MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT and an earlier Dirty Kitchen Production, TRABAHO will have an initial and limited dvd release at the Cinemalaya Film Festival 2011

myfakeamericanaccent — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:13:20 +0000

Dirty Kitchen Productions have added this year’s limited DVD release of both films to its film premiere at the Festival’s NETPAC Section with its 2011-produced movie entitled Local Girls. The dvds shall be sold for the duration only of the festival July 15-24, 2011 at the CCP Gift and Souvenir Shop and at the designated Greenbelt Cinemalaya DVD booth.

MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT will air on GMA Pinoy TV cable territories

myfakeamericanaccent — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:57:33 +0000

In the US, Canada, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe and North Africa, GMA Pinoy TV cable will have the international premiere screening of My Fake American Accent on October 17, 2010. Please ask your cable provider for GMA Pinoy TV to be able to watch My Fake American Accent for the first time outside the Philippines. Thank you.

OCTOBER 17,2010 scheduled airings:

PDT 11:05 PM EDT 2:05 PM HAWAII 8:05 AM

MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT is on the Asian Film Market 2010 Independent Film Section Online screenings

myfakeamericanaccent — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:50:11 +0000

For distributors who are badge holders of the market, check us out on the Online screening section of the Market’s site.

Time for the Iligan City premiere and special one-time screening of My Fake American Accent

myfakeamericanaccent — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:57:26 +0000

Still part of this year’s Active Vista Film Festival, MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT screens on September 6, 2010 at 9 a.m., at the Mindanao State University IIT Gym in Iligan City. To the Active Vista Film Festival organizer Dakila, thanks so much. This country needs heroes like you guys.

Time for Davao City to watch My Fake American Accent

myfakeamericanaccent — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:22:27 +0000

The Active Vista Film Festival 2010 brings MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT for its premiere in Davao City. The special one-time only screening is on AUGUST 30, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. at the LORENZO HALL U.P. MINDANAO, DAVAO CITY.

INVITE FESTIVAL OPENING

My Fake American Accent has Active Vista Film Festival 2010 limited screenings

myfakeamericanaccent — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:00:47 +0000

Thankful for the efforts mainly of Dakila org that they have invited us once more to participate in their Active Vista Film Festival 2010 edition. Our participation with them in 2009 was a high point for MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT. Therefore, this year we are even more grateful that the festival’s venue is nationwide in scope. Having said that the schedule is posted here:

AUG 17 9am Aquinas University Daragang Magayon Hall Legaspi City

AUG 30 1pm UP Mindanao Lorenzo Hall Davao City

SEPT 6 9am Mindanao State University ITT Gym Iligan City

The festival of several independent films shown in different venues in the Philippines to the youth who are tomorrow’s Filipino heroes focuses on upholding human rights. Check out the complete listings at the Active Vista 2010 site. Thank you DAKILA, may your tribe increase.

TV Premiere of “My Fake American Accent” this October 28, 2009. 9pm, Wednesday, TV5

myfakeamericanaccent — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:08:48 +0000

This was in the Philippine Star last week. Thanks to Mr. Butch Francisco

myfakeamericanaccent — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:04:08 +0000

A call center agent’s life STAR BYTES By Butch Francisco Updated July 09, 2009 12:00 AM Photo is loading… In the not so distant past, only prostitutes, sentries and those in the medical profession worked nights. Then suddenly there is this new culture where there is happy hour in beer joints at 6, 7 in the morning — all because of the mushrooming of call centers in the metropolis. After working the graveyard shift where they get all sorts of verbal abuse from irate callers, call center agents just want to relax, unwind and take out all the stress before calling it a day or night — I don’t know, their body clock must already be so confused, no thanks to their erratic schedule. Quite recently, Robinsons Galleria screened for a week or so the indie film My Fake American Accent, which was an entry in last year’s Cinemalaya. Directed by Ned Trespeces, the movie is about life inside those call centers — how the employees operate and what miserable lives they have there (or so the film depicts). Those young people who have worked or are still slaving it out in call centers as you read this may not agree with the portrayal of some of the characters in this new profession, but we should remember that not all offices are the same and people face different situations even if they belong to one profession. In My Fake American Accent, we only see a group of call center agents who work in one department as a team and that is enough representation for me because if the writer and director aspired for more than that, the film would have been unmanageable. As the movie progresses we get to know each character one by one, but only on the surface since not everyone is provided with a backstory because if they did that, the film could just go on and on. And so there is Eric (Jonathan Neri), the newbie, who is just learning the ropes. He doesn’t really have a tough time because his teammates are supportive and they work as one — covering up for each other’s lapses even. This is a nice touch because that makes My Fake American Accent some sort of a feel-good movie in spite of the tension all around — what with irate callers complaining and even screaming at them at most times. They’re a team and they rally behind each other. We also meet Astrid (Tracy Abad), who trained to be a writer, but works as a call center agent. In journalism, people say that those who can’t write teach (not necessarily true because Jullie Yap Daza wrote, taught and later even hosted her own TV show). In the case of Astrid, obviously she can write because she is a Palanca winner. But really, is there money in writing? Apparently, working as a call center agent is more lucrative and so she sticks it out there — for the moment, so she hopes. We do get the point, however, that the call center people are better paid than most other new graduates and it’s a good option if you want to earn good money. Astrid bonds well with Samp (Cherry Mae Canton), who is a funky dresser and rebellious. There is a surprise twist in the middle of the story concerning her and her supervisor. It may not be all that important a revelation, but it works well. Then there’s Buster (Miro Valera), who — like most other young people — work hard to keep up with the latest trends (expensive shoes and the like). What happens to him in one part of the movie shows the risks involved for those working the night shift. The most challenging role is actually given to Martin de la Paz, who is called Meryl by his colleagues. He is Meryl because he can do accents — the way Meryl Streep does in Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa and A Cry in the Dark. As the team’s biggest asset, he is extremely overworked and is hardly allowed to take a day-off. As a result, he burns out easily. Martin gets to display a wide range of emotions as Meryl and he is excellent in his every scene: Being utterly professional even in the face of the most unreasonable customer (the expression on his face and the tone of his voice show it all — correctly and very realistically). He is most effective in that sequence where he is being bratty — yes, that part where you don’t even see him, but only hear him on the phone. “Ayoko nga!” (“I don’t like!”) — he barks to his boss who begs him to return to work that instant. The inflection is perfect. Among his best scenes are those with his team leader, Joanna Seva, played by Mailes Kanapi. Now, I’ve always been fascinated with this actress who played Tonya in the stage version of Insiang some years back. I didn’t see that, but I was very impressed with her when she played the co-worker of Ina Feleo in Endo — to the point that I had her name researched so I could put in a good word for her in my review of that 2007 Urian Best Picture nominee. In Endo, she is cast as a lowly worker, but in My Fake American Accent, she is the high-strung boss who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Her character may border on the caricature, but she is disciplined enough as an actress and is able to control herself before she goes overboard. And when it comes to versatility, nobody can beat her in this department. The characters we meet in My Fake American Accent show us the people who man those call centers and how stressful life is for them. While the viewers get entertained with the film’s narrative (and it helps that it is technically superior: The editing, photography and music), we also learn to be more understanding and tolerant of call center agents who take in our complaints about defective products and inefficient service. While not necessarily a propaganda, My Fake American Accent is pro-call center. Maybe it really opted to strike a balance to show both sides — the call center operations and those calling in to lodge their complaints — except that this is not an epic that can explore all angles. Sure, I said earlier that I am already happy with that small fraction of call center life shown in My Fake American Accent, but they did miss out on something very important — the voice of the dissatisfied consumer. Now, I admit I am one of those bastards who give call center agents hell when my phone company bills me incorrectly, my Internet service malfunctions (which is often) and the ATM machine is always off-line (a six-year war I’ve been having with my bank). I am a tough customer to deal with because I know I am entitled to good, quality service and when I don’t get that I raise a fuss and demand to be heard. But what do you know? The call center agents don’t listen and don’t give a hoot about the complaining party (again, as shown in the film and I am inclined to believe they did research prior to production and that was what they saw). Of course, the call center agents try to take in information and see what they can do, but they really just let us go blah-blah-blah until we get tired and exhaust all pent-up emotions. If you watch My Fake American Accent, the whining customers are bad people who should be flushed down the toilet. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed watching My Fake American Accent because it is an engrossing movie. But how I wish the customer side — especially those who were screwed up by unscrupulous manufacturers — also got their day in court. Truthfully, my heart bleeds for the call center agents because these are just kids who simply want to earn a living. But apparently, something is wrong with the system — with the consumers again at the losing end. Wonder no more why service in this country keeps deteriorating. View previous articles of this column. Article Options

MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT begins its week-run on June 17,2009,3 pm onwards at Robinson’s Galleria Indie Sine Ortigas Center.

myfakeamericanaccent — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:51:49 +0000

DIRTY KITCHEN PRODUCTIONS

myfakeamericanaccent — Mon, 25 May 2009 09:51:54 +0000