Why Travis Kraft loves the Philippines

Audiences will get a chance to see Travis Kraft on a much larger screen when his new movie, Ang Turkey Man ay Pabo Rin hits theaters on Dec. 18 to 24 at all Ayala Malls nationwide. Travis has a huge following on YouTube and has appeared in various television shows.

Ang Turkey Man ay Pabo Rin is a romantic comedy about a relationship between an American and an unsophisticated Filipina. “I am always telling my American friends how sweet and lovely Pinays are. Tuesday Vargas plays a wonderful wife in the film despite the differences in backgrounds. It is their differences that create problems for the couple, but that is where the fun comes in for the audience. It is also a great holiday film. As an actor, I never thought I’d make a Thanksgiving film. What’s really interesting is I made one in a country that doesn’t even celebrate Thanksgiving,” says Travis.

Travis was also impressed by the reaction of the audiences and great reviews the movie received during its screenings at the CineFilipino Film Festival as well as in UP and DLSU. Travis says, “It was fun to watch it with the audience and hear all the laughter. It blew my mind seeing how much people enjoyed it. Writer Allan Habon and director Randolph Longjas came up with a great idea and executed it excellently, so people really responded.”

Aside from the upcoming movie, Travis has also become an in-demand public speaker. He speaks on a wide range of subjects, ranging from Filipino culture, to video content creation, to personality development.

He also has a steady stream of content on his YouTube channel and one of the unique things he has done is hosting a series of celebrity interviews. Some of his guests included Jake Cuenca, Ronnie Ricketts, Kamikazee, Raimund Marasigan, Franco, Rico Blanco and Chef Boy Logro.

Travis has been producing videos promoting the Philippines. He gets e-mails everyday from Filipinos appreciating his videos and from foreigners asking advice on where to go, what to do and how to stay safe.

Travis enthuses, “Many people think I love the Philippines because of its beaches or food or something like that, but the real reason I love the Philippines so much is because of the people. I always tell people they have to visit the country to experience being around the friendliest, happiest people on Earth. It has been my pleasure to expose this country to people around the world.”

Apart from Tuesday, the cast of Ang Turkey Man Ay Pabo Rin also includes Julia Clarete, Cai Cortez and JM de Guzman. For more info, visit www.traviskraft.com.

Teacher & student in The Nutcracker

Last Dec. 8,  prima ballerina and Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and her student Jessa Balote, co-starred in The Nutcracker, a benefit performance for Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF) and its outreach program. The show was held at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

Jessa was an 11-year-old scavenger from Tondo when she qualified for Ballet Manila’s Project Ballet Futures in 2009. Today, at 15, she has been named a company member and is on track to a promising career in dance.

Jessa is in Grade 7 at the school run by the Philippine Christian Foundation near her home in Tondo. “She’s very determined,” Lisa  says of Jessa. “Despite the long hours she devotes to ballet, she makes sure to give time to her studies, too.”

Jessa danced as Little Masha while Lisa as Big Masha and the Sugaplum Fairy in the popular holiday production. This is the story of a little girl named Masha whose generous spirit on Christmas Eve transports her to a magical land of dancing dolls, giant rats, a nutcracker who turns into a prince and the glamorous Sugar Plum Fairy.

Philippine Christian Foundation is a non-government organization that is sending to school poor children from the Smokey Mountain Dumpsite and Navotas Public Cemetery.

Aside from Jessa, PCF has at least 10 students being trained by Ballet Manila to become ballet dancers.