In the middle of Hollywood’s dazzling and enchanting world, FilAm Creative — the 13-year-old Los Angeles-based community organization supporting Filipino Americans in entertainment and media — successfully hosted a groundbreaking event that truly championed the endless potential of diasporic cinema.
From November 3 to 5, the very first FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF) was held, creating a celebration of the diverse cultural voices of our Filipino-American creatives in the film industry. The Festival was all about collaboration and empowerment.
The columnist with award-winning director Brillante Mendoza (right) and FilAm Creative executive director Mark Labella
Mark Labella, the executive director of FilAm Creative, said in his opening speech,”Countless days and nights, we were pioneering this festival for the community and heart of Hollywood. We had a zero-budget situation, but more than 1,000 people attended our first inaugural film festival. This is collaboration.”
“This year, we embarked on a mission to demonstrate to Hollywood and the world that Filipinos would fervently rally behind their cinematic visionaries. A formidable force of all-volunteer industry professionals united, propelled solely by the enthusiasm to witness a transformative moment,” he added.
The event wasn’t just a gathering of creative minds, felt like a reunion and a chance to bring together diverse narratives to make a real impact on the community through films.
I had the privilege of being invited to the festival, and it was a delightful experience to encounter many familiar faces, especially during the glamorous opening night on the red carpet.
Over a thousand creatives from diverse industry sectors convened at Thorne Hall of Occidental College in Los Angeles, elegantly donning their barong and modern terno as they made their grand entrance on the red carpet.
The event celebrated the talented Filipino-American filmmakers thriving in various roles within Hollywood.
Some notable attendees include Dean Devlin of Electric Entertainment; Miranda Kwok, showrunner of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady; Filipino actor Enchong Dee; and The Basco family — brothers Dion, Dante, Derek, and sister Ariann.
One of the standout highlights was the unveiling of Reimagined Volume 2: “Mahal,” a mesmerizing creation in the form of an immersive, animated virtual reality series.
Directed by Michaela Ternasky-Holland and crafted in collaboration with Meta and Very Cavalier Productions, Mahal propelled audiences into the realms of Filipino folklore and mythology. The use of VR in storytelling, as explained by Ternasky-Holland, marks an unprecedented leap in the audience’s engagement with narratives.
The appearance of Brillante Mendoza, the Philippines’ most decorated filmmaker, added more meaning to the event. He also shared his insights into filmmaking using an organic storytelling style called “found stories” captured the attendees’ imagination.
A maestro of Filipino cinema, he was awarded by the festival for his excellence in cinema. He was the first director to ever win in the Cannes Film Festival as best director for his film “Kinatay.” A special screening of this award-winning film was held, followed by a Q&A that allowed the attendees, myself included, to get to know Brillante’s process better.
FACFF went beyond being just a Filipino-American affair — it also drew attendees from the international community.
The festival presented remarkable films such as “Every Day After” and “When You Left Me on That Boulevard,” which garnered not only accolades but also served as powerful vehicles for sharing the stories and voices of Filipino Americans with a global audience.
The success of the inaugural FACFF, a collaborative effort co-hosted by Occidental College Media Arts and Culture and Oxy Arts, presented by Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment, and powered by FilAm Creative, is a testament to the collective endeavor to support and uplift Filipino-American and AAPI artists.
As the film industry continues to evolve, FACFF is set to remain a beacon of progress and creativity, a guiding light for the diverse stories waiting to be told and the technological advancements waiting to be explored.
FACFF has truly set the stage for what promises to be a bright and exciting future for Filipino Americans and Filipinos in the diaspora.
Aas the curtains close on this inaugural event, one thing is clear: this is just the beginning. The FilAm Creative Film Festival is here to stay, ready to inspire, challenge, and represent the voice of the Filipino diaspora for years to come.
