It started with Dukot two years ago, a film about desaparecidos directed by Joel Lamangan.
Starring with Iza Calzado, Allen Dizon played a “tortured activist” and he loved it. Last year, Dukot won three Best Picture awards from three award-giving bodies and Best Actor trophies for Allen from the 58th FAMAS Awards and the 8th Gawad Tanglaw. It was also shown in Canada, USA, Hong Kong and other countries where Allen sat as resource person in forums on human rights issues.
“I made the right decision,” said Allen who has successfully shed his bold-actor image and replaced it with that of an “activist actor,” adding, “I promised to stop doing sexy movies. After Dukot, I told myself and Dennis (Evangelista, his manager), ‘This is the kind of movies that I want to do from now on.” Allen and Dennis produce most of Allen’s indies.
Dukot afforded Allen a vicarious experience of being an activist.
“I may not march on the streets but through my movies at least I can contribute my share to the movement,” said Allen.
After Dukot, Allen did Sigwa, which was about the First Quarter Storm also directed by Lamangan, in which he played a deep penetration agent/military man who fell for a Phil-Am journalist activist. Allen was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by some award-giving bodies.
This year, Allen did the political thriller Deadline, again by Lamangan, which tackled media killings and warlordism in the Philippines. Starring with Lovi Poe, TJ Trinidad, Ina Feleo, Luis Alandy and Tirso Cruz III, Allen essayed the role of a highly-principled provincial journalist who put his own life in danger, including those of his fiancée and family, in his exposé against a powerful political warlord in Mindanao.
“It’s my first time to play a newspaperman, so I did a research on media practitioners. In my dramatic highlights, Direk Joel guided me with great patience, like in the tragic bombing scene.”
In Patikul, also by Lamangan, an entry in the Directors’ Showcase of the 2011 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival (July 15 to 24), Allen plays Amman, an illiterate Muslim coffee farmer who’d do everything to bring the teachers and students back to a school terrorized by local bandits.
Also in Patikul are Marvin Agustin, Glaiza de Castro, Dimples Romana, Ciara Sotto, Jaime Pebanco, Martin delos Santos, Jeon Macatangay, Richard Quan, Rico Barrera, Rubi-Rubi and Angelie Nicole Sanoy.
Away from showbiz, Allen is a businessman who is one of the owners of a fast-food chain in SM Pampanga (Allen’s home province), and of the NLEX Caltex Branch.
Besides movies, he’s also busy doing soap, the latest being the new ABS-CBN suspense-erotic-drama Nasaan Ka, Elisa? with Albert Martinez, Melissa Ricks and Vina Morales (with whom Allen has daring, but not necessarily bold, scenes).
“I enjoy the best of both worlds, mainstream TV and indies,” said Allen.
He has lined up more indies on the plight of the urban poor, labor unrest, reproductive health, land reform and OFW-related issues.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com. You may also send your questions to askrickylo@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos visit http://www.philstar.com/funfare.)