ATTY. JOJI VILLANUEVA ALONSO and her Quantum Films have a good track record with their entries in the annual Metro-Manila Filmfest.
Three of her films that won awards and did well at the box office are “English Only, Please” in 2014, “Walang Forever” in 2015 and “All of You” in 2017.
Even in the recent summer Metro Filmfest last April, her comedy entry “Here Comes the Groom” also ended as topgrosser and won plum awards.
She now has a new entry in the coming Metro filmfest that starts showing on Christmas Day, “Kampon”, a horror movie.
It’s a given that horror flicks do well at the festival since viewers seem to enjoy getting a good scare during the holiday season, so a lot of folks are predicting that “Kampon” will do well at the box office during the festival’s run from December 25 to January 7.
“Ang hirap palang gumawa ng horror,” says Atty. Joji.
“Kasi our director is from advertising and he’s so very detailed. We have a storyboard for all the scenes in the movie.
"In the romance-comedies that we’ve done, we have about only six to ten shots per sequence. But dito, may sequence na umabot kami ng up to 36 shots.
"But his being meticulous, it’s worth it. Binusisi niya nang husto and we’re so proud of ‘Kampon’.”
She says “Kampon” maybe a horror film but it will not only give viewers a good scare but will also touch them.
The story concerns a couple, Derek Ramsay and Beauty Gonzales, who have been childless for quite a time.
It’s a big blow against Derek’s male ego as it’s thought that he’s the one who is infertile, but one day, someone leaves a child on their front door and she turns out to be Derek’s love child with Zeinab Harake, a popular youtube vlogger appearing in her very first movie.
This starts all the mysterious complications in the story.
“This is one horror film that has a heart,” adds Atty. Joji.
“Lahat naman ng films ng Quantum, may puso, pero maganda yung dynamics between the characters dito and the story involving the child.
"Pero siempre, dahil mainly, horror ito, marami ring jump scares at mga pasabog scenes that will surely terrify the audience.”
She’s happy that even if it’s very difficult to shoot the frightening sequences, they all had a happy time on the set.
“Yes, kahit mahirap ang mga eksena, sobrang gaan ng set namin, kasi everyone is so dedicated and really worked hard. From top to bottom, they all really prepared.
"Wala kaming instances na nakatengga kami and I’d really like to thank the entire cast and crew for their diligence and hard work.”
She says the movie is actually four years in the making.
“We started this before the pandemic pa and I want to thank our screen writer, Dodo Dayao, kasi ilang beses kaming nag-revise ng script along with our director, King Palisoc, as we all want to improve it the best we can before we start the actual shoot.
"At yun, inabot nga ng pandemic kaya na-shelved muna at na-revived na lang this year.”
She also wants to thank her main cast members.
“First, si Zeinab kasi she trusted us for her very first appearance in a movie. I saw her doing an acting workshop with Anna Feleo and I was so impressed.
"Sabi ko, maraming paghuhugutan and batang ito ang she really delivered, pati sa love scene niya with Derek Ramsay.”
How about the child star Erin Espiritu?
“We auditioned so many children, but when Direk King and I saw Erin, we said we have found our Jade, the mysterious child in the story.
"And she is really good in her role in this film. I think she’s really born to be an actress.”
And Beauty Gonzalez?
“Direk King is so impressed with her. Sabi niya, Beauty is a very educated actress kasi she really studied the material and her character. And she’s consistent from beginning to end.
"When we watched the film’s rough cut, kinikilabutan ako sa husay ng ginawa niya, specially towards the climax of this film. Bumilib talaga kami sa kanya.”
And Derek Ramsay?
“Wala akong masasabi. He really immersed himself totally in the role of Clark, a former policeman who gets to face a lot of terrifying situations at their home.
"I’m very grateful to him for doing this for me. Alam ko that he wants to rest pa. Hindi lang siya makatanggi sa’kin kaya niya ito ginawa.
"And I’m really very proud and satisfied with his performance. He has won his two best actor awards for movies he did with us and he has certainly done another great acting piece in ‘Kampon’. We won’t be surprised kung manalo uli siya.”
