Back from the ‘Toto’ tour

JOHN Paul Su (left) and Thou Reyes at the Writers Guild of America, West event in Los Angeles Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA

Fresh from his trip to the United States for screenings of John Paul Su’s indie film, “Toto,” actor Thou Reyes couldn’t help expressing his gratitude for the rare opportunity to watch his film with foreign audiences.

Reyes, who won best supporting actor in the New Wave section of December’s Metro Manila Film Festival for “Toto,” graced three screenings in the United States: the Palm Beach International Film Festival on April 9; the Writers’ Guild of America, West (WGAW) event on April 18; and the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 24.

Watching “Toto” with a largely American audience was a thrill, he recalled. “My heart was filled with so much joy and pride that we were able to tell this story to a foreign audience. We laughed, cried and connected with each scene,” he looked back.

The viewers were genuinely interested in the movie and asked probing questions about the filmmaking process. “They wanted to know how long the shoot was,” he recounted. “When I told them that it took 17 days, they were in awe.”

The foreigners were also amazed to learn that the cast and crew would usually spend 14 hours on the set on each working day. “I found it funny, because we are so used to a 24-hour work schedule here.”

They were also curious about the film’s budget, he said—specifically, “how we were able to make the film look like a million bucks with meager resources.”

Highlight

Reyes considers the Writers’ Guild screening as the highlight of his US tour. “I was told that I was the first Filipino to be part of such an event,” he related. “I felt honored to represent the country.”

He basked in the warm glow of the praises heaped on him by the writers and other industry insiders who saw the movie. “They were surprised that I didn’t look like the character I played onscreen,” he quipped.

Reyes, who attended the screenings with the film’s director Su, was encouraged by the positive feedback. He is no stranger to international productions—having worked on the TV show, “The Kitchen Musical,” in Singapore in 2011.

The US trip also made Reyes realize “that we can do more. That we can penetrate the international market with our talent and determination.”

Like the movie’s titular hero Toto (played by Sid Lucero), “Filipinos never stop trying… we are always positive and driven.”

Now that he’s back in Manila, Reyes has no other plan but “to work, work and work.”