Filipino Films Rise to the Top in the Film Lab's 72-Hour Shootout
/
In the Asian American Film Lab’s 72-Hour Shootout, filmmaking teams are given a common theme, and competitors have 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a short film for submission. This year, competitors were given the theme “Practical Dreamer,” which was announced by the Film Lab’s Gold sponsor and CEO of Idealist.org, Ami Dar.
Over the intense 72-hour period, diverse teams of filmmakers united to create captivating short films centered around the theme while integrating the Idealist logo in their work. Judged by a distinguished panel including Marci Phillips of ABC Primetime, Jandiz Cardoso Estrada of Sundance, and other luminaries in the film and television industry, participants competed for coveted prizes such as film festival screenings, mentorship and networking opportunities with industry leaders, cash prizes, and more.
Three Filipino-inspired films emerged as top ten finalists, which include Lola’s Spaghetti by Veanne Cao of Team Usine as first runner-up, Dreamweavers by Chris Caccioppoli of Chimera Entertainment as sixth place, and Ulam by Tyler Cino Maradiaga of Team Feirstein as ninth place. Moreover, out of nine category awards, these Filipino-inspired films garnered a total of four recognitions: Jason Amerling “Best Actor” in Lola’s Spaghetti, Mallory Wu “Best Actress” in Lola’s Spaghetti, Veanne Cao “Best Female Content Creator” in Lola’s Spaghetti, and this writer for “Best Screenwriting” in Dreamweavers.
This year's competition highlights the Asian American Film Lab's commitment to nurturing talent and enhancing visibility for underrepresented narratives in film and television.
“We are immensely proud of the creativity and diversity showcased by this year's filmmakers," said Jennifer Betit Yen, President of the Asian American Film Lab. “The 72 Hour Shootout continues to be a catalyst for change, fostering inclusive storytelling and providing a platform for emerging talent to shine."
All films selected by the Asian American Film Lab as Top Ten Finalists were screened at the 46th Annual Asian American International Film Festival which ran from August 1-11, 2024.
In Lola’s Spaghetti by Veanne Cao, Henri (played by Jason Amerling), and Frankie (played by Mallory Wu) find themselves in a dream after having Lola’s famous Filipino spaghetti dish. In this lucid dream, Henri and Frankie are in a basement, encountering a surreal adventure which concludes with them flying to the sky. When they wake up, Frankie tells Henri, “Your Lola makes bomb spaghetti.”
Veanne Cao says the writing process happened organically. “Jason Amerling is Filipino, and I made the details specific to him. Also, I’m kind of obsessed with Jollibee Filipino Spaghetti,” she says.
Further Filipino gastronomic influences are featured in Tyler Cino Maradiaga’s Ulam.” It’s a story that takes place between the Philippines and New York City, where a young woman named Christina (played by Lina Hoang) tries to perfect a dish for her ailing mother. As Christina gathers the ingredients for Pinyahang Manok sa Gata, a traditional Philippine soup, memories of her mom as a healthy person playback in real time, which compounds the pressure of executing the traditional dish.
Director Tyler Cino Maradiaga says, “And while a majority of the crew were not Filipino, many of us are either immigrants or children of immigrants, and we feel the pressure of what it means to identify with our mother cultures. Through Ulam we hoped to convey the struggle of feeling like you need to ‘prove’ that you are part of your own culture, balancing the beauty and joy of tapping back into your roots.” There is an implication in the work that the price of assimilating to the demands of the American Dream is the generational struggle of preserving cultural roots.
A homage to cultural roots is further explored in Chris Caccioppoli’s Dreamweavers, which centers on the story of a Philippine mythological creature, the duwende (goblin) who is inspired to raise money for a library in the indigenous communities of the T'boli in Mindanao, Philippines.
In T’boli cultural tradition, there are traditional textiles called T’nalak made by women who are referred to as “Dream Weavers” because they get the inspiration of the patterns for the textiles in their dreams, as handed by the spirit of the abaca, Fu Dalu. Director Chris Cacciopoli explains, “Regardless of the theme, we wanted to bring an aspect of Filipino culture to the forefront, when they announced ‘Practical Dreamer,’ it seemed rather serendipitous. The phrase embodies the Filipino spirit quite well, as it is a culture that instills a deep appreciation for art, music, and storytelling while maintaining the importance of self-discipline and pragmatism.”
In the Asian American Film Lab’s 72-Hour Shootout, filmmaking teams are given a common theme, and competitors have 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a short film for submission.
The Asian American Film Lab paves the pathway for emerging talent for all the practical dreamers within the Asian diaspora. Jason Amerling, the 38-year-old Filipino-American actor who won “Best Actor” in Lola’s Spaghetti, used to be in the hospitality industry before pursuing acting full time in 2022. According to Amerling, “I've dreamt of becoming an actor my whole life. It wasn't until I turned 36 two years ago that I finally felt ready to leave my day job and pursue acting full-time. Why then? I've never felt confident about being taken seriously as an actor in America due to my ethnicity. In recent years, however, I've noticed a growing presence of Asian representation in films. ‘It's finally happening,’ I told myself.”
Amerling believes the Asian American Film Lab’s honing of emerging talent in film and television is important.
“We still have a ways to go, as the available roles and opportunities often rely on stereotypical traits rather than portraying Asians as relatable individuals. Despite this, the progress has been incredibly motivating for me and the entire Asian community aspiring to be actors. I've been fortunate to collaborate with a variety of Asian filmmakers on passion projects that tell universally relatable stories from an Asian perspective.
“The Asian American Film Lab (AAFL) takes this to a whole new level, providing underrepresented voices with a platform, opportunities, recognition, exposure, and a strong sense of community. When I attended the top 10 awards, I was pleasantly surprised to see a strong Filipino presence among the showcased talent, including myself.”
The reporter on this story also competed in the 72-Hour Shootout and won “Best Screenwriter” for the short film “Dreamweavers.” It is the first time she has explored this avenue of the writing industry, and it has led to networking opportunities with Sundance in Los Angeles, California. Elaine Joy Edaya Degale will be leading the Asian American Film Lab’s Unfinished Works program, which workshops scripts of up-and-coming screenwriters in the Asian American diaspora.