EXCLUSIVE: ‘Forgotten Island’ Directors on Showcasing Filipino Culture

Why It Matters

Forgotten Island represents a milestone in mainstream Filipino representation, showcasing Filipino mythology and a predominantly Filipino cast that could broaden cultural visibility and commercial opportunities for Filipino talent in global cinema.

Summary

Directors of the upcoming film Forgotten Island say the project is a long-gestating labor of love inspired by Filipino folklore and personal relationships, and marks one of the largest assemblies of Filipino and Filipino-American talent in a single film. The movie, in development since around 2021, centers on a heartfelt friendship between two leads — including Liza Soberano as Rissa — and blends authentic cultural details from on-location research with mythological elements. The cast contributed personal experiences and vocal performances during recording, and while the film is not a musical it is musically driven with original scoring and planned musical highlights. Directors described casting choices as organic fits that brought emotional nuance, levity and cultural specificity to the story.

Original Description

The directors of DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island,” Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford, speak to Inquirer about the animated feature inspired by Filipino folklore.

READ: https://usa.inquirer.net/192809/forgotten-island-h-e-r-liza-soberano-proud-to-showcase-filipino-culture#

Visit us at https://www.inquirer.net

Facebook: https://facebook.com/inquirerdotnet

Twitter: https://twitter.com/inquirerdotnet