New Day Rising

As a Fil-Am filmmaker back in the day, I struggled to find my place in a Hollywood that has historically ignored us. I made one acclaimed indie film, shopped around a much read script that was never optioned, and eventually my agent stopped calling. Years after The Flip Side, I had to accept I wasn’t going to have the film career that I’d worked hard for and always dreamed about.

I’d never stopped wanting to tell stories, though. If I can’t be a film director, I thought, maybe I can be an author. Easier said than done, right? But after six years of trial and error, one failed Sci-Fi manuscript, and countless late nights learning how to write in the Young Adult genre… kulintang roll… I now have a literary agent! On Monday, November 18, 2019, I was signed by Jim McCarthy, Vice President of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, one of the top agencies in the country. Damn. As I type this out, it’s still hard for me to believe.

When a handful of talented Fil-Am directors was coming up in the 2000s, I coined the phrase, Pinoy Cinema is On the Rise. The sun had set on that period of my life long ago, but now it’s a new day. A happier one—the kind with puppies and ube ice cream! And with that, welcome to my author website and a second—hopefully more successful—chapter in my life. A big thank you to everyone who’s encouraged me and my writing over the years. I promise not to base any characters on you. …Maybe. ;)

Now, time to get to work.