Hollywood Bulletin
By JANET SUSAN NEPALES
February 27, 2011, 1:58pm
LOS ANGELES – When it rains, it pours.
Moderator and organizer of the event, Winston Emano, summed it up, “Six years ago, we were all excited to have Pia Clemente as our first Filipino-American filmmaker to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short category for her film ‘Our Time is Up.’ Today, we have four of the five Filipinos who will be walking on the Oscar red carpet this year. Welcome our Class of 2011 for the Oscars!”
The four who were present at the SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) facility in LA where the press conference was held were Filipino Oscar nominee Matthew Libatique, cinematographer of “Black Swan,” and the three Filipino-American producers of the Oscar-nominated frontrunner in the Best Live Action Short, “God of Love,” namely Gigi Dement, Stephen Dypiangco and Stefanie Walmsely.
Emano reported, “Too bad part-Filipino Hailee Steinfeld, who is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ‘True Grit,’ cannot join us today. We got word yesterday that Hailee, who just came from a trip to Japan, got the flu bug and she hopes to get better soon.”
Matthew, whom we have met and interviewed a few months ago, arrived in his usual get-up of dark sunglasses, gray suit, scarf and denims. It was also his first time to meet the Fil-Am producers of “God of Love” and the four immediately bonded.
Stefanie, who was a former host of “Eat Bulaga” and a former talent of our friend, talent manager, Girlie Rodis, was filming the occasion for her blog for GMA-7. “I am making a little video diary for them,” she revealed. Stefanie, who was born and raised in Manila, began acting at the age of seven. In high school, she hosted “Eat Bulaga” and has appeared in numerous commercials and TV shows. At 18, she was cast opposite Bob Hoskins in Showtime’s “Noriega: God’s Favorite,” and was later cast as the adopted daughter of Chad Lowe and Kristin Davis in “The John Denver Story.” After high school, she moved to New York to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
“When I told my friends I didn’t know what I was going to wear, suddenly I got three gowns from the Philippines,” she said. Rajo Laurel, who dressed up Pia Clemente with LA-based fashion designer David Tupaz, was one of those who volunteered to dress her up.
Los Angeles-based Stephen Dypiangco, who was excited to finally meet Matthew, brought his mom, the charming, silver-haired Lucila Ocampo Dypiangco. “I still cannot believe that I just met Matthew,” he exclaimed. “I have heard a lot about him and it’s so exciting to finally meet him.” Stephen is also proud that he is a new father of a four-month-old baby girl and is excited to share his new project, “Home Unknown,” which follows his buoyant, thoughtful and emotional journey to explore his roots in the Philippines with a pair of uncooperative sidekicks – his parents.
New Yorker Gigi Dement, who was born in Baguio City, also could not believe that she will be going to the Oscars that she said, “I was saved by fashion designer Oliver Tolentino who will be doing my gown. I told him I don’t have anything to wear and I am not used to wearing high heels!”
The daughter of Deane Dement, a sailor in the American Navy, and Manolita Almario Buenaventura Borja, a former actress. Growing up in Dubuque, Iowa, where she witnessed Sylvester Stallone’s “F.I.S.T.” being shot, it was her experience watching Albert Lamorisse’s “The Red Balloon” that led to her lifelong pursuit of making movies.
As for Matthew, we asked him where he was and what his reaction was when he found out he was nominated for the Oscars.
“I was driving to the set,” he said. “I happen to be up that time at 5 a.m. I was driving to Malibu Canyon. My wife was visiting her family. She called me while I was driving and asked, ‘So do you know?’ because she missed the announcement. I said, ‘No.’ She was on the internet and checked. I was a little nervous. But then she just screamed. I asked her what happened. ‘You made it!’ she said. ‘I was actually more relieved. This whole awards season is unlike other awards seasons for me. I have been in the industry for the past 17 years. To have people respond to this film is so incredible. Deep inside, I wanted it to happen although I never truly believed that I would get a shot at it. I didn’t believe that somebody would actually recognize me and nominate me for an Academy Award. Clearly, I am very happy. It was a relief, a burden off my shoulders.”
Asked what he was looking forward to when he goes to the Oscars, the unassuming Matthew said, “I want to meet Tom Ford.”
He added, “I constantly tell myself to enjoy it because it is easy for you to be swept away. I have been around celebrities but after going through the baptism of fire, for the first time in my career, I am a little star struck because it is an intense environment.”
“At the New York Critics Awards, for instance,” he continued, “screenwriter Aaron Sorkin of ‘The Social Network’ spoke before me. I immediately felt insecure. As a cinematographer, I am just a fraction of how elephant he is. So I reminded myself to be myself… all the time. Yes, all the time. I simply tried to enjoy it. Plus I am still thinking whether I really need to write a speech or not. People say I need to. But for me, it’s like bringing a condom when you go out on a date. Probably I should just do my shout out to my Tito Tony Abad because every time he sees me, he tells me, ‘You have to mention me at the Oscars!’ So probably, I am going to do it now since this is the Filipino press. Hopefully, he will see this!”
Formerly a Manila journalist, Los Angeles-based Janet Susan R. Nepales is a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
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