The Beat Manila's Up and Coming: Catherine & Ellis of Pocket Media Films
The Beat Manila’s Up and Coming is a series where we feature rising talented artists from Manila, giving them a platform to share what they’re passionate about and promote the work/art they (and us too!) would love for the world to know about. Do you want or know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at [email protected] or slide through our DMs on Facebook or Instagram!
Starting a business may have been the last thing on people’s minds after experiencing the effects of a global pandemic, a time when people’s hopes and dreams have been dampened by lockdowns and restrictions. But the mother-daughter tandem in our latest exclusive saw this as an opportunity — "being a family that enjoys good food and good movies” — to venture into producing films.
Formed in 2018, Pocket Media Films is a Filipino-owned production house, spearheaded by long-time ABS-CBN director Catherine O. Camarillo who has worked on several box office hits and with some of the brightest stars in the Philippine entertainment industry such as Piolo Pascual, Regine Velasquez, and Sharon Cuneta.
And then there’s Ellis Catrina Camarillo, her daughter and a creative visionary who intends to write and produce films for today’s generation. Her debut screenplay, “Chances Are, You and I” (2024) which starred Kelvin Miranda and Kira Balinger, was chosen as the first feature film of the company.
With talent and passion in their blood, there’s nothing this mother-daughter duo can’t do in the film sphere. They may be a small production company now compared to other media giants in the country, but it’s clear that they have a big vision for the future of Philippine cinema as stated in their motto: “Lahat ng kwento ay may kwenta (All stories are important and worth telling).” The duo added that their company champions all stories, emphasizing that “there is no limit to sharing stories, big or small, that would ripple a message across.”
The Beat Asia sat down with the Direk Catherine and Ellis to talk about their experience working together as director and writer; the inspiration behind their latest film “That Kind of Love” (TKL) starring Barbie Forteza and David Licauco; and what makes a film unique amid genre tropes and emerging trends.
Hello, Direk Catherine and Ellis! Can you tell us how you started working and collaborating on films together? Was it something you always planned to do?
Catherine: No, it was unexpected! It was our experience in putting up the company where I discovered my daughter’s skill for creating materials for films. When I asked her to write a screenplay and she delivered, that was when we found out that we could team up and collaborate.
Oh! So, it wasn’t in the cards at all? It was because of the company?
Ellis: That’s right. I had different plans after graduating but then the pandemic happened, and our family decided to form the company. But I’ve been collaborating with “Direk mom” even before I graduated high school since my family are film enthusiasts and because of her career background. We've always been exposed to the media.
It was only when we decided to venture into producing films that our professional collaboration started. I spontaneously pitched a few concepts. She was not aware I already had a screenplay prepared. By the time a project was being chosen, I submitted the full concept pitch along with four others written by different writers from the industry.
That’s amazing! And now you’ve written not one but two feature films for PM Productions! Let’s talk about your latest film “That Kind of Love.” What inspired you to write it?
Ellis: This may sound simple, but it was a random thought of a silk cloth! I pictured Cupid wearing a silk bandana and shades on a mission to shoot his arrows to set up people to fall in love. This is how “Ms. Love Coach” Mila, Barbie Forteza’s role, came to be. That’s why in the opening scene the main character has a silk bandana wrapped around her head, I made sure I had the initial inspiration incorporated in the visual execution of the film itself.
“That Kind of Love” was the first feature film screenplay I finished but the second film that was launched. It may be inspired by love, but mainly my true inspiration and drive was to set a statement. The goal was to create a mainstream romantic comedy that would offer a quality cinematic experience for the Filipino audience.
I’ve been dreaming of the day that our film industry could set bars higher and start creating cinematic pieces that would be able to cater to global audiences with the likes of Hollywood films and dramas. I was hoping that by showing it is possible for us to offer quality outputs, more Filipino creatives would take the risk, step up their game, and dream bigger!
Direk, as your first two films for the company are romances, is this a genre you enjoy working on the most or was it just a result of the collaboration?
Catherine: I’ve been working with the romance genre for a long time, even when I was still working as an assistant director for Direk Bb. Joyce Bernal. I’ve worked with a lot of love teams before too, like Aga Muhlach & Regine Velasquez in “Pangako Ikaw Lang”; Piolo Pascual and Judy Anne Santos in “Till There Was You” and “Don’t Give up on Us;” and Robin Padilla & Sharon Cuneta in “Pagdating ng Panahon.”
If you take a peep at my filmography, I have already explored a lot of genres including action and horror, but romantic comedy is a genre I am closely familiar with, and I enjoy making films of the genre. Fortunately, my daughter created a screenplay with this in mind and it was easier for us to collaborate on the creation of the film.
In your drive to offer a “quality cinematic experience” for audiences, would you say you’re revolutionizing well-known tropes in the romance genre?
Catherine: Revolutionizing is a strong word, but for us, it is more about improving our storytelling. Tropes are there for a reason, what works for the genre is already established.
Ellis: I agree. But if we set the bar high and use our talents to show these tropes in a new light or showcase a different part of it, then we are able to create something of quality for the audience to consume.
Can you give us a specific example from your previous projects on how it stood out among other romcoms in the PH?
Catherine: In the films that we create, like ["Chances Are, You and I"] for example, we try to reconstruct mainstream formulas and themes that are easily accepted and understood by the masses. The idea is to give them a sense of relatability but subvert their expectations in a good way.
In CHAYI, instead of focusing on straight-to-the-point “kilig” moments just like any other romcom, we incorporated instances where the dialogue between the characters is more important in driving the story. CHAYI is a dialogue-heavy film. More than the visually enticing shots, it is the dialogue that adds depth to the film experience. Something which I believe is not typical in some romantic comedies.
Ellis: The execution. We were ambitious enough to show that the Philippine Cinema can elevate with the likes of Hollywood even amidst the pandemic. When the cinemas were shut down, a lot of creatives took a step back, but PM Productions took a leap of faith.
How would you two describe your tandem as director and screenplay writer?
Catherine: Collaborative. We both want our creations to be as beautiful as they can be to the point that there are times when our ideas clash with each other. The beauty of it though, is that we’re able to use our strengths to fine-tune our creation.
Ellis: Strong. A seasoned director and a creative visionary with big dreams of making magic on the silver screen.
Having already worked on two projects, can you tell us about your most memorable moment on set?
Catherine: Definitely our first taping for “Chances Are, You and I” in South Korea. It was memorable because I put into vision my daughter’s screenplay. We did it in a beautiful setting with talented actors, and a compelling story. It was a filmmaker’s dream coming to fruition.
Ellis: For me, it was whenever we can take a very good shot of a scene or when the take is just perfect! We do a playback recording to review it again and I love it whenever we give each other a high five or a fist bump for a job well done.
What’s the best part about working with each other?
Catherine: The fact that I get to collaborate with my family, someone that I dearly love and cherish. It’s a privilege for me as I also discover and learn more about my daughter through our work. I am first and foremost a mother and she is my daughter. Seeing how far she has come will always make me proud and happy.
Ellis: It’s not every day you get to create a masterpiece with your mom, have it seen by the world, and have it immortalized as a piece made by our geniuses combined. It’s an extraordinary experience and we get to keep these memories forever.
Are there any difficulties in working closely with someone well — whom you’re related to? Isn’t it hard to keep personal and business separate?
Ellis: The difficulties always come in the form of our creative sensibilities and visions clashing with each other. There are instances when how we see the film is different from one another.
Catherine: Yes, but we learned to balance it. Having it come to terms with the film in mind is our main goal. As long as we both understand that what we are doing is for the benefit of our creation, we often arrive at a suitable agreement.
Philippine cinema has always been in a constant flux. Having been in the industry for many years, Direk, how do you balance accommodating emerging trends and staying true to personal beliefs or messages you want your films to embody?
Catherine: It will always boil down to our storytelling skills. It is easy to spot emerging trends in film that will hold the audience’s attention for a while, but it is how you present it that makes your film unique. This is where I apply my personal beliefs and messages which I want our film to embody.
Through my own unique way of storytelling, I am able to showcase what I want the audience to see and not be controlled or dictated by what is popular or what the majority understands from these trends.
As a budding female writer, Ellis, do you find it important to tell stories about and for women?
Ellis: Of course! I do keep that in mind, but I don’t heavily prioritize the thought of it now like I used to. I embrace the creative freedom to write however I want to for whoever it is about. There was a period when I became so self-conscious that it hindered the fun of writing and creative producing for me, and I don’t want to go through that again.
My mindset now is to share a story with a good message. I just want to share my thoughts and be known as a storyteller who delivers a message that people will remember and resonate with.
Any upcoming projects that we should look forward to?
Catherine: Yes, there are two upcoming projects already in the works that we’re excited to launch. My third project is a romantic-comedy film written by Manay Gina Tagasa, a veteran writer in the film and TV industry. It’s called “Meg & Ryan” and stars Rhian Ramos and JC Santos.
Ellis: The fourth project is a huge genre shift from the two feature films we worked on and it’s an action-dark comedy I wrote called, “Pandanggo ng Liwanag sa Dilim” aka “Danggo.” It stars award-winning artists Cedrick Juan, Bianca Umali, Baron Geisler, and Sir Tirso Cruz III.
How exciting! We’re really interested in the genre shift you made, Ellis, considering your first two movies were romcoms. Can you tell us about your thought process in writing "Danggo?"
Ellis: We were dreaming about producing an action film and I took it as a challenge. Actually, we had to reshuffle our lineup and replace the supposed third screenplay for "Danggo." We were planning to produce another romcom film but by the time I was able to pitch my fourth screenplay “Pandanggo ng Liwanag sa Dilim” a.k.a. “Danggo”, everyone loved it!
I’ve been working on "Danggo" for a while ever since we were already shooting for CHAYI and TKL. I develop a lot of concepts at the same time. So, when the time comes that I feel like finishing a whole screenplay, I’m the type to just ride the momentum of my creative juices and write nonstop.
There were meetings about the Metro Manila Film Festival’s 50th Anniversary and I thought maybe I could write something for it. Just then, the idea of "Danggo" was pushed forward. The root of it was to show something uniquely Filipino. Music is a big part of my writing process. I developed a concept that came from a Philippine folk dance song. The dance with lighted candles that I incorporated into the storyline became the heart and hidden message behind the whole screenplay.
We’ll definitely look forward to that and your future releases! But aside from making quality films, what would you say is the company's goal for the next five years?
Catherine: Collaboration. Hopefully, we find ourselves in a position to help other creatives showcase and bring their ideas to fruition. I want Pocket Media to have a solid enough foundation that other creatives would look at us as a way to bring their brilliance to the spotlight.
Ellis: We’ll keep producing more films and showcase series and TV shows and sharing messages that could inspire a lot of people. Hopefully five years from now we have already helped make a better impression about Philippine Cinema worldwide.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Stay updated on the latest movie premiers and releases by following Pocket Media Productions on Facebook and Instagram.
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