a coming-of-age movie about the relationship between two brothers dealing with social acceptance, peer pressure and sexuality. The movie is based on a short story written by fellow Stanford alum Max Doty, who shares co-writing screen credit.
Flores, a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Southern California Film School, said it’s always been his dream to make his first movie before he turns 30.
“It’s good to actually live up to that dream. It’s been nothing short of amazing,” said Flores to the Asian Journal about being chosen as the winner of the Netflix competition. “I still pinch myself when I talk to people about the process. The experience was very challenging. It pushed me creatively and as a person. This is a very personal story for me.”
“I’ve been riding a gamut of emotions,” he added. “I’ve been living with this project for four years. This was supposed to be my thesis film and to come this far and make a film in less than a year, it’s weird to release the foot from the gas pedal and let the film out in the public.”
For winning the competition, Flores’ received a prize package of more than $350,000 to produce The Wheeler Boys. The script was then treated in Film Independent’s Screenwriters Lab under the guidance of Meg LeFauve, the producer of the Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, according to Flores.
The world premiere screening is slated for June 25 at the LAFF and will also be streamed online for free at Netflix for a 24-hour duration after its first night.
The making of Andrew Luis’ movie Upstate was far different than Flores. Luis, an independent filmmaker, helped finance the film out of pocket along with co-director Katherine Nolfi. Friends and relatives also chipped in to fund the movie estimated at $50,000.
The 31-year-old Luis received a BA degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta. After graduating, he took classes at NYU Film School, where he is currently employed as a film and video technician.
For Luis, making his first feature movie was a gradual progression from the short films he wrote and produced the past nine years.
“The experience of making a feature is definitely one that makes you think if this is the right career for you,” he said. “I’ve done many shorts before but a feature is like doing 100 shorts. There was a lot of trial and error directing.”
“At the end of the day, I realized I just love making films,” he added. “When you’re doing any film, it’s like a small miracle happens, you surround yourself with good people and everyone is working together for a common cause.”
Upstate is a drama about three people trying to find an emotional connection. The story follows a young woman reconnecting with an old friend after the death of her mother.
Luis said he and Nolfi were surprised the LAFF selected Upstate.
“We’re no stranger to rejection letters,” he said. “In the beginning we were like let’s make this film and cross our fingers and see if it can make it. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that someone out there liked our film. As an artist and independent filmmaker, it’s a validation of our work.”
Upstate is set to premiere on June 21 at 7 pm at the LAFF.
No Filipinos in cast or story
“One thing that’s very interesting about these two Fil-Am filmmakers is that there is no Filipino content or Filipinos in the cast in their movies and that’s a good thing,” said Winston Emano, a partner at a Hollywood Boutique PR firm that specializes in film and a veteran of the film festival circuit. “Just because they’re Filipino, doesn’t mean that they have to tell a Filipino story. Maybe that is something they want to do as a pet project but right now, if they want to make it mainstream, they need to prove to Hollywood they can tell a story.”
Emano said it’s a good sign having two Fil-Am artists represent the Filipino community in the LAFF. The LAFF is one of the premiere film festivals in the nation where films and filmmakers receive a lot of press and most importantly, it’s a place buyers and distributors attend looking for a hit, he said.
“All I can say is the LAFF has launched a lot of careers,” he said.
When asked why there were no minorities especially Filipinos cast in his film, Flores said he wanted to stay true to his partner’s work.
“Max (screenwriting partner) is Caucasian,” explains Flores. “He wrote the short story and novel and if anything I just wanted to honor that in our collaboration but autobiographically, it’s my own and these are the characters I knew from high school.”
Flores, whose family is originally from Ilocos Sur (mom) and Quiapo, Manila (dad) said he’s developing a story about his roots in the Philippines.
Luis, whose family is from Manila, offered a different reason. He said when he was trying to cast for the film it was hard to find Filipino actors that could play the part.
“I make a conscious effort to try,” he said. “Maybe it’s different in Los Angeles but the pool of Filipino and Asian-American actors is small in New York. In an open casting call, you’ll maybe only get a handful of Asians or Filipinos. And as a director, you’re judging on performance at the end of the day. There are amazing minority actors here but when it comes down to a specific role you have to hire the most talented regardless of race.”
Next generation of Pinoy filmmakers
Let’s face it, the reality is that there is a dearth of Fil-Am directors, actors, screenwriters and producers in the mainstream film industry.
Flores and Luis are hoping to change that.
Luis believes there’s a lack of minority filmmakers because for so long, white males have predominantly dominated the TV and film industry.
“When we were younger and you went out to a movie, you rarely saw an Asian or minority lead,” said Luis. “As a person and a filmmaker coming from a culture that is non-white, we don’t see working in the movie industry as a possibility or as a goal.”
“Hopefully, that’ll change with more and more minorities especially Filipinos making movies,” he said.
Flores also believes that his generation and the following generation of Filipino-Americans are looking into film and TV as a profession.
Flores remembers watching movies when he was younger and decided in high school that he would pursue the craft.
He said there is a lack of Asian characters that are protagonists or the heroes in movies now but he thinks the studios are “open to casting” them.
He also said people need to be mindful about the process of making a film.
“To be frank, there is rarely a Fil-Am actor or actress that can finance a film,” he said. “We have to be mindful of the economics of the business. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Will Smith or someone, an Asian-American, that can help sell a film.”
Flores added that for he and Luis, having their films premiere at the LAFF, is the first step to get recognition for the greater Filipino and Asian-American community.
“I know I’m a pioneer in my family already,” said Flores. “I’m not sure about in terms of the larger Fil-Am community but I’m definitely mindful of my heritage and upbringing. And from this point on, I feel like being one of the first few Fil-Am’s to reach this level, it puts pressure on me to develop a story about us and the greater Asian-American community and minorities as well. It puts pressure on me to address that.”
“I’d like to prove that Fil-Ams are much more than doctors, lawyers and nurses, that we have creativity and stories that are worthy,” he added.
Flores’ advice to those seeking a career in the entertainment field is to never give up.
“I think you just have to believe in your talent and passion and pursue it all the way,” he said. “Don’t ever go halfway, go all the way and see it through and if you don’t make it, you don’t make it. I know a lot of people stop. They see the edge of the pool and stop. Sometimes, you got to just jump off.”
Luis’ advice for the next generation of Pinoy filmmakers is to keep practicing and shooting.
“A lot of people out there want to talk about being a filmmaker or screenwriter [but] a few are actually doing it,” he said. “You got to be a little crazy and be a dreamer and put some blinders on and just chuck forward with it. It’s very easy to talk yourself out of it.”
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
