After working as a videographer for the Filipino Student Association at Georgia Tech for almost a year, I have been interested in creating representation in film for Filipino and Asian Americans. By writing a story that features characters and their cultures as well as having a crew with Asian-American backgrounds, my aim is for this film to be an example of that movement on and off-screen.
The approach for the branding of Kaperosa will reflect its goal of being a piece of representation, that is, it is a film for Filipino Americans. Certain aspects that resonate with many include the food, the mythological stories we are told growing up, and a family-oriented environment. These ideas are all instilled within Kaperosa and by presenting these topics to the audience, we hope to capture the interest of Fil-Ams who come across our social media accounts.
Asian-American representation in film has been getting more traction in recent years with various films such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Shang-Chi, and the Legend of the Ten Rings, etc. The demand for Asian-American stories is still high especially for Filipino/Southeast Asian stories, and so presenting this film as one that champions this will get people to share it with family and friends.
Our plan is to reach our audiences by visiting student organizations’ meetings, grocery stores, and restaurants. Focusing on face-to-face interactions and being involved within the community on-ground and online should enhance that engagement, aiming to create a deeper interest from those we meet.
Matthew Macasieb is a filmmaker residing in Kathleen, Georgia. Matthew is currently a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta and is set to graduate in 2023. There, he has been working on various student projects as well as commercials within the camera, grip, and lighting departments. His interest in emerging XR technology convinced him to pursue a visual effects minor. Matthew is in the process of creating his thesis film and is ready to exercise everything he has learned as a young filmmaker so far. His dream is to further continue his work in highlighting Asian-American voices as inspired by his work as a videographer at Georgia Tech's Filipino Student Association.
Jasmeen Shaqueita is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker from Jakarta, Indonesia residing in Atlanta, Georgia. Jasmeen draws inspiration from her everyday surroundings in hopes to tell stories from life through different mediums, experimenting with all the ways they could be told through various ideas and concepts. Having worked a wide range of jobs, from Studio Photographer to Web Designer, she welcomes the challenge of mastering new skills to grow and become the artist she aspires to be. Through the is currently producing, she is determined to tell stories that represent the South-East Asian community as well as to deliver this heartfelt story.
Kimmy Barnard is originally from Greenwich, Connecticut, and is a senior at SCAD with a major in film and television production and a double minor in writing and producing. She is excited and honored to be a part of a project so meaningful and can’t wait to help share this story with others. When not on set or buried in her laptop, she is a coffee addict who loves to spend time reading outside and embracing the little nature that Atlanta has to offer.
Nguyen (Carrot) Ho is a 21-year-old Award-Winning filmmaker, currently attending Savannah College of Art and Design for his Bachelor’s Degree in Film and Television. Nguyen’s passion started back in 2019 when he won Best Picture for his film “Missing” at the Gwinnett county film festival. In his first year in college, Nguyen worked on numerous narrative projects ranging from student to professional sets. He has worked alongside USA Olympic athletes, and Amazon Prime, as well as in music videos with artists such as Lil Durk and Wix Patton. His latest award-winning narrative short “Sunflowers” premiered back in January 2022. The film is currently in the festival run and has already received many recognitions from festivals based in Boston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles for Best Student Indie Short, Best Student Director, and Best Drama respectively. Additionally, Nguyen co-founded the film production company, YR Productions, LLC.
There’s a photo that sits on a table in my living room back home. It’s a picture of myself, my sister, and my grandfather. At the time, he was visiting us in Massachusetts all the way from the Philippines. While he was there, he constructed rock walls and planted trees which became landmarks that I was able to witness grow with me at that house. However, I don’t remember a lot of who he was really like. My grandfather suffered from a heart attack in our home. I remember the ambulance lights flashing in the middle of the night, sitting in hospital parking lots for hours, and ultimately having to attend his funeral. At that point in my life, I had not yet grasped the concept of death. I had not yet learned that our lives end. My strongest memories of that time consist of the pain and loss that my family experienced, but not of that photo when I was hugging his leg with the biggest smile on my face. I often wonder what it would have been like to have really known him, but all I can do is wish that I might remember even one moment spent with him. However, despite not having been able to interact with either him or my grandmother, I know in my heart that the love they have for me is very real.
Kaperosa is at its core a tale of love, passed on from the ones we’ve lost to those we have yet to meet. Despite the loss and longing that the characters carry, they each continue on in the comfort of the love that can be fulfilled by those closest to them now. Throughout my time at SCAD, I’ve talked at length about the effects and significance of the representation of Asian Americans in media. Recently, my involvement in the Filipino Student Association at Georgia Tech has allowed me to meet other Filipino-American students my age who all grew up wishing they were better represented in the shows and movies they watched. With this film, I hope to transition my work from discussing to contributing to the space of Asian-American stories. I aim to use this film as a stepping-off point in my search for finding more filmmakers out there who value speaking their truth as Asian Americans.
Our goal is that this film inspires even more people to tell stories pertaining to their own realities as Asian or Filipino Americans, and bring the community closer together by pushing people to become proactive in supporting these kinds of stories and voices. Our goal is that this film resonates with those who have lost people close to them and reassures them that they are indeed loved and cared for. Even after death, there is a very real love that is reborn in new life, and the ones who’ve passed on will continue to look out for us, whether we realize it or not.