Asog

Cannes Docs

Asog

Original title: Asog

Directed by: Seán DEVLIN 叶 世民

Produced by: Amanda ERNST (Beb Bingo Entertainment, Canada)

Country of production: Canada, Philippines

Runtime: 99'

Production stage: Post-production

Budget: $255.000 USD (85% in place)

1st feature: No

Looking for: Sales Agents / Distributors, Buyers, Gap Financing, Strategic Guidance, Festivals

Synopsis:

JAYA is a non-binary Filipino comedian who survived Super Typhoon Haiyan but lost their TV career when the storm destroyed the studio where they hosted their local talk show. ASOG follows Jaya on a road trip to a drag pageant and along the way they encounter Filipinos enduring the impacts of climate change, including residents of Sicogon Island whose land was stolen in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

Director’s profile:

Seán Devlin 叶 世民 is a Filipino-Canadian filmmaker and comedian. His debut feature WHEN THE STORM FADES is available on Amazon Prime and AMC+ / Sundance TV. It earned Devlin two international jury prizes for Best Director and the Emerging Canadian Director prize presented by the DGC at VIFF. It won Best Canadian Film (Gimli Film Festival) and two Vancouver Film Critics’ Awards. While screening at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival Devlin participated in Brillante Mendoza’s directing masterclass (the first Filipino to ever win “Best Director” at Cannes). Mendoza deepened Seán’s understanding of the Filipino cinematic practice of “found story”, directly shaping his 2nd feature ASOG. His debut album AIRPORTS. ANIMALS was nominated for the 2022 JUNO award for Comedy Album of the Year’. In 2023 he made his TV stand-up debut on Just For Laughs & CBC’s NEW WAVE OF STAND-UP.

Producer’s profile:

Amanda Ernst is an emerging Canadian film producer with over a decade of experience in artist and project management. As a producer at Beb Bingo Entertainment, Amanda oversees projects from the early development stage, financing, pre-production, on set, and through to distribution. Amanda is the lead producer on her first feature length film, docufiction hybrid ASOG, which will premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Currently Amanda serves as producer on a slate of projects including features, TV series, and an experimental Indigenous language adaptation project.