Filmmakers find
DVD debut to be
a surreal experience
After touring the nation for two years and promoting a film without the luxury of a Hollywood advertising budget, John Manal Castro and Gene Cajayon are pleased by their film's performance.
Their independent production, "The Debut," raked in nearly $2 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing self-distributed independent films in history.
"The Debut"
(Columbia TriStar,
DVD, $21.99.
VHS tapes available for rent.)
"The Debut" was named the best feature film at the Hawai'i International Film Festival, the San Diego Asian Film Festival and the 2001 Ammy Awards.
The film, a coming-of-age dramatic comedy, focuses on a Filipino-American teenager torn by cultural and generational conflicts. It was released yesterday on DVD and VHS.
The Special Edition DVD has lots of extras, including short films by Castro and Cajayon, director and writer commentary, five behind-the-scenes featurettes, six deleted scenes and a gag reel. Subtitles are available in English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese and Tagalog.
"It's kinda surreal at this point," said producer-director Cajayon. "I spent 11 years -- my whole adult life -- working on this project.
"I'm going to take some time and go to the local Blockbuster store. My adult life will be summed up in a 6-ounce box on the shelf. Hopefully, it's not too emotionally devastating," he laughed.
COLUMBIA TRISTAR
Joy Bisco and Dante Basco play Annabelle and Ben, who share a romantic encounter in "The Debut."
"The Debut" screened in only a few cities, but the film will now be available in broad distribution. The filmmakers showed the film on Oahu but not on the neighbor islands, due to a lack of funding.
"People who were too busy or unable to get to the theaters can now experience the film, too," said Castro.
"People will learn more about the struggle it took to make this film. The process started back in 1992.
"A documentary (included on the DVD) shows the grass-roots effort -- our political campaign of how we went to the streets to promote the movie ourselves. More insight is provided on the effort it took to get this film in the theaters."
The obstacles and hardships were part of the success, added Cajayon. The filmmakers and crew traveled from city to city, visiting malls, walking the streets and reaching out to community groups to publicize the film.
"Our group made a two-year tour across the U.S., from California to Guam to Hawaii and New York City. We drove our cars (from city to city), crashed at other people's houses and made new friends across the country," said Castro.
The main goals were to break through Asian-American stereotypes and to try to create more opportunities for Asian Americans in the film industry. Cajayon hopes that his efforts will make pursuing a film career easier for future generations.
Growing up in Orange County, Cajayon said he often felt "ashamed and embarrassed of being of Asian descent."
One of the most interesting features of the retail package is the commentary that assesses scenes throughout the movie, according to Castro. "People can shut us off if they get annoyed," he laughed.
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