NY-based filmmaker Isabel Sandoval to meg another film in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Even before, Filipino screenwriter actor and director Isabel Sandoval, previously known as Vincent Sandoval, was geared for great recognition, especially after she moved to the US in 2005.

Isabel directed Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield in the TV series, “Under the Banner of Heaven,” that came out two years ago. It was about a double-homicide in Utah in the early ‘80s and Andrew played a detective investigating the case.

The series was shot in late 2021 at the time Andrew’s film, “Tick, Tick Boom!,” was coming out on Netflix. Isabel directed one episode out of the seven in the series. Andrew was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Actor for the show.

Sam Worthington of the “Avatar” films and British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones of the mini-series “Normal People” were also in the cast. The show runner was Dustin Lance Black, who is an Oscar winning screenwriter. He (Black) wrote the true-to-life film, “Milk,” starring Sean Penn.

“It was a little intimidating to be thrust into a series of that caliber for my first TV show as a director in Hollywood,” Isabel told The Philippine STAR as she recalled working with Andrew.

“I also made an effort to reach out to Andrew and Sam before we started shooting our episode,” Isabel shared. “I told them that I’m directing an episode of the show and I’m not going to play that I know better than you when it comes to your characters.”

“You, of course, have spent a lot of time, research and hard work into knowing your characters and portraying them. I want you to know that I’m here to support your process. So, let me know how best I can support you as a director.”

“I think that really set the tone and made our shooting together a pleasurable and fun experience, despite how dark the story is.”

Andrew found working with Isabel unforgettable that he remembered how they worked together in “Under the Banner of Heaven,” to this day. The Hollywood actor said in a previous TV interview, “I love her (Isabel). She’s incredible. She’s so precise, so sensitive, so professional, so talented and astute. She’s great.”

Born and raised in Cebu, Isabel moved to the US in 2005, nearly two decades ago. At that time, she was not yet open about her actual gender. She finished a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, where she graduated summa cum laude. She worked as management trainee for Unilever for a year before she uprooted to the US.

In New York, Isabel pursued a graduate degree in business at New Yok University (NYU). “I never studied film,” Isabel honestly disclosed. “I did not go to film school, but I’ve been in love with the movies.”

“I’ve been passionate about the movies, although my family doesn’t think filmmaking would be a serious career. It can be risky, especially abroad and you’re an immigrant,” said she.

Although Isabel made her first two films in Manila – “Señorita” (2011) and “Apparition” (2012) – her third, “Lingua Franca” (2019), was shot in the US and brought Isabel to Hollywood. The film even premiered in Venice (Italy). That elevated her profile in Hollywood and the global scene.

Isabel noted that there has been a kind of renaissance and resurgence of interest for Philippine cinema in the last few years, with Dolly de Leon breaking into the international scene with “Triangle of Sadness” and “Leonor Will Never Die” at the Sundance Film Festival.

“I’ve been humbled to say that my work has been recognized in Hollywood,” Isabel said. “I’ve got representation with CAA (Creative Artists Agency), where I have the same agent as Taika Waititi (Taika David Cohen), who won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for ‘Jojo Rabbit’ (2019), as well as Patty Jenkins, the director of ‘Wonder Woman.’”

“This feels like coming home in more ways than one,” Isabel said about her new film, “Moonglow,” to be shot here in Manila. “I want to come back home with a project that’s really exciting and that will be an opportunity to showcase world-class Filipino talent, both in front and behind the camera.”

One of those talents Isabel had in mind was Arjo Atayde, an award-winning actor whom she met in August last year at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, where she served as jury member and where Arjo’s film, director Richard Somes’ “Topak (Triggered),” was premiered.

“We had a great conversation not just about the project we intend to do, but what we want to accomplish for Philippine talents, especially abroad,” Isabel shared. “It’s nice to be back home with a project that presents an exciting new vision of what Philippine cinema can be internationally.”

She wrote “Moonglow,” will be directing it, editing and is even acting in the film. She is producing it with Alemberg Ang and Nathan Studios. They will start filming in April and will wrap up sometime in May. They are keeping the faith that they can premiere the film this Fall at the Venice Film Festival and bring it to other international film festivals.

“Moonglow” is a crime genre about a jaded female police detective (Isabel), who breaks into the mansion of the corrupt police office that she works for and steals a large sum of money accumulated from graft and corruption.

The police chief enlists her nephew (Arjo/Charlie) to get to the bottom of the case and find out who stole money from her.

“‘Moonglow’ is really evocative of the mood, the atmosphere and the tone that I want to create and capture,” asserted Isabel. “When you think of noir, there are a lot of well-known and iconic films in Hollywood like Billy Wilder’s ‘Double Indemnity’ (1944), Michael Curtiz’s ‘Casablanca’ (1942), the masterpieces from Erik Matti. The tone is always bleak, dark and gritty.”

Isabel will film “Moonglow” in Manila starting next month until early May. They have scouted for locations in Binondo and the ancestral LVN (De Leon, Villongco and Navoa) home. Other actors in the cast are Carlitos Siguion-Reyna as Arjo’s dad and Agot Isidro, who will be playing a nun.