 Magandang araw muli sa ating mga manonood. Welcome to another episode of Cine Pinoy, na yung araw isang abogado, TV host at film producer at director. Ang makakasama natin ngayon. Wala sa pagbibigay ng legal advice na libre sa television na punta siya sa pagpupreduce na mga modernong classicong pelikula gaya ng cobrador at ang babay sa septic tank. Mga kaibigan, ikinagalakong na makasama ngayong araw si Atornie Georgie Alonso. Sa makinag-aaraw. Atornie Georgie. Hello Georgie and Patrick. From producing the indie film cobrador, you eventually enter the industry with more commercial fare like English only, yung mga hit natin, here comes the bride, the long Mrs. Reyes. Yes. Wala. Hashtag walaang forever. Walaang forever. Napaka. Wala nga bang forever. Big hit wala, wala wala, tuto ba yun? Wala eh. Okay, okay. Yes, Atornie Georgie. Medyo malaking debate yun ang una why I was trying to go mainstream, the mainstream route pero sinabi ko kasi sa sarili ko. Mahirap naman puro indie ang pinuproduce tapos, more often than not, hindi naman talaga bumabalik yung pera. So we have to find a way na sana makagenerate ng income and through the process, utilize that money to fund films that you really want to make. So true enough, like when I did, here comes the bride yung kinita ko doon, part of it Finland ko sa pagproduce ng debut film ni Bing Lau, yung Biahing Lupa. Para siyang give and take. Pero yung cobrodor, ano nakuha mo doon? Bringing out cobrodor was... Yeah, cobrodor is... Deba critically acclaimed, et cetera. And it started an entire thing, right? Everything, yes. Proudly, yes. Ang hirap, ang hirap. In terms of finances, wala, hindi... Conti na lang siguro, babalik na yung puhunan, pero hindi pa rin talaga. I tried to go via the festival route, magbabay ng 200 euros, 200 euros. Pag pinagsawam mo siya, kahit pa pano, pag naipon mo na siya. Papunta naman ng pabrakevena, but it's not like it's a money making thing. Psychic rewards. Wala talaga. But I will, I have never regret making that film. I almost lost my house because sinanlako to finish the film. Ganan ako pa natin, pag wala nang pera kawawang bahay, sinasanlako yan para lang tapusin. But the joy that it brings, not only just to me, Jeffrey Bing and Gina Pereno, but really to the country, lalo na it's the first film ever na nanalo ng dalawang Fipresky Awards. I will always treasure that. Actually ang daming magandaong katindon, you mentioned some names and we'll go there in a bit, pero tama ba ako ng memory? I remember hearing you sometime around that time 2006-07 na isa to sa pinakamaraming naikot na pelikula na festival. So ilang festivals bang tinutukon na? Hindi ko na talaga na bibilang honestly, pero ang alam ko umabot na kami na almost 200. 200? So kung festivals, si Rung nagbabayat ang pabasayat, producer bayat? Dependeng yan, G, like for example the premiere that we had, the world premiere that we had in Moscow, they paid for the airfare, business class pa si Gina and Jeffrey. I had to pay for my own airfare when I went there, para lang to lend support. And then they also provided a hotel room accommodations for again, for the lead actress and the director. Yung producer parate wala. Bahala ka sa buhay mo. In other festivals naman, they're very generous. They would fly you in and they would give you accommodations, but siguro mga one percent lang yun. Most of the time you really have to spend your own money, kaya magtugog siya. Mag-astos. But would you say that it's important to bring around your film? Kasi yun yung ano eh, pag maganda yung pelikula mo, madami imbitasyon et cetera. Tapos, pag hindi ka pupunta, hindi mapapansin. How is it? Eseguro exceptional din yung case because 2006 and I guess kung nakat 200 festivals kakanggang mga 2008 or 2009, up to now. Up to now. Meaning isa sa mga unang pelikula ng period na yun di ba na. Only now does it become really commonplace at people go to the festival. So how important was it these festivals or maybe in a field na hindi pag anon yung practices. So the invitations are coming to you. How did you view it? Sa akin kasi first time ko na nakaparticipate talaga sa maraming festivals. Minsan pa, which was my first film, did participate pero ko hindi lang mga dalawa o tatlo. But ko broder was like crazy. Parang invitations left and right. Ang malikod doon, kumawa kami ng agent and the agent dealt with a number of the festivals. Sila yung nangongulikta ng 1000 euros per screening na hindi namin alam. Tapos they never gave us anything. May utang pangadao kami sa kanile kasi pin-remote daw nila yung pelikula. So lesson, lesson talaga. Madami, actually for every film, merong kamatutunan na lesson talaga. Pero interesting din para sakin dahil yun isa sa mga una yung cobrador. And then eventually the question of do you send it to festivals because it's a festival film, right? At this time, I can imagine hindi pa yung issue. But we can say it's one of those early films that started this trend. What are your views on that? Making films for the festival audience. Is that something that you would do or have done? Sa akin kasi I make films for the Filipinos. Dapat ganun ang attitude. It's for us. Now if it's something that the foreigners will appreciate, salamat. Nagkataon lang siguro in the case of cobrador because it was talking about corruption and the difficulties of the people. You know, jeena parin, you're representing actually a lot of Filipinos in the same struggle. Nag gustohan nila, like in Moscow, nalaman namin ganun din yung situasyon nila sa Moscow. Kaya they fell, they love the film. So in Spain, actually the country that really invited the most cobrador was Spain. Parang lahat na lang ata ng festival sa Spain na puntahan ng pelikula, ini-invite siya parate. Maybe they were really happy to note that a lot of the words that we use in the film come from the Spanish. That's right. So parang may connection, somehow. So interesante yan. What you're saying now, kasi parang may shift kaya. May shift na nangyari sa iyo then you came out with highly big hits, English only, on and on. There comes a bride, dalawang mizisres, hashtag walang forever. So was that a conscious shift in a sense? Kasi na, di ba? Sinan lang mo. And you don't want to go through that again, siguro, that's why. Ibarin kasi yung, masaya kapag marami kang awards, masaya kapag marami kang festivals na na puntahan, pero ang lungkot-lungkot, pag nasasinahan ka na pwede mag-skateboarding ang mga tao sa loob. Na walang tao. So at the back of my mind, as a producer, siyempre, I also think, sa side ng producer. Di kaya masaya din, makakaproduce ka na isang pelikula na, umaapaw yung tao sa loob na, talaga ang ingay-ingay ng movie. It's more of a dream, I guess, that I wanted to also achieve. So yon, nag-attempta kong gumawa ng mainstream na pelikula, pero if you will note, the kind of films that I've made ang mainstream, merong something in it na outside the box parate. I don't limit myself to the normal drama, iakan zang palan, the whole galore. I don't want to be stuck to that. I want to offer something new with every film that I make. Whether it's alternative or if it's mainstream, dapat may bago parate. And we were very lucky with Here Comes the Bride, madaling ang magpa-iak, pero mahirap magpatawa. Ang ganaganda ng material, because even if it's funny, there are lessons learned, like the sars of people you want love in the case of the Yaya in the story. I'm sorry, the case of the Nina in the story and in the case of the Yaya, she wanted money to help her family. Yung old man, wanted youth because he still wanted to enjoy his life tapos the gay person wanted to become a girl. So may kanya-kanya silang desires. And what are the results when you get something that you want so badly? Would you want to hold on to it, despite the fact like yung Yaya, naging lalaki na siya na matanda-matanda, pero ang yaman niya. So yun yung mga parts doan na, I will never sacrifice. So you want to go back to flashback? Flashback, siguro. So you mentioned minsan pano. So sakin interesting din a first film yun because it's actually a very beautiful film quite lengthy for, for a film nung time na yun. But at the same time, I guess marami na hindi na kakakalala ng pilikula. Napakaganda ng pilikula, pero I'm assuming it was in a big hit. So bakit yun ng unang pilikula sa pagtransition mo from doing what you're really doing? Then bakit minsan pa? What was in the material? Ten years before I produced minsan pa in 2004, which was 1994. Nakokantuhan kami na nina Bing Lao and Jeffrey Jatourian at that time because I was then producing legal forum. I was hosting legal forum and for many who don't know, that was the same year that we produced a movie for television which was eventually shown on RPN 9, which was written by Bing Lao and directed by the late Ishmael Bernal. I was very fortunate to have worked with him kahit na muntik na kaming tapuna ng base ng past. The original title was supposed to be Ikalawang Yubto, but we eventually changed it to Karugtong ng Bukas. So this starred Pinky De Leon and Aga Mulak. And during that conversation, I was sharing with them na ako talaga, gusto ko mag-direct. Since I was in third grade, I've been saving my baon. I wouldn't, my parents would allow me to commute going home and I would save my baon each time. I would ride the jeepney one way only and then the second jeepney ride, I would rather walk. So I'd save the money to watch a movie on a weekend. And my sister would always get mad at me kasi gusong gusto niya ng John Travolta and the like. Ako naman gusto ko na mga minsa isang gamogamo, tinimakaw ni Kulang. Nandun ako sa weird daw ako. Bakit daw yun ang gusto ko? But ever since I saw my nila sa mga kukun ng liwanag in that particular scene that Bumble was being beaten and you don't see anything. Grabe! Talaga ang sabi ko, my God, this is such a powerful medium. Gusto ko tong gawin. Then narealize ko, hindi ko kaya mag-direct. Ang hirap-hirap pala na nunood ako kay Jeffrey, nonsay ko, my God, di ko kaya yan. How to lead these people, how to do this and all that. That's not something I'm capable of doing. So sabi ko sigay, mag-produce na lang ako. So nag-start ako with the tele-sine. And then sabi ko, sigay, bagian nyo ako sa mga puntaon, mag-iipon ako. And then we will make the movie. Pero gusto ko love story, ha? Ganon pa. Ang pala yung ninsan pa. Love story. And then only to realize, ay ko na, isahan ako daw na. Hindi yun love story, ha? Ano pala siya about a man's journey. But it was a beautiful film. But I will never forget it because I lost more than 20 million in that film. As in lifetime savings ang pamily ako na ubus. So maybe that's another reason, Patrick, where I would like to produce films that would make money para naman, meron pa naman ako ipapamana sa mga anak ko balang araw na. Sa ita, sa ita talaga. So yun, thinking about that money in 2004, 20 million, would have stopped anyone from making another film. Meaning, para matalo ng ganon kalakaya. And yet, your follow-up was an equally independent effort. Ano yun, driving force behind? Wala, nung nabasa ko yung treatment palang yun na hindi palang script ng co-brothers. Sayo ko, gususep, gusto kung gawin to. Ang ganda yun. Hindi ko iwi explain. Parang other people, ang fantasy nila, makabilin ang bahay na malaki-malaki. Ako, unlate lang naman ang bahay ko. Ang iba, gusto-guso nila, magagaranko. At siya ako, simple lang naman sa sakyan ko. But the desire, yung gusto kung gawin is to use my money to make a film. Parang ganon yung mindset ko at the time. So when I read the treatment, sabi ko na ko, we have to do this. Tapos ang sabi nila sakin, 2M lang daw yun. Sawa nang jos, umhawod kaming 5M. Pero they pitch to you. So your relationship with Bing and Jeffrey, matagal na nung mahabana. So I assume from the television at the time. Yes. And even prior to that, Jeffrey was my director for legal forum when I started. Ako yung gini-pig niya. Okay. And therefore, yung mga material na yun, do they come to you with material and ask to be produced? Or how is the process like? Yes, up to now. May input ka ba dun sa, or do you trust them fully with, here's the money to make cobrador, make it? Datig ganon ako. We get the line producer, ano yung cost natin. So, let me know. And I just release the funds. But now, no more. Mas hands on ako. Kasi ilang beses na ako na loko. So ngayon na, you are mature enough. Yes. So I will just move into the, ano yung motivation mo? At saka ano yung nakita mo na, worth it to make this films? Na popular siya, pero meron, something else, no? That you want to put in. Ano yung? Wala siyang dekahon na formula. Wala siyang English only, please. In English only, please. Ano ba yung nangyari? I was given the concept, we wanted to make something na parang korean ang dateng. Light lang, masaya and all. And then, nung nabasa ko yung initial script, tawa ako ng tawa. Kasi kong sayara mo ng film lang to, sigay, gawin natin. And we never imagined that it would be a success. Not at all. Sabi ko nga nun, makabawi lang ako, masaya ang masayan ako. So parang ano, alam ko yung ibig sabi ano na yung parang, wala naman formula for big hit. Sadden li lang pang, it will come. So you don't do contemporary practice ngayon? It's like audience research? Or is this like, intuitive love? Andaw ay naman nag-agawin ang ganyan, pero di ma-comment sa bahay. pero di ma-comment sa bahay. There's some, there's a gut feel. Ganito yun. I read a script, I like it, and then, sigay, gawin natin yan. When I see the movie, I have this, I can sense if the film will make money or not. Maraming beses na yan, like, a long time ago, it's not my film. The John Lloyd Sara Heronimo, very first partnership. Na-invite ako sa movie premiere. So ang mga usap-usapanon, mag-work kaya yung movie with a combination. Parang ang sabi, hindi, hindi, hindi. Nung napanood ko yung pelikulas ay ko wow. You knew, you knew. Kikita to, ganun ka agad. Alam we, di ko alam how, but siguro sa kakapanood ko na, alam ko na, pag mag-work. Now you can feel it, de ba? From all the art films, near my art films, kasi you can call it, you know, may statement, et cetera, et cetera. And then suddenly go into this, alam ko, kikita ito, de ba? Yung shift na yun, sa akin, parang for survival ba yun? Kasingan, di ba? Surod na, medyo talo tayo, ganun. Pero will there be a point na, ah, list ka na naman doon? Or you're happy with this? Oh, parang comfort zone ba to? Kung kaya, kung gawin, I'd like to do both. Like, like this Metro Manila Film Festival, I have the girl in the orange dress. Nung pinabasa sa akin, jay abelyo yung script, hindi kumabitawan. Aliyo na aliyo ko, kasi it's, it's ano again, it's everything happens in one day. How can you make a romco that everything happens in one day? So it's again, a very different approach. It's not the usual fare. So na excited akong gawin siya. And then at the same time, hindi ko na kakalimutan, like, over the years, I've supported a lot ng Malaya Films, pero hindi ko pinapalagay ang pangalan ko. Kasi andaming lualapiti, andaming fund ka nito, ganyan, may pilikula po kami attorney, kailangan namin ang one million, parang gusto ko sabihin, wow, may patago kayo. So it's like an advocacy for you, de ba? So when I like something, yes, it changes everything. When I like something, it changes everything. Like, ano, the late Francis Passion, when he gave me his material for Sampagita and for Jay, I'm sorry, not Jay, sorry, not Jay, the last one, but not Bwakao. Bwakao is Julana. Sorry, Bwaya pa lang. Bwaya. Bwaya. When it sounds the same. Sounds the same. Sorry. When he presented the material to me, nagustuhan ko siya, say ko, sige, sige Francis, tulungan kita, hindi lang ganong kalaki, but I will help. Yon. And then see Jay Sondak Samana when he presented I like him. I said, sige, Lika, gawin natin to puro parating ganun. Pag nabasa ko, nagkustuhan ko, hindi ako makatanggi. Siguro tanong natin, yon, yon, konto films. Kasi, ano yon, what is it? Oh, di ba? So, you started producing, pero kailan nagkakamin to being itong quantum and what does it do? Is it production? Post production? Post broad? Is it? Well, I started producing until under my son's name, MLR Productions. And then, sabi nga ni, si Bing my mentor forever. Sabi ni Bing, mag-isip ka panang isa pang name na mas, mas, kasi, MLR, or the initials of my son. So sabi niya, dapat hindi ka mag-stick ng personalize para maging mas corporate daw ang the thing. And then, he was even the one who suggested quantum. Okay, sa quantum leap, parang ganon, you set aside everything, you just jump. Ganon. So, that's how it was established. It's a very small outfit, it's a private, it's a family thing. And we ventured into post-production in 2013. Kasi noon at the time, because of Carlo, manapat naman, sabi niya, turn niya, lang mo sayang to mga mac mo, yung mga high-end na mac, dalawa yung machine, sabi niya, natin mag-edit. Sige, gamitin niyo ng gamitin. So, nagkaroon na kami ng partnership. He and his team, and sabi ko nga, since I don't know anything about this, whatever project we have, you get 70%, it's your income, and then, quantum will get 30%. Tapos yung kami, I provide them with an office, I provide them with all the machines, I provide them with messengers and a coordinator. So, meron silang staff na ang matatakbuhan. Pero sila talaga nagpapatakon niya, niya, So, mainly post-production. Yung post, and then films, tuloy-tuloy, but hindi kami like, we have retained directors, walang ganon, basa, pag-mendu matin. Parang per-project, gemalawaso. Yes. Yes. How about, mabalik ako dun sa whole idea, niyong balance. Babay sa septic tank. So, it has a certain view of this notion niya. I remember, just a bit of anecdote. So, when I saw it in UP, for example, where most of the people understand pinupok na fun, everyone's laughing talaga. And, nag-breakthrough siya, nag-break out siya into mainstream and the different audience was responding differently to Eugene's levels of acting. Is this a philosophy or a view in the cinema that you share? Meaning, it's a kind of a critical look at how independent cinema operates and sustained siya two parts na siya. Was that you or was that Chris? Chris siya. Si Chris talaga yan. The sarcastic view of indie films and the poverty you know, porn and all that. And it's interesting because you produce both kinds. Actually, yung first, kasi yung nang- we were poking fun in the world how directors will make films for the festival, sige, poverty porn ka to know. Yung second, was our we were poking fun on romcoms. Yun naman yun. That's right. So basically, it's Chris's imagination that's at work in these films in writing the material. And yun again, a repetition pagbinasa mo kasi yung script na sinusulat niya hindi mo na bibitawan. Tatawa ka nalang nang tatawa. And this idea na ano, film, making fun or, you know, a metafilm, is also a kind of version of this new notion of main di naman. So, and I'm going to imagine a laki-laki ng content. I mean, the work that you produce is somewhere in the middle, di ba na, you know, it's for a larger audience but it's not necessarily for them. Ano naman natingin mo rito? Do you aim for, like, middle, main di or these strange words at all? I don't call it main di. I call it alternative mainstream. It's a mixture of alternative and mainstream. Can you say a little bit more sa opanan mo? Para, may pasok na natin. Ano siya, ang tina-target mo talagang audience is the mainstream crowd. But you want to offer something different in each material that you make. So, yun nga, like dalawang Mrs. Reyes. That for me is an alternative mainstream product kasi it talks about when you speak about two Mrs. Reyesas, ang una mo isipin, ah, kabit yung isa, tapos may legal wife kanon. Pero ang nangyari doon, the two Mrs. Reyes were not even related and they met each other because their two husbands were having an affair and have decided to leave both of them. So, you can't come across that in the mainstream fair. Hindi siya ganun e. When I read it, sabi ko, ah, I think Jun Lana sent that to meet about almost quarter to 12. Sabi ko, bukas ko na to ba basay. Then na usual, me na excited. Sige, basayin ko na. Tapos, tatapusin ko tomo. Rasawa ng jos. Hindi ko na binitawa. Tinapos ko na siya. Tapos yun na. Sabi ko, let's do this. This is so exciting. Now that I'm hearing you, kasi parang bold, di ba, kasi kung follower ko lang, mainstream, ito ang it ngayon, gawin tatin ito kasi it yan ngayon. Pero ito, you're looking for something different. Not only different, but it's really going against the grain of the mainstream. Somehow, kaya, alternative, ano parin? Alternative mainstream. Mainstream, okay. Throw that into the, no. Mag-chief ako sa exciting part ng buhay niya ngayon because tang di direct siya. Remember, you told us nung pag gusto mo na mag-direct. Yes. So finally, you directed Last Order. Yes. At ang ganda pa, yung anak mo is appearing. Ang galing kaya. Ang galing ng anak mo, umantik. I wanted to work with you. So, tell us about that experience. Matagal na yan, actually na binuuko yung concepto. I joined the script writing workshop of Bing Lau at Treehouse in, ano, in ano bang tawag dito? Ano bang kali ito sa UP Village area. And during that time, we were asked to submit a concept ko ano yung pwede yung gawin. Sa habi ko, Bing ako, hindi ko pa kaya ang mag-feature. So, siguro kung gagawa ko ng short film, gusto kung gawa ng, nastiriting na ako yung Treehouse. Quento ng isang empleado na magsasaran ng restaurant. Oh, maganda yan. Approve. Ganod, kagad yung ka niyang sagot sakin kasi ganon siya. Pag magsajaskan ng concept, he will say if it's good or not. So, ayun, that was in 2011, if I'm not mistaken. And then, say kasi gaya, gagawa koong short film. And then, yung takot, yung fear na, baka hindi ko kaya, yun parate ang nag-prevent sa akin from pursuing the dream of directing. And then, nabuhayan, two years ago when we were in Cannes, I produced the film, the short film of Karlo Manata, Jody Lerks The La Cruz. And during our discussion over dinner, kinwento ko yun, ah, hindi, si Karlo Palayo, nagsabi, at- at- nigawin mo na kasi yung short film mo, say ko yung D.A., nakakatakot. Tapos, we were sharing. And then, right there and there, na iba na yung kwento, kasi ito, dapat uwi siya ng buy. No, mas maganda, if you just shoot everything inside the restaurant for one day, oh na, tapos magsasara, tapos that's it. Tapos, suggestion naman hindi, lagi natin na economics na yung fast food industry, pinapat ay yung maliliit na restaurants. Oh na, pwede. So, doon na buu yung idea. And then, dinagdagan ko pa, gusto ko mag-one long take. Oh, one long take. I was going to tell you that. So, gusto ko siyang gawin, kasi parang, I want the whole thing to appear na, para siyang docu kind of thing. It's not really a movie, but we're just watching a life unfold that particular day. So, doon. Sabi ko, let's do this. Tapos, akong DOP dapat was supposed to be tech, siyang tech siyang the husband of Ling Tiong, but he was not available on the date that I chose. So, i-movedaw mo na namin. Sabi ko, sa line producer ko pat, alam mo, pag nilipat pa natin to, hindi ko na naman to issue shoot. Kilala ko yung sarili ko. It's either we do this on this day or not. So, we'll urgently, nagharap kami na ng papayog na mag-DOP and fortunately, Dexter de La Penia agreed. And I think he was the perfect person to do it kasi Dexter is petite. So, I think ko kung si Tech yung nagshoot noon, ang laki ninyang pabangga siya, but follow action, follow action. Oo, makihirapan siya, but because Dexter was petite, mas madali, mas makakasingit-asingit siya doon sa pagbukasang pinto and all that. So, sabi ko, ayon, telegang everything fell into place. So, siinot ko siya in one day, we had 16 takes. 16 takes. May pang 17, padapat iyon, pero sabi ni Dexter, at turn ni nang, hindi ko na kaya. Pag-gad, hindi ninyang pag-gad. Kasi we didn't use a steady cam because pag steady cam, masado siyang steady. Gusto namin yung movement, talagang ano lang siya, parang handy cam effect, pero mabikat. Actually, the aesthetics reminds me of yung ding, Jeffrey, pero ay ba yung milieu, actually? But it's a different world. And I sense kind of influence there as well. So, Meron, definitely like Jeffrey, may mga sinagest ang characters na ipaso ko to mirror the closing restaurant. Magano. And ano, from this directorial debut, nanalo na, yung kinikula, nakapangikot ng mga festival. So how does that feel, from wanting to direct, to taking the detour of producing. Are we expecting a long feature? Sinimalaya. Yes. Pero hindi ko yung pinlano, G. Ano naman yun, masaya pala, well to answer the question, masaya pala mag-attend ang festival, napilikula mo yung pinapanoot. Pero nakakakapapa, parang hindi ka makahinga, kasi baka mamay hindi nila magustuhan. But at the end of the day, sabi ko nga sa sarili ko, basta ginawako siya, it doesn't matter anymore, if they like it or not, kasi wala ka naman magawa na rin, hindi mo ron mo mabago yun. Yung sa full length feature, wala talaga, ang sabi nang iba kaya, kagumawa na short film, kasi gusto mong gumawa ng full feature, no, that's not true. I was going to ask, so yung short film matagal na 2011, iniisip mo. But the feature, kailan mo lang yun, inisip or conceptualize? I was on the internet, I saw this, I saw this video of this girl sharing her story and right there and then, tumawag ako kay pat-pat with matching bad words. Alam mo kung gagawa ako ng feature film, eto na yun, eto na yun. Why? Because it's a story about a woman who has shared unconditional love for this man and in my world as a lawyer where there are so many people fighting about support, about annulment, about mana-mana and I see overflowing love in the story of this woman, madadala kay. Parang you want to do something that's positive for a change? So can you tell us about the conceptualization of that? So you saw this bit and then, sulat ba agar? Pinasulat ko siya kay Christine Barameda. We were able to submit a treatment to sinimalaya. Nakalimutan ko na yun e. As in, nag-submit lang kami dapos, sige kumakuha ok kung hindi-hindi. Oh my God, nag-ulat ako. Tumawag sila na pili siya mong the semifinalist. I think there were 20 or 22 of us na kinuha na semifinalists. And then, dun ako na takot, sabi ko, shucks, ano tong pinaso ko. Hindi na to lokohan. And then, I had to find another writer kasi si Christine has never been in a relationship. So hindi nga kayap sula. Kilarong si Christine so para. Hindi nga kayap. But the fuck na babay. I thought. Pero yung pala, wala mabukutan. Hindi, wala mabukutan. So, ano yun, tumakbok ay Rikili. For many, many years, kasi Rikili and I have been classmates in acupuncture. So, yun, I run to him and ask him for help. Kasi this is not the kind of movie that Bing Lau will approve. Ang ganda. Hindi ako nag-isip na lumapit kay Rikil. Kay Rikil na. Tumakbok ay Rikil. And nag-ulat si, I chose Therese Kayaba because I thought she was a very good writer. She did Delia and Sammy. Yes. And I love the script of Delia and Sammy. And sabi ko, this is the kind of nuances that I want in the film. Light lang siya. But merong sinasabi. And then, nag-ulat siya, nung bumating kami kay Rikil, naku na lecturan kami ng kapakatakot. As in, X lahat. As in, wala atang natira sa script na sinulat. So, we started discussing ko ano ba yung pwedeng gawin, et cetera, et cetera. And then, yun na, maraming ideas na pumasok. And then, from there, rewrite mga 50% na yung approved. So again, rewrite some more. And then, before I started shooting, 70% was approved. So, I decided na yung 30%, I will, we will write it as we went along. Because I needed to feel muna the characters as we would do the film. And true enough, ang daming nagbago. Na, to appoint siguro panahon na talaga kasi everything was falling into place. All the ideas that entered into the script as we were shooting, wala yun sa original e. Ang original kasi is an older woman falling for a young German. Ganun lang ka basic ang premise. But, hini naman pwedeng manipis. Sinimalaya to. Hindi pwede. So, we had to input so many ideas to make it more layered. And as it, I even had to consult a psychologist because my lead actress, my lead character, rather, is a psychologist. So, kailangan yung mindset din ang isa psychologist may pasok ko. So, ang laki rin nang tulong ni Doctor Saplala because sabi niya tama itong pasok mo rito. Ito, this is wrong. Psychologists do not do this. So, yun we had to correct those things. Directorial style. So, second, feature ngayon, and you've done a short film. First feature pala. First feature. Feature ngayon. But, in some of the credits, creative producer nakalagayin in other works. So, is this a smooth transition from a film by? Ganun yan. Iba ka bang producer, iba kang director. How would you characterize kung anong classic ang director? Ang una, ay sakin ni Pat, who is my producer. Itabi ko muna daw ang pagkaproducer ko. Kasi every time na nag-location, ka-hunting kami na kupat, magkano, sino, artista magkano, TF nyan, parating ganun. Dapat anggalin mo na yan. Dapat anggalin mo na yan. Kasi, hindi natin matatapos pagano ng mindset mo. So, I tried to remove that. Dalagang, wala. Hindi ko na siya muna inisip ko. Kasi yun director nakikipaglaban sa producer. Para makuwan yun. Ito ang one of the producers. Kasi, kasi, mas nasi din ang producer mo. But everything just fell into place. Even our final day of shoot which we did in Marinduke, that was a suggestion of Derek Marlon Rivera, who is one of my actors in this film. Oh, okay. Sabi niya, you know, I have the perfect place for you when I saw the photos of his balay lahi, which he owns together with Cholo Lauren. Oh, no. This is really the perfect picture of what I want in that particular scene. So, nag-work talaga siya. Super happy. I'm listening to you. So, meron talagang parang community or people close to you. And when I read the credits of films you've produced, ito yung mga, yung mga taut talagang. Actually, you have a community na talagang. Sobra. Siguro, natutualang din sila at ayaw nilako mag-fail, kaya tinatulungan nilako. And I guess alam kay-support na, pumas. A kind of giving back because you've also supported a lot of these, I guess concepts na walang mag-risk before. Sana. So, did this add up or come along, along the way, sila Jeffrey sa una, sila Bing, I guess from the beginning, sila Chris, sila Marlon. How do you foresee ito mga susunod pa na taon? So, do you see more directorial work and more producing of these other people's work? If possible, I'd like to produce parang sana in the coming years, at least one film and hopefully two films a year. Yung ng dream ko. And sana, I can also produce or still support some alternative films that will catch my attention. Could you say kung sino sa mga, kung ano sa mga pili ko lang na-produce mo, gusto mo siya, you would say, exceptionally you like it over the many films you've produced. Kubrador. Still Kubrador. We always stand out. Kasi, it's a beautiful film. It's going to be there for a long, long time. That's right. So, I'm glad, no? At Tony Georgie. I would like to say na, you have given so much to filmmaking and that's really something. But at the same time, we want to look forward to the many other films that you will be involved with. Sana mag-gustoan na ito. Di ba? Akatawa naman. So, bago ron, meron kasi tayo mga tanong na mga may xing tanong. So, sino pa sa Philippine Cinema na producer ang gusto mo yung trabaho? Executive producer. Oh, my lord. May hirap na tanong. Marama sila. Marama sila. Top of head na. The first thing that's possible. I like June Lana's films. Ako naman, they wish to be like mother Lily Montiwiate. There will never be any other mother Lily Montiwiate. I wouldn't even want to be close to her kasi antaas, antaas. She survived for so long and if there's anything that I would like to be likened to her, I am a fan of films. Kasi that's what I am. What is your favorite Filipino film all time? It will have to be Maynila sa mga kukon ng liwanak. How about contemporary Filipino film? Contemporary. Marami-rami na yan. I especially like the film of Bing Lau, Byahing Lupa. Even if they didn't really make the festival rounds because it was more of sound design and people would just be reading the subtitles. Iba siya eh. Iba. Favorite actor. Wala eh. Favorite actress. Bill Masantos. Extra, di ba? Yes. Okay. Dream project to direct. Wala pa. Hindi pa, it hasn't crossed yet. It hasn't crossed my mind yet. Kasi like I mentioned napanood ko lang yung video na I got so inspired by it. I wanted to do it. So it will come. It will come. But off the cup, ay, hindi ko kaya mag-direct ng pili ko labot. Corruption. Barang natatakot ako. Baka ako ano ba, baka malalahan ayoy paglalagay ko doon, baka makulung na ka-joke. But really it's, I like more personal stories. Mas gusto ko siya. Parang yun yung kaya kung gawin. Mga ganung mas matataas pa, mga Jeffrey and mga brilliante. So at Tony Joji. Baraming-maraming salamat. Thank you. Thank you. Salamat din sa inyo. Salamat sa ating mga manunod, sa isang oras na na mampagtutok sa ating programa. Asan ay nakapag-pigay kami ng aliyo at ka-alaman sa inyong lahat. Samahan ninyo kami muli sa susunod na pag-hatid. Namin na mga personalidad mula sa larangan ng pelikula, television, at teatro, dito sa tvup.ph. Ako si Patrick F. Campos. Ato ko si Dr. G. Javier Alfonso hanggang sa muli. Ito ang Sini Pinoy.