Being in Cinemalaya a dream come true for Janine Gutierrez

THE ACTRESS participated in a “familiarity workshop” for the film.

With her show biz career steadily gaining steam, GMA 7 actress Janine Gutierrez is starting to tick more and more items on her bucket list: Topbilling a teleserye on primetime? Check. Landing magazine covers? Check. A billboard on Edsa. Check.

But perhaps the most important one yet, she said, is being in an entry in this year’s Cinemalaya film festival.

“It has always been my dream, because I see Cinemalaya as a prestigious event,” Janine, who stars in the film, “Dagsin (Gravity),” told the Inquirer in a recent interview. “I got to see the trailers of the other movies, and they looked really good. I want to watch them all.”

Making the experience even more thrilling for the 26-year-old talent is the fact that her mother and grandmother are likewise part of the annual showcase:

Mom Lotlot de Leon is also in “Dagsin” by Atom Magadia; grandmom Nora Aunor is the lead star of “Tuos” by Derick Cabrido. And depending on how this year’s award categories are sorted out, these three could very well end up vying for the same acting trophy.

Janine is not looking that far ahead. “For me, being in Cinemalaya is an honor in itself. And I’m happy I got to share my first time here with my family,” she said.

Comparisons are inevitable, she added, and something she doesn’t mind. “I’m getting used to it… I’m lucky to have this opportunity.”

“Dagsin” tells the story of Corazon and Justino and the challenges and tragedies they had to endure during the Japanese occupation and martial law.

Janine and Benjamin Alves portray the younger versions of the two main characters, respectively.

JANINE Gutierrez in “Dagsin”

It’s in this movie where Janine had her first love scene, and she was a nervous wreck, she admitted.

“It’s an important scene, because it shows how passionate our characters are for each other. But it was the one thing I was concerned about when I first read the script,” she said.

Janine related that she and Benjamin had a “familiarity workshop” as preparation. “I was very scared and shy the whole time. Good thing Ben made me feel comfortable on the set… I managed to pull it off,” she said.

After “Dagsin,” Janine said, she’s looking forward to doing more independent films, which she believes will help broaden her range as an actress—like playing a hit man or being part of an action movie.

“The stories in indies are different from the ones we do in mainstream. They’re not the typical rags-to-riches arc, family problems or missing children,” Janine said, adding that she doesn’t want to become complacent when it comes to her craft. “I still feel like a newbie who still has a lot to learn.”

The other thing that makes doing indies fulfilling, Janine said, is being able to work with talented people outside her home network.

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