Prescott’s Debut Film Premieres to Full Houses

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Assistant Professor Julie Prescott’s debut film, “Isa ka Pungpong nga Rosas,” premiered to enthusiastic audiences with three public screenings at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Cinematheque, Iloilo City campus on June 15, 2024.

The short film is an adaptation of retired UPV professor Alice Tan-Gonzales’ Palanca Award-winning short story of the same title.

Starring Taw Muhammad and Yan Cortum, the film is billed as “a short film about women by a woman,” with its premiere coinciding with the celebration of Pride Month this June.

Prescott expressed that the story will “speak to different people in different ways [because] that’s what happens with the story — it takes a life of its own.”

She mentioned that the storytelling of Tan-Gonzales’ “Isa Ka Pungpong nga Rosas” resonated with her as a “literature person,” making it the perfect material for her directorial debut. It was also the first short story of Tan-Gonzales that she read.

The film explores the layers of love and relationships through the perspectives of the two leads. The screenplay was written by Professor Kevin Piamonte, with cinematography by Mr. Ruperto Quitag and Mr. Gian Niño Genoveza.

Funded by ACCL Productions, an independent Filipino-American production company aiming to support budding independent filmmakers, the film received additional support from the Division of Humanities and its homegrown filmmakers. It was co-presented by ERK Film Production, DMC, and Prime Media Hub.

Initially, only one public screening was planned for Prescott’s debut film, but the overwhelming demand led to two additional screenings. Prescott expressed hope for future screenings of the film, which has been well-received by audiences. (Mr. Carlson Alelis, IPO, with sources from HumDiv)