Coleen Garcia, Loisa Andalio to star in new Mikhail Red esports movie

MANILA, Philippines — Coleen Garcia and Loisa Andalio have been tapped to star in an esports-inspired film to be helmed by Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2022 Best Director Mikhail Red.

"Friendly Fire" follows a female CEO played by Garcia who wants to boost the stock of Philippine esports on the map and who finds potential in a young player portrayed by Andalio, whom she trains.

Fellow filmmaker Paul Soriano is a producer through his Ten17P Studio, which previously produced Red's 2021 movie "Arisaka."

Red, who is currently at the 2023 Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema as a member of the international jury, spoke to Variety about the project.

"I like to think of it as my most wholesome project, because it’s more inspirational and it’s a genre I’ve always wanted to try — the sports movie and the underdog sports story," Red said, adding that it will be unlike the thrillers he had done in the past.

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He even compares it to a classic boxing story such as "Rocky" and describes it as a "rags-to-riches career fantasy journey."

The director said the local esports scene is growing but needs support, especially as internet cafes and computer shops slowly dwindle in numbers.

"It’s just interesting to follow the lives of these esports athletes who are handicapped in terms of resources, support, and even internet speed and lag," said the filmmaker.

Red is also working on the live-action series adaptation of "Dreamwalker," starring Kate Valdez, with the help of "Respeto" director Treb Monteras II as showrunner and Los Angeles-based writer Kaitlyn Fae Fajilan penning the script.

The director recently launched his own production company, Evolve Studios. Its first film, "Nokturno," will reunite Red with his "Deleter" star and MMFF 2022 Best Actress Nadine Lustre for another horror take, this time about a primal curse haunting a family.

Following that is the sci-fi horror flick "Helel," a movie about a Filipina astronaut who encounters the devil while on her journey. The film has yet to name its director and cast. 

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