The casting process of Juan Miguel “Gege” Severo’s Gaya sa Pelikula was a rather long and unique one.
That it was held during the coronavirus pandemic and that would-be Vlads and Karls initially auditioned via Zoom shouldn’t be suprising.
That he devoted more time to asking actors to answer questions about queer identity and representation (compared to the audition itself) makes it stand out.
Gaya sa Pelikula, a new web series under Globe Studios, after all, isn’t just personal. It’s also part advocacy and part of a future that Gege and other LGBTQ+ people in the entertainment and creative industry are working towards – where queer stories aren’t one-offs and novelties, but a mainstay in the rolodex of narratives in Philippine media.
In this episode of Rappler Talk, entertainment editor Bea Cupin talks to series creator, writer, and producer Juan Miguel Severo and director JP Habac about Gaya sa Pelikula, the creative process, crying and then gushing while casting Ian and Paolo Pangilinan in the lead roles, and their own journeys as queer creatives.
Catch the interview on Monday, September 28, by bookmarking this page or by following Rappler on social media.
Gaya sa Pelikula is now streaming on YouTube. – Rappler.com
How does this make you feel?