Filming for first-ever Filipino movie in Qatar kicks off

The movie aims to showcase the true resilience of Filipino workers in Qatar and the challenges they go through to succeed.

One of the Philippines top stars has landed in Doha to film the first-ever Filipino full-length movie in Qatar: ‘The Eventologist.’

The movie—based on a true story—will showcase the challenges and harsh realities of some Filipino workers who venture into business in the Gulf state. After more than a year of rigorous planning and preparations, the cast finally got the green light to turn their vision into an art form of storytelling for all film enthusiasts.

The two-hour-long movie will narrate the story of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), Oscar Yema, who organises local large-scale concerts featuring the Philippines’ top-rated artists. It will include real footage of past events and a detailed story of what happens behind the scenes.

The movie’s shooting kicked off on 11 March and is expected to wrap up within a month.

During the first days of filming, the cast expressed their absolute delight to be part of the community-funded movie and showcase the many beautiful places and landmarks in Qatar, which is home to over 280,000 Filipinos.

The main character, named after the writer and director, will be played by Philippine celebrity actor J C Santos, who has over 10 years of theatre experience.

Santos had previously worked as a singer and dancer at Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios Singapore before flying to New York City to study musical theatre at the Circle in the Square Theatre School.

He is best known for his role in the television series Till I Met You as Alejandro “Ali” Nicolas, and many regard him as the best fit for the upcoming movie, which will be his sixth international film.

“He is easy to work with and his vast experience in the industry has helped us, local talents, boost our skills and confidence,” said Zandz William, one of the local actors who plays the main villain.

The film’s female lead will be played by local music performer Vanessa Casador.

The Eventologist will feature more than 128 actors/Filipino entrepreneurs, most of whom came from the local community acting as themselves. This will allow viewers to observe the challenges from the people who truly lived it.

“I cannot help but admire the dedication of all team members who have been with me all throughout the years. I’m more than confident that this full-length motion picture will be the first crowning glory of Filipino talents here in Qatar,” said Oscar, who is an OFW himself.

“This is our way of entertaining them with a relevant world-class movie that will uplift the image of Filipino expats abroad,” he told local news organisation, The Peninsula.

The movie is produced by Advocacy Global Studios in partnership with Red Dot Films and is expected to be shown in cinemas worldwide by the end of 2022.

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