Why we should be watching Filipino animation

Papa also attributes the rise of Filipino animation to more domestic support. “Once Liza Diño and Jose Javier Reyes stepped in (at the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP)), there was more support for animated projects and their pitches,” he says, referring to the council’s new leadership. “But for private investors, it’s still a tough sell.” Papa recalls when he pitched a 15-20 million-peso project to a film studio. They turned him down, reasoning that they can make three live-action films instead with that budget. “Making animation is expensive,” he says with a sigh.

As a result of the FDCP, Papa’s, and Liongoren’s efforts, however, other local infrastructures have started to develop. Papa points out that live-action logistical difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged a boom of animated music videos. Local festivals, such as the FDCP’s I ANIMATE and Gawad Alternatibo, also became watering holes for showcasing domestic animation. Moreover, undergraduate institutions—including Ateneo di Naga University, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, and iAcademy—are central to training the next generation of animators.

Carl Joseph Papa competed at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival with his animated documentary, "58th."

Courtesy of Carl Joseph Papa

Introducing Filipino culture to the world

Yet, for the pioneers of the Filipino indie animation scene, the struggles continue. Papa says, “Filipinos are not aware that we can make animated films from the Philippines…and we are not used to seeing them, so they keep comparing (Filipino animated films) to Western animation and anime.” This becomes difficult, he explains, when the budgets for a foreign studio production can be vastly different from a domestic film. “This is why we turn to international film festivals, to gain more traction at home,” he says.

Moving forward, both directors have entertained the idea that international co-productions and diaspora connections could help finance future projects. Papa notes how only he and Liongoren regularly reach out to international co-producers, and he encourages other animators to do the same. However, Liongoren says these partnerships can come with their own unique set of hurdles. He recounts how a French co-producer told him that he had to negotiate a character’s body language to suit an international audience because they are “not Japan” for his first feature, Saving Sally (2016).

“When people see Japan, they understand its quirks, and that they are entering a Japanese film. (She told me that) my project, being Filipino, would not be received with curiosity, but just no understanding,” he recalls. “My hope is that whatever our cultural quirks are would be a curiosity, and not just something of disinterest or misunderstanding.”