Direk Chris Cahilig’s advice to victims of bullying

“If you are a victim of, or a witness to, bullying, don’t keep quiet. Talk about it and ask for help,” said director Chris Cahilig, who helmed the short film “The Bully,” when asked what he thought was the best advice for the youth.

“Bullying is real,” the filmmaker added. “If we persist in glossing over the issue, we will do a disservice to scores of bullying victims and to the values that we hold dear.”

“The Bully” is a heart-rending but essential watch for people of all ages, insisted Cahilig, who did the project for the leather brand McJim.

It tells the story of Ramon Christian Galvez (Jordan “Jay” Castillo Jr.), an antibullying advocate who returns to his alma mater to give a talk on bullying. This rouses memories of the character’s own disquieting past—visions that continue to haunt him to this day.

“[Our team] takes on another critical advocacy: antibullying,” said Cahilig, promising that “the film is socially relevant and … viewers will get hooked on it until the end—all for a good cause.”

“The Bully” can be viewed on McJim’s official Facebook page.

Cahilig is also behind McJim’s previous award-winning shorts “Pitaka” (best branded digital ad at the 40th Catholic Mass Media Awards, best illustrated poem at the 2018 Wales International Film Festival), “Sinturon,” “Bag,” and “No Strings Attached” (best social shorts award at the Liverpool International Film Festival 2018 in the United Kingdom). —MARINEL R. CRUZ