Fil-Ams at the Oscars

LOS ANGELES—At the 83rd Annual Academy Awards this Sunday, Feb. 27, several Hollywood stalwarts of Filipino lineage are among those vying for an Oscar statuette.  Fact is, Sunday’s ceremony is historic for the Fil-Am community as it features the largest number of nominees of Filipino descent.

Two of the year’s biggest films nominated for Best Picture included the work of Filipino-Americans – True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Black Swan’s Matthew Libatique, who is bidding for Excellence in Cinematography.

Gigi Dement, Stephen Dypiangco, and former ‘Eat Bulaga’ host Stefanie Walmsely produced ‘God of Love,’ nominated for Best Short Film (Live Action).

Four of the nominees spoke to media in Los Angeles’s Historic Filipinotown yesterday to share their excitement.

“I’m very nervous, but excited. It’s unexplainable,” said Libatique who served as director of photography in the hit film Black Swan that starred actress Natalie Portman. “I was more relieved than excited that people responded to this film in this way because we made a genre film and it didn’t cross our minds as filmmakers to win. I never truly believed I’d get a shot at it.”

The producers of ‘God of Love’ said they discovered the news online and each one of them was surprised and overjoyed. “I had to read it five times before I believed it was true,” Dypiangco said. ‘God of Love’ was rejected from key film festivals such as TriBeca and Sundance but qualified for the Oscars after winning the student Academy Awards.

“This is very overwhelming for me,” said Dement. “I had no idea, but in my heart I knew there was something very special about this film. So to me, it just feels like magic.”

This experience has been a whirlwind of emotions for these filmmakers as they prepare for one of the most important nights of their professional careers. Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino’s name was thrown around several times because the nominees would be wearing his designs.

“Within 48 hours, I had three gowns coming from Manila,” said Walmsely. “It’s really a fairytale and I’m going to cherish every moment of this because this is just awesome!”

Libatique is very careful to not get caught up in the hysteria. “I keep telling myself to enjoy the moment because it is very easy to get swept up…This has given me time to reflect on my career. I’m usually going 100 miles an hour so this has made me stop to enjoy this. I’ve gotten to slow down and look at everything I’ve done.”

Nowadays, it seems Fil-Ams are popping up left and right in showbiz and it is a thrilling trend. For these nominees, the growing numbers and greater presence of Filipinos in popular media have significant meaning.

“There’s an immediate camaraderie and kinship among us,” said the Black Swan cinematographer. “It’s this network of people…acknowledging, making aware of each other that will lead to us making movies together.”

For Walmsely who enjoyed the spotlight in the Philippines growing up, she says strangers have told her on Facebook, “’Thank you for being so proud to be Pinoy and showing we can do it.”

Libatique has been “lensing” since 1995 and has worked with acclaimed director Darron Aronofsky (also of Black Swan) often since the two attended the American Film Institute together. Other blockbuster films of which he was director of photography include Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Inside Man.

Although he was recognized with an Independent Spirit Award early in his career for ‘Requiem for a Dream’ and has gone on to win Film Critics’ Awards in New York, L.A., and San Francisco recently, this 42 year-old father remains grounded.

“My kids don’t really understand all of this but they are very proud of me. And that means more to me than anything.” He credits his Filipino culture for his humility.

“I come from a lower, middle-class family with immigrant parents and humility was instilled in me,” said Libatique, who grew up in the New York City borough of Queens. “It’s amazing to see APL [de Ap of the Black Eyed Peas] and Manny [Pacquiao] up there and they are so successful but still so humble. I really believe it’s engrained in our culture.”

He also believes the Pinoy lifestyle is behind his abilities to work well with others. “We assimilate the best with any subculture. I am able to gravitate toward different communities of filmmakers and work with all kinds of people.”

For someone who has worked with numerous talented actors over the years, he said he is not usually affected by being surrounded by celebrities. But this Oscar season is the first time in his career that he has been star struck – being side by side with the likes of The Social Network screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. “I just have to remind myself ‘be yourself, [I] just have to enjoy it.’”

As for Sunday, Libatique said this: “I don’t expect to win. I really feel I’ve already won by virtue of being nominated,” he explained. “I’m putting myself in a mental position that I don’t get so caught up in winning that I miss out on the other great things of what this means.”

After Sunday, it is “back to one” as the cinematographer says. The filmmakers will be back to work continuing to do what they do best.

Libatique is in talks with Aronofsky to shoot another installment of The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman. The others are working on producing more short films and documentaries.