Key Points
- Sa kabila na ika-lima ang Pilipino sa dami ng migrante sa Australia, bihira ang mga palabas sa telebisyon na tungkol sa mga Pilipino.
- Sa tulong ng SBS at Screen Australia, ang animation na 'Fish Boi' hangad na ipasilip ang buhay ng mga Pilipino sa Australia.
- Isa ang 'Kapwa' ng animator-writer-director na si Robertino Zambrano sa 18 na tatanggap ng Enterprise Business Grant Program ng Screen Australia.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Robertino Zambrano's Kapwa among the 18 Screen Australia's Enterprise Business recipients
16:32
'Fish Boi'
Mula sa isang ideya na pinag-usapan kasama ang ilang kaibigan, nagtatanong kung bakit walang palabas sa telebisyon na patungkol sa tulad niyang Pilipino sa Australia, sinimulan ng animator-director na si Robertino Zambrano ang pagsusulat ng kwento ni 'Fish Boi'.
"It did start as this idea that, maybe we should make something that's based on our life experiences, growing up in Sydney and then in Western Sydney, as Filipinos."
Unti-unti at sa tulong ng producer at filmmaker na si Dulce Aguilar, nabuo ang kwento ng 'Fish Boi'.
"When Robertino approached me with this amazing project, I couldn't say no. So many stories in my own life experience resonated with what he was talking about and it was just, I think. it's time for us to partner up and really get these stories out there," kwento ni Aguilar.
Tampok sa 'Fish Boi' ang kwento ni Kiko ‘Fish Boi’ Dela Cruz, isang matagal ng fish deliveryman na napilitang dagdagan ang kanyang mga sideline para maiwasan ang pagsasara ng tindahan ng kanyang mga magulang.
We're sort of like Aussie but still Filipino stuck-in-between kind of generation. And, you know, it's fun to be able to tell that story.
Noong Disyembre 2023, ipinasa nila ang kwento ng 'Fish Boi' para sa Digital Originals Initiative ng SBS, National Indigenous Television (NITV) at Screen Australia kung saan sila ay nakasama sa 10 proyekto para lalo pang linangin.
"Screen Australia, SBS and NITV run this program annually called Digital Regionals. It's a talent escalator and project development program, for emerging creatives and underrepresented creatives in the industry," ani Zambrano.
"It's basically to help people develop short form, drama projects that will end up being a sort of six by ten-minute mini-series that will go live on SBS on Demand, or NITV, or SBS Viceland.”
Nitong Hulyo 2024, inihayag ng SBS at Screen Australia na opisyal ng kasama ang 'Fish Boi' sa popondohan para sa development nito.
Hangad ng Digital Originals Initiative na bumuo ng mga nakakatuwa at makabagong short form drama projects na ipapalabas bilang hour-long episode program sa SBS On Demand at SBS Viceland at NITV na gawa ng mga screen creatives na sa kasaysayan ay hindi gaanong nairerepresenta sa sektor ng pelikula.
Representasyon
Lumaki sa hilagang-kanlurang Sydney ang ngayo'y writer-director-producer na si Robertino Zambrano.
"I grew up in the north-western Sydney area and growing up I have not seen anything on TV in Australia about us [Filipinos]."
Binanggit nito na sa kabila ng dami ng Pilipino, pang-lima sa mga migrante sa buong Australia, halos walang palabas sa telebisyon na patungkol sa mga Pilipino.
Fish Boi producer, Dulce Aguilar (left) and creator-writer-director, Robertino Zambrano. Credit: Fish Boi
"The big message [from this story] is that a lot of the time we'll end up finding that a lot of the tools and the things we want out of our lives are actually what can make us happy and make us connect to our own essence and the community around us," saad ng animator.
A big part of that message does resonates with other Australians and other cultures too. Because I think all Australians, we’re all migrants of some sort and everyone is trying to define their own identity and find that in the people around you."
Each of us and every new generation of Filipinos will have to find their own way of being Filipino... And a lot of times you think you have to run away from who you are, who your parents are, just to find your own way.
Bilang mga lumaki sa Australia na may mga magulang na Pilipino, binigyang-diin ng producer na si Dulce na nakapaloob dito ang ilang hanay ng pagkakakilanlan at ang kulturang Pilipino kahit na hindi ka lumaki sa Pilipinas.
"Especially for me who was born and raised here [in Australia]. There's a disconnect that you do feel growing up, but you were so ingrained in it, including all the eating, and the chismis, the titas and all of that, they're still part of my life, which really ties me to the Philippines."
Hindi na bago para sa Filipino-Australian animator ang mga proyekto na kumakatawan sa kanyang pinagmulan.
Nagtapos ng kurso sa design, nagtrabaho sa ilang advertising agency habang itinuloy nito .ang hilig sa animation.
Nilinang ang kanyang galing bilang direktor at designer ng magtrabaho sa New York sa Amerika sa pagitan ng 2008 at 2012.
Nang bumalik sa Sydney ito sa Sydney matapos manirahan sa US, kanyang itinatag niya noong 2013 ang 'Kapwa', isang boutique design at animation studio na noong una'y isang commercial motion graphics studio.
Naitayo ang Kapwa bilang pagbibigay-pugay sa kanyang pinagmulang Pilipino. Nagbigay karangalan din ito sa Australia nang mapili ang unang animated film, ang Love in the Time of March Madness, na inilabas ng kanilang studio.
Nanalo ito sa Tribeca Film Festival sa premier nito at kinalaunan ay napasama sa shortlist para sa Academy Award noong 2016.
Members of the 10 shortlisted projects, including Fish Boi, who took part at the Digital Originals Workshop in 2023 hosted by SBS, NITV and Screen Australia. Credit: Mark Gambin as supplied by Robertino Zambrano
"We want to tackle a lot of these issues with the mix of drama and a bit of comedy, just to use that as a tool to be able to laugh at ourselves and our own experiences, especially some of the experiences," paliwanag ni Zambrano.
Dagdag ng filmmaker na si Dulce, na mahalaga din ang komedya at drama sa buhay ng mga Pilipino.
"The whole idea of comedy and drama is very integral to, I think the Filipino culture, we love to laugh at ourselves laughter and fun and just kind of having a really light heart is really integral and it's what our communities like. I just felt it resonated so much with our community,"
Suporta para sa 'Kapwa'
Nitong Hulyo 2024, inihayag ng Screen Australia ang higit sa $5.2 milyon na pagpopondo para sa 18 indibidwal at 18 kumpanya o grupo para makatulong sa kanilang mga proyekto.
Isa ang Kapwa ni Robertino Zambrano sa 18 organisayon na tatanggap ng Enterprise Business Grant Program.
'Kapwa' is among the 18 recipients of the Screen Australia Enterprise Business Grant program. Credit: Kapwa
"I think for a lot of creatives it feels like we're outsiders from a lot of this process and you'd ask yourself how do I get into these programs?" ani Robertino.
Tinitignan ng Kapwa na magtatag ng Film & TV slate at talent development program na nakatuon sa mga Pilipino-Australian.
"This is basically a gateway for people like us and other people to actually get the ideas and actually get to make and be in charge of making it," anang masayang si Robertino.
"These organisations are really trying to help people who are emerging really working hard out there trying to make their own content," dagdag ni Dulce.
