Bahala Na film screening, in celebration of Filipino American History Month

Garland Cultural Arts is proud to host the hometown premiere of Bahala Na (Whatever Happens, Happens), the feature-length directorial debut of independent filmmaker Andrew Orticio. The event is free and open to the public, in celebration of Filipino American History Month.

A Q&A with director Andrew Orticio will follow the screening, moderated by Thomas Schubert, executive director of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas and long-time instructor of Garland High School's Reel Owl Cinema program.

ABOUT THE FILM
Through a trip to his father's village in the Philippines, a half-Filipino / half-White
documentarian discovers what it means to be mixed.

After hearing to "write what you know," in film school, mixed-race filmmaker Andrew Orticio struggles with his voice as an artist and if he can accurately portray an Asian character. Through sit down interviews with his White mother, Filipino father, and mixed-raced sister, Orticio hosts difficult conversations with his immediate family about his own upbringing before going to the Philippines.

In the Philippines, Orticio attempts to immerse himself in the culture of San Jose, the village in which his father grew up. Orticio and his father visit his Lolo's grave, play volleyball with the family of 120+ people, and host a feeding at the local elementary school that his father attended. Orticio is candid with the camera, explaining that while he may not speak the language and still lives 8000 miles away, he now understands his family's sense of humor, their culture, and how they live. He leaves the Philippines with a new understanding of his own identity as someone who is biracial, a filmmaker, and someone who is about to graduate college and enter the "real world."

At its core, Bahala Na or (Whatever Happens, Happens) is a film about identity. It explores the themes of race, growing up, and feeling like an outsider and through a handheld camera and on-screen vulnerability, portrays its story in a way for everyone to see themselves on screen. In times where race and economy are the highlights of the nation's dialogue, this film offers digestible and relatable insight into the life of a minority student about to take their first steps into adulthood

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Andrew Orticio is an independent filmmaker from Garland, now based in Austin, TX. A graduate of GHS' Reel Owl Cinema and UT Austin's RTF program, Orticio has directed over 25 short films and recently finished post-production on his feature-length directorial debut, BAHALA NA, a documentary surrounding his mixed-race identity shot in the Philippines. He has previously worked for Paramount, NEON, and Richard Linklater's Detour Filmproductions and his credits include Netflix's HITMAN and the recent Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Screening F*** MY SON. Currently serving as the Communications Manager at Texas Archive of the Moving Image, Orticio enjoys celebrating the rich film history of Texas and is hopeful for more productions to come to the state