Arjo Atayde Wants To Tell Unfiltered Stories
Arjo Atayde’s new production company hopes to bring to the Filipino viewers a side of life that’s not aesthetically pleasing but real and unfiltered.
Feelmaking Productions Inc. (FPI) is the collaborative brainchild of Atayde with veteran television director Avel Sunpongco and advertising and marketing communications practitioner Marj So. Their goal as a production company is to create innovative and engaging content that will hopefully influence and impact people’s lives. This they hope to achieve by presenting cutting-edge stories that mirror reality in the hopes of bringing about positive change in the outlook of the viewing public on social issues.
“I found myself writing a story,” said Atayde of a time in his career when he felt compelled to give more to the industry after years of acting.
“I felt there was something more, something else that I could give to this industry. Not just fame or recognition, but a gut feel that goes beyond acting. I realized I wanted to tell stories that are simple but worth telling, something that could go global and transcend borders to bring Filipino filmmaking to another level.”
Anchored on the same level of professionalism that Atayde has witnessed in his home network ABS-CBN, FPI believes in keeping the atmosphere of their workplace and locations happy, trusting that when everyone finds joy in their work, the output would manifest the same energy. This reasoning was put into practice in their first project “Hey, Joe,” a drama centered on familial struggles and the lengths one would go through for one’s family.
Starring veteran actress Nova Villa and Atayde himself, the film is being shot on location in Baguio City along with a stellar ensemble cast that includes Joel Torre, Eric Quizon, Mon Confiado, Dumbo, Nikko Natividad, Gillian Vicencio, Iana Bermudez, Manuel Chua, Yamyam Gucong, Jobert Austria, Donna Cariaga, Chamyto Aguedan and Alexa Miro with the special participation of Ria Atayde.
“This is my dream project. This story has been in development in my head for nine years. I feel that now is the perfect time to finally turn this dream into reality. The film industry was totally affected by the pandemic, so I’m really hitting two birds with one stone through this project – making a long-time dream come true, and at the same time providing work for our brothers and sisters in the business, especially the crew who are part of this movie. We may not be able to help everyone, but this is a small contribution that we are honored to make,” said Atayde.
With FPI, Atayde and his partners hope to uplift and revitalize the film industry through a different approach to filmmaking: One that is characterized by the equal treatment of all members of the cast, staff and crew, doing away with old-school practices, keeping the mood fun and light and ensuring that the output speaks for the quality of work put behind it as they all focus in creating quality films that aspire to be at par with international standards of excellence.
For more information and exciting updates on Arjo Atayde and Feelmaking Productions Inc., follow Feelmaking Productions Inc. on Instagram and .Facebook.
