PROFILES OF API TALENT
Within the Asia-Pacific diaspora, notable talents rise. Some give brave performances (actors) and yet others are the unsung players behind the camera, creating and sharing a vision of a world where people connect and feel, and stories resonate with impact.
DOLLY DE LEON
Golden Globeᴿ Nominee for Best Supporting Actress in Triangle of Sadness. Star in A VERY GOOD GIRL with Filipino actress Kathryn Bernardo.
MARK MEILY
An award-winning Storyteller, his first film Crying Ladies not only garnered major awards (Philippine’s Official Entry to the Academy Awardsᴿ, FAMAS and Urian Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, etc.) but also earned major box office receipts in the Philippines and in the United States. Decades later, Crying Ladies landed the #2 spot in its SVOD debut on Netflix in the Philippines! Meily is also a winner of the prestigious Palanca Award for scriptwriting.
Mark Meily will be helming a limited series, “Manila Espionage” about the extraordinary, true life story of WWII spy, Claire Phillips, who bravely retrieves intelligence from the Japanese which aided the Americans and Philippine Resistance win the war. She was later honored with a Presidential Medal of Honor.
BENITO BAUTISTA & EMMA FRANCISO
This writer/director and producing team are leaders in the FilAm film community, spearheading the San Diego Filipino Film Festival in October. Bautista’s films include the award-winning feature BOUNDARY, which stars Raymond Bagatsing and Ronnie Lazaro. Bautista’s feature documentary, HARANA: The Search for the Lost Art of Serenade, won multiple awards including the Asian Network of Documentary Award at Busan International Film Festival in 2012 and Audience Awards for Best Documentary at CAAMFest, Hawaii International Film Festival, and Pacific Arts Movement’s Spring Showcase. His short film, The Interpreter, is a well-acted crime thriller and showcases the talent of newcomer Eric Joshua Eusebio. As co-producers, Bautista and Francisco have generously advised and mentored young filmmakers, like Grace Simbulan on her award-winning documentary A is for Agustin.
Their next project is a feature film, MONGRELS, which explores society’s tendency to isolate and sometimes demonize people who are different than the norm.
NADIA KHAN
Nadia Khan is a bestselling author, experienced screenwriter and aspiring filmmaker from Malaysia. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in medicine and a master’s degree in psychology, Nadia focuses on the unique traits of people and character dynamics; apparent in her writing and films. Slices of life and coming-of-age are stories have become her forte but Khan does all genres under the bright, Malaysian sun (and its pouring rain).
Gantung, her bestselling novel which was made into a series of the same name on Astro, was cut short due to the pandemic. However, each episode was yielding millions of views. Now Khan will direct, write and produce the feature film version, entitled MUSKATEER CODE. Principal Photography is scheduled for December 4, 2023.