WITH his wit and attitude, multi-awarded filmmaker Rommel “Milo” Tolentino, who released his most recent short film titled “Nenok” in this year’s Cinemalaya Festival, never ceases to fascinate his audience.
Tolentino, an independent filmmaker, hopes that viewers would be more aware and appreciative of the eye-awakening experience the local film industry offers.
“The fact that Filipino filmmakers get to make films that they want to do is already a winning predicament to the Philippine cinema. We should celebrate Filipino filmmakers and their films,” Tolentino said in an e-mail interview with the Varsitarian.
A Thomasian, Tolentino says UST has played an important role in the formation of his success.
“UST provided me a home for my education, so if people find my work palatable, decent and worth their money, then my education from UST contributed to that,” he said.
Out of rich desire for learning, Tolentino pursued his film education in the University of the Philippines-Diliman after finishing his undergraduate studies in UST.
“To supplement my video production education, I produced a crappy 30-minute short film and suddenly, I’m in love with the cinema,” Tolentino said.
To his surprise, the small trial project became a hit in the big screen and ended up in the Rotterdam Film Festival years later.
On Cinemalaya’s second year, Tolentino’s short film titled “Orasyon” won Best Short Film and got his first Gawad Urian nomination.
For Tolentino, there is nothing more rewarding than to be able to make the audience appreciate the people and the ideas that move behind the cameras.
The film industry has not always been kind to him.
Tolentino said the lack of sufficient budget for independent filmmakers often keept them from turning their ideas into reality.
“How do you overcome it? There is no way of sugar coating it: you beg for money,” he said.
Nevertheless, the film industry continues to thrive and flourish with unique and talented artists, each a stand out blockbuster in their own way, he said.
“Let us not be bounded by the thought that we are just producing quantity over quality—taste is highly subjective, anyway,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino urged all aspiring filmmakers to spend time digging for inspiration and indulging in whatever movie they could get their hands on.
“You have to love films unconditionally. Love films in all of its forms, faults and glory.” Mary Grace C. Esmaya and Vianca A. Ocampo
