Jeffery Jeturian – The Director of Ekstra, The Bit Player – 2013 Cinemalaya Jul 26 – Aug 4

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Fetch a Pail of Water – “…I’ve done 3 films so far. I started directing in1998, so that’s about one film a year. Fetch a Pail of Water is my second film, and my third film Larger than Life (Tuhog) was released in Manila in February 2001 where it got the best picture award in a critics’ group. I’m excited about that one because it is very different from the past two films that I made, including Fetch A Pail of Water. The original title, Pila-balde, means lining up for water but it has a sexual connotation to it. It means gang bang, a girl with guys lining up to have sex with her. What interests me are personal stories, intimate stories. But in the process, I would also like to capture the political and social background of my characters…It’s because of the industry conditions. Before you can do any substantial story, the producer requires you to put in a lot of sex, and that’s what they asked me when I presented the material. The first thing that my supervising producer asked me was if I could put in a lot of sex. I thought about it and I thought it wouldn’t harm the film if I put in a little sex except that after watching it at the festival last Sunday, I felt I somehow went overboard. But you know, that’s why I’m all excited about my third film because it’s is a parody of the sex films that we do back home. It’s my revenge on my producer!…” – Kinema (READ MORE)

Not Formula – “…I had to rise from the ranks. From college (UP Broadcast Communications), Marilou Abaya got me to be part of her director’s staff for the film “Baby Tsina”, starring Vilma Santos, in 1983. I was Production Assistant. Shooting took all of six months to finish, half of which time we weren’t getting paid our salaries any more (Talent Fees are “packaged” in shooting films) but that was okay by me because I was learning so much from the experience. I then became Script Continuity (Script Girl or Boy), Art Director, Production Designer, Assistant Director in various films and TV dramas to directors like Maning Borlaza, Leroy Salvador, Eddie Garcia, Chito Rono, Joel Lamangan and others. Even as a director, I had to start from scratch as my first “directorial” job was the 5-minute TV program, Legal Forum, of Atty. Josabeth Alonso. But even that was providential because years later, in 2004, Atty. Josabeth Alonso went into producing movies and she got me and Armando Lao to collaborate on “Minsan Pa”, her initial venture as producer. In 2006, she produced her second film, “Kubrador…I’ve done the films I did because they are the kind of films that I wanted to do, regardless of whether they’re mainstream or not. Even in my most commercial films (e.g. Pila-Balde, Tuhog and Bridal Shower), they are not mainstream in the sense that the themes and plots were not formula and that even if the genre was sex, that wasn’t the main focus of the films. Pila-Balde was about the struggles of a young woman to have a better life; Tuhog was a satire on sex in Philippine cinema, and Bridal Shower was about the commodification of love in modern life…We are at a disadvantage, budget and technology-wise, but in terms of ideas, skills and talent, we are at par with everyone else. In the end, as in all art forms, it is what you have to say and how effectively you’ve communicated it that matters…” – Ed Saludes, Project Backspace, 03 May 2007 (READ MORE)

Vilmanian Since Birth – “…Nag-post si Direk Jeffrey ng kanyang ipinadalang text message sa producer ng Ekstra na si Atty. Joji Alonso ng Quantum Films. Sabi ng direktor, “Please thank Ate Vi for me kasi ang laki ng sacrifice niya para lang matapos yung movie in time. “Record-breaking sa bilis considering her schedule! “I was a Vilmanian since birth. Ngayon, after working with her, fanatic na ako! “Dati, makapag-direct lang ako ng first film ko, sabi ko, puwede na ‘ko mamatay. Ngayon, nai-direct ko na si Ate Vi, puwede na ako uli mamatay, hehe!” Isa sa mga nirerespeto at hinahangaang film director si Jeffrey Jeturian. Halos lahat ng kanyang mga nakatrabahong artista sa kanyang mga pelikula ay nanalo ng acting awards here and abroad…“Previous to Ekstra, we had sent a few materials for Vilma to consider but nothing came of it. “It was Ferdy Lapuz who broached the idea of having Vilma play the role of a movie bit player or in colloquial parlance, an ekstra. “This is something I am familiar with, having worked in TV/movies all my professional life and a part of the showbiz industry I want to tackle and expose, as it is in the extras’ plight that the oppressive conditions in the industry is reflected most lucidly. “So we developed the material, sent it to Ate Vi for her consideration and fortunately, she got fascinated with the script and role too, for her to accept it…” – Ruel J. Mendoza, 16 April 2013, PEP (READ MORE)

Dream Cast – “…Sana was a teleplay for Viva Drama Special, telecast a few years back. I was then a production designer for Viva Television shows, mga Spotlight at Viva drama series. It was titled Karugtong ng Kahapon, with Aga Muhlach playing the role played by Gerald Madrid in the movie version, Rosemarie Gil for Nida Blanca’s movie role and Mylene Zapanta for Angel Aquino’s role as mistress. The TV version was much more simplified than the movie version. On TV, the role of Chinggoy Alonso (as Nida’s philandering husband) was short dahil sa simula pa lang namatay na siya, played by an unknown actor. In the movie version, Chinggoy’s role was full-length dahil, even if he dies at the start of the movie, he’s present in the flashback scenes. The TV drama was directed by Joel Lamangan…What I do kasi, tinatandaan ko ‘yung mga kuwento which can be tapped later for movie material. So when I was told that I could do a movie for Mother Lily’s pito-pito batch, I talked to Bing Lao, so we developed it into a movie screenplay. It was also Bing who wrote the teleplay…Kasi I was already directing for Viva Television. You know, Mukha ng Buhay at ‘yung soap opera nila. I was also making telesine for their cable supplier. Manny Valera, one of Mother Lily’s supervising producers for pito-pito movies, told me that they were open to new directors so I submitted tapes of my telesines to him, pero nothing happened. I heard that when Manny brought up my name with Mother Lily, she didn’t know me that well, except that I was Chito Roño’s production designer for Dahas (the Richard Gomez/Maricel Soriano starrer). Aside from that, I didn’t have any contact with Regal or Mother Lily. A year later, Joanne Banaga (also a pito-pito supervising producer) called me up and something did happen…Well, it’s one that would include Gloria Romero. My dream is to direct Tita Gloria; si Nida, na-direk ko na. I think that Tita Gloria is underrated. I worked with her in Saan Nagtatago ang Pagibig where I was the script supervisor. Parang si Tita Gloria has never really been given a chance to show her acting ability to the fullest. I want to do for her what Sana Pagibig Na did to Nida…Vilma (Santos). I think that between her and Nora (Aunor), underrated siya as an actress…” – The Philippine Star (READ MORE)

Jeffery Jeturian holds a communication arts degree from the University of the Philippines. He started as a production assistant for Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Alyas Baby Tsina (1984) before embarking on a career as a script supervisor, production designer, television director and finally, as film director. His first two films, Sana Pag-ibig Na (1998) and Pila Balde (1999) are both critically acclaimed. Pila Balde with the international title, Fetch a Pail of Water, in addition bagged a round of overseas honors—Gold Prize, 2000 Houston-Worldfest (Texas, USA) International Film Festival; NETPAC Jury Prize, 1999 Cinemanila International Film Festival; exhibition in Lincoln Center in the United States as well as in other countries such as Sweden, Germany, France, Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Italy. Variety, the United States’ entertainment bible, carried in its recent issue a feature on Jeffrey. His third film, Tuhog, is the current toast of critics and film buffs. – UP Shots 6 Film Artists from Diliman (READ MORE)

Jeffrey Jeturian (1959) is a Filipino director and production designer. He studied Broadcasting Communication at the University of Philippines. His line of interests are personal stories and intimate stories but he would also like to capture the political and social background of his characters. Jeturian worked his way up to where he is now by starting as production assistant for Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s film “Baby Tsina” in 1984. For over 15 years, Jeffrey worked as production assistant, script continuity, art director, production designer and assistant director before making his own debut “Enter Love – Sana Pag-ibig Na.” Almost all of Jeffrey Jeturian’s films are critically acclaimed and have received awards here and abroad like his first film “Sana Pag-ibig Na” “Pila Balde” and “Tuhog.” – Wikipilipinas (READ MORE)