iACADEMY’s iNDIEGENIUS, supported by Netflix: Empowering the Next Generation of Filmmakers in the Philippines
Last Saturday, the Netflix-supported iNDIGENIUS program by iACADEMY concluded and named 2 winners, Shane David and Maria Kydlee Torato who both received P500,000 production grant each – the highest available short film grant in the Philippines to date.
iNDIEGENIUS launched early this year and is the first program of its kind in the Philippines to be supported by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity. It aims to support voices in the Philippines that have strong regional perspectives by providing young filmmakers with development opportunities to strengthen concepts and to produce short narratives, animation and documentary projects. The program is designed to give young Filipino filmmakers access to resources and encourage those with regional roots and indigenous backgrounds to ensure creative inclusion and diversity.
The jurors lauded Shane David’s Muli Na Ka, Merlie for “using the coming-of-age narrative as the vehicle to address urban displacement and for effectively marrying protest art and whimsical storytelling.” The jurors also noted Maria Kydylee Torato’s Bisan Abo, Wala Bilin for its “simple and poignant portrayal of community belief and the perils of urbanization through the eyes of a child.”
Lauded actress, film director and Juror Laurice Guillen declares about the winners, “David clearly understands the milieu her story is taking place in” and for Torato, “her confidence is astounding. She can see her film clearly in her mind’s eye.”
Juror Ed Lejano, the Festival Director of QCinema as well as a board member of the Directors Guild of the Philippines (DGPI), finds David’s concept “provocative, it centers on a teenage protagonist, wrestling with an impending loss of home as she escapes to her drawings which somehow come to life.” Regarding Torato’s “folk horror… (it) tackles a timely environmental message about a mysterious affliction spreading in a small town amidst the perils of capitalism.”
One of the most successful producers in the country, Juror Bianca Balbuena, praises the winning films. “I was reminded of the purity of storytelling. Shane’s activism is unapologetically strong but it also paves the way for her intimate narrative to take its own course through the eyes of a child who has to leave her friends, her home, her crush- and during that age, those were the only things that matter. And this simplicity shows the gravity of the effects of displacement. A mere moving of address or house to an adult is shattering but (moving from) the only world the child has known, built, and has formed her identity… now that’s heartbreaking.”
Balbuena continues, “Kyd’s Bisan Abo, Wala Bilin is a simple story of a child and a tree but it transports us to a world where faith becomes the solution to people who don’t have access to medicine and that one selfish capitalistic decision can eliminate that faith and the rest of the community, like they never existed. It’s poignant and it has to be told. These two female filmmakers are proof that the future is in good hands. I would love to follow their works and career paths.”
“Both films articulate experiences of children from different marginalized communities,” says Keith Sicat, iACADEMY ViSION Creative Director and iNDIEGENIUS Program Lead.
He adds, “it is imperative to support young filmmakers with their authentic stories since they know these narratives through first-hand experience. This is the gap iACADEMY through iNDIEGENIUS is attempting to bridge. In so doing, we aim to be a part of the solution in addressing disparities in access to funding and creating equal and sustainable opportunities for a wider spectrum of creatives.”
The winners will start filming next month and are committed to finishing their films before the end of this year.
iNDIEGENIUS received around 300 applications from young and talented filmmakers all over the country. After a rigorous selection process by film directors Carl Joseph Papa, Kenneth Dagatan, Carla Pulido Ocampo, and chaired by Kristine Kintana, 20 made it to the semifinals, and 10 projects were chosen to be finalists. The 10 finalists who were selected went through a month-long workshop and mentorship conducted by today’s film giants, history-making director Martika Escobar, legendary scriptwriter Doy Del Mundo, award-winning producer Alemberg Ang, production designer Digo Rico, cinematographer Tey Clamor, editor Isla Malsi, sound designer Mikko Quizon, and actress Angeli Bayani who had a special guest in the form of Golden Globe nominee Dolly De Leon. Finally, Jurors director Laurice Guillen, director Ed
Lejano, and film producer Bianca Balbuena, awarded the grant to David and Torato.
In addition to the two grant awardees, iNDIEGENIUS also awarded three special citations: Patrick Apura received the Best Presentation award for “Ilaya”, for effectively conveying his creative vision in using animation as a medium to portray the challenges of industrialization and empowering indigenous communities. Jonar Johnson Llaneta received the Most Promising Project award for “Anyang Melino Ing Asuk”, for its brave use of allegory and LGBTQ politics to confront personal trauma and social stereotypes. Rodiell Velozo received the iNDIEGENIUS Jury Prize for “It Comes With Age”, for restraint and sensitivity in depicting family loss and the process of healing amidst the backdrop of an armed conflict.
iNDIEGENIUS has shown once again that the Philippines is home to a wealth of storytelling talent from all over the archipelago, and initiatives like this will only help to promote and encourage filmmaking in the country.
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