Director Njel de Mesa, the visionary filmmaker behind NDM Studios, boasts an impressive roster of ten completed movies within just two years.
De Mesa, who wrote and directed each of these films, seized the opportunity presented by eased government restrictions on film production in 2021, following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to bring his creative visions to life.
“While one film is already in post-production, I was already starting filming the next project. I give the production all the time they need, so instead of getting bored waiting for the final output, I went ahead and started with the next title in the pipeline,” De Mesa told Manila Standard Entertainment in an interview.
“It’s been an exciting journey,” De Mesa shared, reflecting on his multifaceted role as both director and producer. “Having full creative freedom allows me to pour my heart into every aspect of these projects.”
De Mesa revealed plans to showcase his films at different film festivals across the globe. “We plan to take our film projects to festivals in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Canada this year,” he said. “Should there be a demand for commercial screenings back home in the Philippines, we’re fully prepared to bring our films back to their roots.”
Among the standout films on his shelf is the comedy Malditas in Maldives, premiering as a competing film at the inaugural Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival.
Starring Arci Muñoz, Kiray Celis, and Janelle Tee, the film was shot in the Maldives and was the first local production to showcase the tropical paradise located in the Indian Ocean.
“Based on scientific studies, before this century ends, the Maldives will be completely wiped out from the world map due to rising ocean levels. And we’re proud that we’re the first local production to capture the breathtaking scenery of this archipelago by featuring it in our film,” De Mesa said with pride.
Offering a glimpse into his creative process, De Mesa recently welcomed select members of the showbiz press to his Quezon City office for an exclusive preview of Malditas in Maldives.
“No one else has seen this clip aside from you,” he told the showbiz scribes about the 20-minute portion of the film. “This is the scene when the characters finally realize that they are in a loop and are not sure if they’re in purgatory or paradise.”
On another note, the award-winning director expressed enthusiasm for the festival, which celebrates cross-cultural cinematic achievement between Filipinos and Japanese.
“It’s the first international film festival in Nagoya, central Japan, and has the most number of Filipinos in Japan,” he remarked, highlighting Japan’s investment in the event. “The support is truly remarkable; the government is hyping it up.”
Apart from Malditas in Maldives, De Mesa’s Mama San is also competing in the film festival. His other works, Subtext headlined Elly Cellan, Coronaphobia starring Daiana Menezes, Will Devaughn, Paolo Paraiso, Cay Kuijpers, and Tommie Kingwill, and Must Give Pause featuring Shaneley Santos and Cheska Ortega, will also premiere at the festival.
Attendees of the festival, set for May 25 and 26, can anticipate a diverse lineup of Filipino cinema, including Catherine Camarillo’s That Kind of Love, starring Barbie Forteza and David Licauco, and Chances Are, You and I, featuring Kelvin Miranda and Kira Balinger. Additionally, the spine-chilling horror film Mananambal, starring Bianca Umali and Nora Aunor, will send shivers down viewers’ spines at the Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival.