Direk Joey to go indie

After the headline hogging brouhaha brought about by his controversial sex-drama, Live Show, which was banned by the local censors in 2001, director Joey Reyes confined himself to commercial films. By choice, he worked for major film studios at the helm of projects that had box-office draw and more importantly, clinched coveted awards.

Joey is especially busy every December, when he would have entries for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Last year, he megged two entries — Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo (starring Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo) and Katas ng Saudi (which earned for lead star Jinggoy Estrada the Best Actor award).

This year, Joey fields in Octo-Arts Films’ sex-comedy One Night Only, about the hilarious sexcapades of five women who end up in the same motel where everything that transpired would forever be part of their lives and trauma.

Playing the leads are Diana Zubiri, Katrina Halili, Valerie Concepcion, Alessandra de Rossi and Jennylyn Mercado whose lives intertwine because of certain twists, turns and circumstances. The movie was filmed at the Tripoli Motel along Marcos Highway.

In the raunchy plot, Diana doesn’t know she and Valerie are sharing the same hunk (Jon Avila). Katrina is a gold digger with a congressman lover (Ricky Davao), Alessandra is a movie extra who is taken to a motel by an action star (Paolo Contis). Jennylyn is the lover of a lesbian (Manilyn Reynes). Also starring is Joross Gamboa as the kept boy of a homosexual (Chokoleit).

Joey denies the sex-filled misadventures in the story are based on his personal motel experiences. “Some are mine, while the others are based on experiences of other friends,” he shares. “The one about Alessandra’s character really happened on the set of my movie, Kung Ako na Lang Sana.”

Despite the continued slump in the local film industry, Joey worked on five films this year, including When Love Begins, Monster Mom, Magkaibigan (also an MMFF entry) and Civil Status: Single, to be shown next year.

Magkaibigan, meanwhile, is the entry of Maverick Films, produced by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada as the latter’s tribute to the late Rudy Fernandez. Jinggoy also stars in the movie with Christopher de Leon, Dawn Zulueta and Maricel Laxa.

While Joey has earned the respect of his peers, lead stars, critics and the public for his films, the director says he wants to make or produce an indie film.

“The loose term is indie film because it is not done by a major film studio,” Joey explains. “The good thing about making an indie film is that you don’t have ‘gods’ breathing down your neck.”

Joey laments about the “bobofication” of media, where TV soaps with mediocre content and reality programs with commercial constraint are more patronized than other noteworthy entertainment fare.

“You come up with intelligent stuff and nobody watches it,” Joey sighs. “The public has a poor level of discrimination of what is entertaining or not. Reality TV proves that people will do anything for the money. Media perpetuates half-truth Cinderella stories. Young people will rather be in showbiz than finish school.”

He commends the likes of independent film directors like Adolf Tara and Chris Martinez for contributing their works to the industry. “What they’re doing should multiply some more,” says Joey. “There should be an independent way to also market indie films.”

He has been offered to do gay stories or plots that center on sexuality. “There has been a proliferation of niche gay movies in the indie label,” Joey notes. “I’d rather live it than film it.” (Laughs)

At present, Joey has three interesting materials on his shelf — My Railroad Story, which he got from noted production designer Don Escudero; A Story of Yaya, about his mom; and the bio-pic of legendary Filipino violinist Ernesto Vallejo, who was imprisoned in Fort Santiago during the Japanese time.

“I’m working my ass off now so I can produce and start on one indie project,” Joey offers. “By 2010, I’d like to be able to work on my first indie film. I’m sure that will really be more fulfilling for me. I’m so thankful that commercial projects continue to come my way. I cannot complain. But there’s nothing like being able to work on a project close to your heart.”