Family drives Carl Valencia to make films

CEBU, Philippines — When making movies, Carl Valencia lives by this mantra: Birds sing beautifully, but nobody hands them trophies.

Many of his peers in the local scene agree that Valencia is a talented filmmaker who can direct, act, and even animate, as evidenced by his awards, including Best Actor at the Sinulog Film Festival earlier this year. But he didn’t become a filmmaker to impress critics or chase awards. He’d much rather entertain friends and family.

“Laughs are the awards that I look forward to winning,” said Valencia, who took to filmmaking when he was just 10 years old. “You usually go to the cinema with your loved ones, your friends, and your family. That’s why I want to make movies, so that my friends and family can be there to watch them with me. The only audience I listen to are them.”

Dedicated to family

Family serves as a crucial inspiration in Valencia’s stories. One example is the dramedy short film “Mutya”, which stars his mother, Jennet Valencia, a former actress for local radio dramas and commercials.

The short follows a senior citizen who tries online dating and ends up meeting a foreigner. However, her best friend suspects something is off about her new beau.

The premise came from a lunchtime conversation between Valencia and his mother when they discussed how senior citizens and overseas workers are often targeted by scammers online.

“Mutya” premiered at enspace Cebu during her birthday. The audience included family, friends, and sponsors who helped fund the project.

On directing his mother, Valencia said, “We have to be professional. Outside of the set, she is my mother. But during shooting, I am the director, and she is the actor. She took my notes professionally, not taking offense at what I said, and she improved after my feedback.”

There are no hard feelings for Jennet, who echoed her son’s sentiments. “The movie industry now is becoming high-tech, and young people are pioneers in it. I have to follow and see what my son wants. If I don’t, it won’t be a success.”

Valencia’s dedication to his family extends to his animated works. His entry for the Dwende Creative Sprint by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), “Nari”, tells of a bond between an abandoned cat and a diwata who takes the cat under her care.

“I have a cat also named Nari. She was abandoned, and I took good care of her. Now she’s healthy and strong, living her life to the fullest. That’s where I got my inspiration to make this short animated film that is funny and magical,” he shared.

While working on “Nari”, Valencia simultaneously developed another short, “Message”, for the Paskong Pinoy sa Baa Baa Video Contest by Baa Baa Thai Tea, inspired by his late grandmother’s favorite milk tea flavor.

“Animation was the medium where my grandma smiled and laughed the most, especially when she saw some of my previous works. I’ll probably do more animations in the future because of her,” he said.

Explaining his frequent references to family in his works, Valencia shared, “I came from a broken family, and it’s hard for me to put everyone together in harmony. So I decided it would be nice if my family could exist together in a good and loving environment, and filmmaking and animation are great mediums to create that.”

“My vision for a loving family came true, and I want to make more films about family. Hopefully, when people watch my films, they’ll value their own families more, and watch with them, too.”

While more screenings for “Mutya” are planned for next year, Valencia’s animated shorts “Nari” and “Message” can be viewed on the Facebook pages of Dwende Creative Sprint and Baa Baa Thai Tea, respectively.

Many of his other animated works are available to watch on Kozcus Studio’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

He admits that animation is where he tells his stories best. “You can do a lot through animation. In live-action shorts, it takes around three to five frames to make a point, but in animation, one frame tells a whole different story already. I believe telling stories through animation can place you in a different set of reality,” he said.

Inspirations

Known among his peers for his comedic instincts, Valencia finds the genre’s versatility both exciting and challenging as a filmmaker.

“You can make anything out of comedy, from politics to religion. People can relate and laugh, but it’s hard to make people laugh. That’s why it’s quite a challenge,” he explained.

As an actor, he cites Jim Carrey and John Lloyd Cruz as his idols for their versatility, including their forays into comedy. As a director, he looks up to Steven Spielberg and Cathy Garcia-Sampana for their attention to storytelling.

On what sets Cebuano films apart from mainstream ones made in Manila, Valencia explained, “The punchlines already have another story to them. I don’t exactly know how a Cebuano mind works, but it’s so abstract that it entertains people. I believe Bisaya is a great language for humor. That’s why I emphasize action in my work. Even if you mute a scene, you can still laugh at it.”