Pinoy New Yorker rubs elbows with destiny

MANILA, Philippines - “Why you’re a f…king little boy!” pronounced Joe Pesci upon meeting Jorge Ballos, founder of the Soho International Film Festival in New York. This was then to characterize much of Jorge’s experiences since finding himself in the company of such high-profile celebrities as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, director John Gallagher, character actor Frank Vincent, who worked with Robert de Niro and Pesci in Martin Scorsese films

Goodfellas, Raging Bull

and

Casino.

This year, Frank will be the first recipient of the SIFF NYC Icon Award, honoring a New York film artist who has achieved a high degree of creative excellence over the years. An Evening with Frank Vincent will be hosted by director John Gallagher (The Deli, Blue Moon) who will direct the actor in the upcoming feature comedy Fickle.

We had met Jorge 10 years ago in New York when he was just plain Jojo Ballos, good friend of renowned character actress Lorli Villanueva (Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang, Oro Plata Mata, American Adobo) who chairs the Graduate School of Education and Special Education at Touro College in Manhattan. Lorli now heads the Soho Advisory Board while her daughter Sibyl “Princess” Santiago is managing director and head of marketing.

The author (second from right) with (from left) direk Neal Tan, Fanny and Jorge

Jojo was introduced to us as a commercial model getting good breaks abroad, and we never really got to know of his interest in filmmaking until lately. We would hang out whenever we were in New York or he was in Manila. From being a model, he graduated to owning the modeling agency, and on our last visit had just wrapped up a new venture, the Soho International Film Festival held last year.

He would attend artist Tito Estrada’s exhibit at the Philippine Center, take us with college chum Leny Domingo to various spots in the city including the feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, join pigging out at Lorli’s and elsewhere. He never made a big to-do about his “new toy” as he called it, when he brought us to his small office which had leased out portions, and housed the modeling agency, and the Soho festival office.

Our only inkling that the Soho fest was gearing for a brighter future was when his decision to move his second edition from freezing February to April 20 to May 1 this year did not exactly sit well with those behind Tribeca Film Festival. A high-profile exposition founded by Jane Rosenthal and Robert de Niro, it was the film festival of lower Manhattan held every April. Their 10th edition will take place April 20 to May 1 right smack opposite Soho’s. “I am a nobody, and Tribeca is a giant,” he confessed then. “I must be doing something right.”

At the same time, this attention gave the “little boy” confidence to pursue his “new toy” more ardently and with decidedly professional attention. What gave Jorge further impetus to focus was the outcome of the first Soho fest last year that attracted around 300 applications and 20 some accepted entries showing during the four days of the fest. This year, he tells us happily, they had close to 700 applicants, over 20 selected features for competition, over 30 short films, an extended film showing of eight days, tremendous positive feedback on the first SIFF NYC Icon Award, and the fact that he no longer needs to use his own money to fund the fest.

While on a short visit to Manila to attend to the needs of his ailing father, Jorge took time out for dinner with Fanny Serrano, director Neal Tan and supporters of Tarima, one of those in competition at Soho. We took advantage of the occasion to be updated on the whirlwind of activities that has suddenly surrounded our friend.

Jorge with character actor Frank Vincent

He is still overwhelmed over the reception his “new toy” has drawn. He has not really had much difficulty in getting sponsors, inviting celebrity jurors from all over the world, attracting more and more participants. He confesses that the “little boy” charm seems to have become more of an advantage than a drawback judging from the relative ease he and his president and program coordinator Luis Pedron are experiencing so far. “People apparently congregate behind the underdog, much more so one with little or no experience,” Jorge muses.

The Soho filmfest has been given $30,000 festival support from the Oscars; was provided by Mayor Bloomberg 20 bus shelters all over the city with running promotional mini-billboards of their entries; has acquired four theaters in the Quad Cinemaplex at 34 West 13th Street as festival address housing the audience beautifully without their need of changing venues.  

We already know about how film students at New York University are involved in the initial screening of entries, and that the festival carries the “Made in NY” logo from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Television & Broadcasting. Now from Sibyl Santiago we hear of a “Women in Film” panel with some high-profile women in the film industry, and confirmation of celebrity attendees like Armand Assante, William Forsythe, Michael Wright and Eric Roberts. But the latest exciting news is the partnering with Mient.com which is a fresh new platform that completely transforms the way independent filmmakers distribute and monetize their films online which has also given birth to Soho’s own online film channel where audiences can enjoy its festival’s films all year round! Things are definitely looking up.

With less than a month away, Jorge says they still have to disclose who the host of the awards night will be, although we have a feeling the marketing group is simply reserving the announcement for a last-minute hurrah.

Engaging feature entries in competition include the US/India documentary Bhopali, another docu from Canada One Big Hapa Family, the features Sister Mongsil from South Korea, The Bad Penny from Thailand/USA, The Abduction of Zack Butterfield from the US, and two features from the Philippines Ganap na Babae and Tarima. The Short Films running from three to 22 minutes have attracted more varied participation from USA, Czech Republic, UK, Italy, Canada, Australia and Venezuela.

Ganap na Babae that opened the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival last year is a three-part feature on womanhood directed by Rica Arevalo, Ellen Ramos, and Sarah Roxas with Boots Anson-Roa, Mercedes Cabral and sisters Sue Prado and Jam Perez starring in their own stories.

Tarima, cited in the Gawad Tanglaw and Golden Screen Awards and directed by Neal Tan, is a love story between an inmate (Rocky Salumbides) and a homosexual (Fanny Serrano) that blooms inside a prison that has strangely enough served as their escape from the more inhuman world outside. Gloria Romero and Chocoleit also star.

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