Welcome to the Marilou Diaz-Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center

I remember that as a young kid, I grew up watching different films, and already I was starting to gain interest in cinema. When I was twelve years old I finally got the chance to make my first music video for a school project, and it turned out to be a turning point in my life as I finally realized what I wanted to be when I grew up: a filmmaker. From that moment on, film became more than just a hobby for me, it became a passion. For about a year and a half I continued making different video works which included school project documentaries, a black and white narrative (The Measure of a Man), an experimental (Mirage), a short narrative based on a song (Chiksilog: the movie) and an experimental narrative (Hawla), until finally deciding that I wanted to enroll in a film school to expand my knowledge of cinema. When I was fourteen I enrolled in a summer workshop in the Asia Pacific Film Institute, there I was able to make another short film (Sindi). After the workshop I continued making more video works which included a wedding coverage, a school commercial, and a documentary on street vendors (Barya). In the summer of 2007 I enrolled in a summer workshop in the Marilou Diaz Abaya Film Institute, there I learned even more about filmmaking and its protocols through my teacher Cris Silva and ate Roja Tejada. I was taught more about film language, storytelling, basic cinematography for shooting digital, and proper screenplay writing. The best part of the course in MDAFI was when I was given the opportunity to shoot and direct another film (The Threshold). MDAFI gave their full support during pre-production, shooting, and even post-production by helping me find a musical scorer (Pepe Manikan) who made the soundtrack of the film for free. The film was invited to show at the 9th Up-and-Coming International Film Festival in Hannover, Germany and also at the Kontra-Agos Resistance Film Festival. This would never be possible without the education and support given to me by the MDAFI. Marilou Diaz Abaya and her film school, the MDAFI, have helped me in making my films and fulfilling my dreams as a filmmaker. I thank them from the bottom of my heart as I continue on making more films and telling more stories.

- Mikhail Red,
Director, The Threshold

When I found out about the summer program in MDAFI, I was so thrilled because I finally had something to do during the summer. This experience thought me to become a independent, responsible and organized filmmaker.. Having schedules and call times made me become a punctual person. It also widened my imagination as my creativity was exercised throughout the program. It was never a dull moment during our shoots, having your friends and teachers support and guide you with your films. I can remember that going to MDAFI was the peak of my week because I was always excited to learn and shoot new things during our classes. My experience in MDAFI truly opened my eyes in cinema, and I'm sure it will do the same to others who really want to pursue this career. It helped me in choosing my course in college, and it has also made me realize that I truly want to become a good storyteller when i grow up and through MDAFI, i have the stepping stones in fulfilling my dream.

One of the things that I have learned is that "no matter how big or extravagant a movie is, the story with heart is what matters the most."

Now, though I did take the exercises and drills pretty seriously, I went through the first few sessions feeling that it was all about seeing my 'film friends' again. I had really missed their company and was ever so glad to be 'hanging out' with them once more. But then my will to take the course more seriously was soon triggered by the realization that I would be going off to college less than a year from then. I was quite certain I'd be taking on the path of a filmmaker (and I still am, in spite of my new-found interests in other courses,) so it occurred to me that the opportunity—being able to study things that hardly any 17-year olds get the chance to know—was something to be valued, something I would probably taking with me throughout my entire career. From then on, I aimed to make every meeting contribute to my being a filmmaker.

This time, I had new classmates, new people—“co-workers”—to adjust to. Being a not-so-sociable kind of person, the idea of being with unfamiliar people worried me a bit. But I guess I was wrong—and just being paranoid—because we all hit it off right away. We proved to be a very good team, and immediately found balance in the distribution of work and positions.

A whole summer, several shoots, three movies, and lots of tambayans later, we are still very much in touch (because there is always YM!) and are always bugging each other about wanting to shoot something. Quite a group we turned out to be, I must say.

As I mentioned in one of my essays for a university I applied at, the whole MDAFI experience was very fulfilling for me. First, I gradually learned how to deal with my teenager-y I-am-uncomfy-around-unfamiliar-people issue—I think I can say that I am slightly more of a people person now than I was before, haha. Second, I believe that my Junior Video episode truly brought out the best in me, so much that I am able to share my talents with others. And of course, I learned so much from the course that I feel even more encouraged to carry on with filmmaking.

The experience turned out to be so much more than I imagined, and I will forever be glad I attended the course. Whether or not I really do end up making films as a profession, my MDAFI chronicles—just like movies—are forever.

-Bianca Francisco