FilAm Creative Film Festival highlights emerging filmmakers

The festival kicked off on Nov. 3 with an opening ceremony and screenings that showcased Filipino-American cinema at Occidental College in Eagle Rock, California.

The FilAm Creative Film Festival finally came to reality. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LOS ANGELES – More than a decade in the making, the FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF) has finally become a reality, fulfilling the founders’ dream to give Filipino-Americans a platform to share their voices, experiences and stories.

The festival kicked off on Nov. 3 with an opening ceremony and screenings that showcased Filipino-American cinema at Occidental College in Eagle Rock, California. It was met with an enormous amount of support from the crowd that packed the 800-seat college auditorium.

“Occidental College Media Arts & Culture and OXY Arts have supported us in holding our festival at their beautiful venues, and we are grateful for that,” said FACFF head Jennielyn Abrot.

Fil-Am innovators in film, arts and media

“Together, we can ensure that our community is not just a footnote but a highlight in the cinematic landscape,” said FilAm Creative Executive Director Mark Labella.

Award-winning XR/metaverse creator and storyteller Michaela Ternasky-Holland said the festival is a great way “for us to build and create a genre of artwork and filmmaking that is wholly Filipino-American.”

“Mahal,” an animated film directed by Ternasky-Holland, had its West Coast premiere at the festival. Labella was excited about this, describing the film as “an incredible multimedia presentation.”

“It is also important to be specific and not simple in the stories we want to tell about our Filipino community, especially when individuals, power and perceptions of those things change all the time,” FACFF jury member Bianca Nepales said. “FACFF can emphasize Filipino culture and contribute to the narrative of Asian American history in America.”

Actress Ella Jay Basco said Fil-Ams need to address underrepresentation and start creating their own narrative. “We made the music video for my Asian anthem ‘Bubble Tea’ since I hadn’t seen a group of Asian American youngsters in a music video before,” she said.

“I just want to make sure that all of our young filmmaker’s voices are heard and that we connect with the community around us through our stories,” Basco said.

“We, Fil-Am artists, want to improve representation along with using our experiences to make beautiful works of art” Randall Kamradt, Jr., FilAm Creative co-president said.

“So, to have our own film festival can only help open audiences – all audiences – to the Filipino-American experience, as expressed in these films,” said Ted Benito, 2023 FACFF jury member and CEO of LXV Enterprises, LLC.

The FilAm Creative Film Festival was met with an enormous amount of support from the crowd that packed the 800-seat Occidental College auditorium. (Courtesy of FilAm Creative)

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Labella recalled how actor and producer Abe Pagtama, a cherished friend of FACFF, embarked on the journey of establishing a Filipino film festival in spite of numerous challenges along the way.

“His invaluable guidance and support have been instrumental in our own journey,” Labella said.

Abrot said she is grateful for the contributions of the jury. “Love working with Jury President, Yong Chavez and also Juror Lea Dizon,” she said. “They have the ability to intelligently dissect films and discuss the socio-economic layers and meanings we often miss.”

“Mark Labella, Executive Director of FilAm Creative was incredible in identifying some members of the jury and other key staff to make this happen,” she added.

Shining the spotlight on emerging talents

Abrot said the festival shone the spotlight on many talents initially not known to festival staff and supporters.

“I would not have known about Kayla Abuda Galang, the director of “When you Left Me on that Boulevard,” said Abrot, who raved about how Galang brings out the rawness of Filipino culture in her own unique style.

“If it hadn’t been for FACFF, I would not have experienced Michaela Ternasky-Holland’s ‘Mahal’ – a rich animated VR world of our mythology,” Glimmer film director Arianna Basco said.

“Some, of course, are quite moving like “Paco,” with a head-turning performance by Edward Escobal,” Benito said.

Kamradt, Jr. described .Julian Sibal and his short film, “Jake, the Failure,” as an “incredible discovery.” “It is adventurous and daring, and formally skillful,” he said.

“And of course an intimate conversation with an esteemed award-winning filmmaker, Brillante Mendoza (“Kinatay”) gives us all hope that it’s never too late – we just need to create!” Basco added.

Festival participants experience the special animated VR program of “Mahal,” directed by award-winning XR/metaverse creator and storyteller Michaela Ternasky-Holland. (Courtesy of FilAm Creative)

Limitless possibilities

“Limitless on how huge this can be! This is our first and I believe a lot of people are excited about FilAm Creative Film Festival!” Abrot said.

“For our Filipino creative community in America, these recent years have been a turning point,” said FACFF Inaugural Jury President Yong Chavez on her social media. “We have found this hard-earned confidence to take space and show the world what we can do.”

The featured screenings included: “Ang Huling Adobo,” “Bubble Tea,” “Bare-Knuckle,” “Connection,” “Glimmer,” “Homeland,” “Jake, the Failure,” “Joyrider,” “Kilig,“Love, Lola,” “Malaya,” “Packing Day,” “Paco,” “Palibut-Libot,” “Poison,” “Reality Dad,” “Sayo Na,” and “Sweet Tooth.” Meanwhile, “Every Day After,” “Mahal,” “Kinatay” and “When You Left Me on That Boulevard” were the festival’s special programs.

Among the winners are Edward Escobal for best acting in the movie “Paco,” Julian Sibal for best director and screenplay, “Palibut-Libot” for best short film, “Bubble Tea” for best music video, and “Love, Lola,” the winner of the jury award.

The sponsors included SoCal Filipinos, Mark By World, Wisdom Water, Legacy, TGM, Starlink Promotions, Hexi Los Angeles, Warner Bros. Discovery, OXY Arts, and the Media Arts and Culture Department at Occidental College, FACE, ABS-CBN, GMA Network, Bagnetchon, Zara Productions, Legacy Entertainment Production, TGM, VIP Services and Showbiz Consultants.

Go to www.facff.com for updates and to learn more about FilAm Creative Film Festival.