Press Forward on choosing the next project for Director Enzo Williams: “We came from a highly-acclaimed movie which is Bonifacio. It’s just right that we select something to that level.”
by Leony R. Garcia
Selecting the next project for Director Enzo Williams, of the acclaimed movie, Bonifacio, Ang Unang Pangulo, isn’t as easy as ABC.
“After all we came from a highly-acclaimed movie which is Bonifacio. It’s just right that we select something to that level,” explained movie producer Rina Navarro, during an intimate lunch-interview by the officers of the Philippine Movie Press Club.
She revealed, however, that they are currently working out projects with Star Cinema and with actor Dingdong Dantes. But she refused to give other details about the projects “until it is the right time.”
When asked, why Dingdong? Navarro answered back with, and why not Dingdong?
Dantes reportedly has given them “great ideas” for an action film.
Aside from the ongoing preparation for the above-mentioned unnamed projects, Navarro is toying with ideas of bringing back action movies in the country just like during the glory days of Fernando Poe Jr. and Rudy Fernandez. She’s thinking of having action stars Cesar Montano, Bong Revilla, and others on this age bracket in an explosive action movie.
She’s also thinking of doing a series movie in the mold of The Expendables. The PMPC suggested the names of Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales, Diether Ocampo and Dantes, among others, to be part of the action film series.
“There’s nothing final really. All we need are good materials,” Navarro said.
For his part, Director Williams is ready to work with any artist for as long as they have the same desire for quality projects.
Just like Bonifacio? Yes just like Bonifacio where Williams did six months of research before working on the film. The film was entirely shot using an Arri Alexa camera with anamorphic lenses and a complete Arri Raw post-production workflow, and was edited using processes which are also used in major Hollywood movies such as Gravity and Iron Man 3. Bonifacio is the first film in the Philippines to device the technology.
Williams also supervised the work of the location managers to locate a suitable location for a scene during the shooting of the film. He was aided by cinematographer Carlo Mendoza, production designer Roy Lachica, musical scorer Von de Guzman, and stunt director Sonny Sison who has worked for Hollywood.
The result, of course, was a great movie which won 9 awards including Best Picture, Youth Choice Award, FPJ Memorial Award for Film Excellence and Gatpuno AntonioVillegas Cultural Award during the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival in December 2014.
At the recent 31st PMPC Star Awards for Movies, Williams competed with the best directors of the country and won as the 2015 Movie Director of the Year. “Bonifacio” took home 8 awards that night including The Movie of the Year award.
Here are some information about PMPC’s 2015 Movie Director of the Year:
Williams was born and raised in Manila where he spent his childhood weekends watching movies and at age of nine he knew he wanted to become a filmmaker. Right after his school, he followed his Mother to Los Angeles and pursued his career in film.
On 2010, he attended Los Angeles City College Cinema and Television Department and studied for two years. The college was named the largest Film and Television school in the United States. After meeting Director Michael Mann, whom aspires to be, he shot his first American action short film “CAIN” and it won as the best film of the semester.
He was the first Filipino citizen that captured that prize. It premiered at the “Chicago Filipino American Film Festival” and was an Official Selection at the “International Student Film Festival Hollywood” where it competed with the top film schools in the world.
In 2014, Enzo returned to Manila and directed his first feature film “Bonifacio; Ang Unang Pangulo.”
