If you’ve ever cared for an aging parent, you will love the film – Islands. It’s about a single lonely Filipino man that takes care of his aging father. The father dies and the middle-aged man must chart his own course despite being an introvert for so many years. It was written and directed by multi – Award winning filmmaker Martin Edralin. This incredible little film is nominated for several CSA’s this year, including the 2022 John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award.
This film is family friendly and the language is in Filipino but the actor’s performances really carry the film. I think this film acts as a reminder to have a life outside of your family’s life before it’s too late. There is more to this film than meets the eye and most moviegoers will be able to take something away from this terrific film. It stars Rogelio Balagtas, Sheila Lotuaco and Esteban Comilang and the performances are certainly award worthy.
Edralin has made a number of shorts films, including his multi-award-winning short – Hole. It earned him recognition, people started taking him more seriously and it helped, when applying for financing. Islands is another fine example of great filmmaking from Edralin and his first feature film. Having taken that giant leap forward, I was excited to hear how it felt and if more features were on the horizon.
I reached Martin Edralin from his home in Toronto and it was tremendously insightful. Roll the tape!
HNMAG “Huge congratulations on this film. The character experiences a big transition in his life and discovers himself again. How was it inspired?”
MARTIN “I was interested in a character that was stuck in life. At that time, I was single and feeling myself getting older, my parents were retiring and I was worried about them. I’ve worked with many older people that live alone, I have aunts and uncles that are in similar situations and I’ve heard stories about people that didn’t show up to work one day, only to be found 3 days later, dead in their apartment. There were a few things I was thinking about at the time but at the core, it came from my thoughts on myself aging and my parents.”
HNMAG “When you have a new story idea, is it usually inspired from real life?”
MARTIN “The seed of the idea usually comes from something I’m affected by emotionally. However other things in my own life, such as people around me, other stories, films, books – I believe all creative people pull from everywhere.”
HNMAG “When did you write the screenplay?”
MARTIN “I started developing the film back in 2015, but it was a very different film back then. I was originally going to make an experimental film in the Philippines with just an outline. In 2018, it eventually evolved into something that more closely resembled this film. It was still set in the Philippines but I rewrote it for Canada and it became more of a diaspora story as opposed to a family living in the Philippines.”
HNMAG “Where was this film shot?”
MARTIN “I live in Toronto and this was shot in Scarborough, just outside the city.”
HNMAG “This is your first feature film. How did you know you were ready to take the leap?”
MARTIN “It felt like the right time. I made a short film in 2014 (Hole) that did very well. Afterwards, everyone was pushing me to make a feature but I didn’t feel ready, so I made another short film and people were discouraging me. They worried it might be bad or not as good, but in the end, I’m going to make the film that I want to make and if that’s a short film, then that’s what I need to do. The best work you’re going to do, is when it’s not forced. With this film, I didn’t believe I could pack/jam everything I wanted into that 10 or 15 min. and I needed more space.”
HNMAG “What’s next for you Martin? Will you continue to make feature films or go with your gut and possibly make another short film?”
MARTIN “I think I am going to follow my gut. I’m also interested in documentaries, so I’m going to do what I’m most passionate about, which is feature length films – both narrative and documentary. I’m currently attached to direct a film, which is an adaptation of a Philippine/American book. It’ll be shot in the Philippines and California. We’re still putting the financing together for that and I’m still writing my own projects.”
HNMAG “Your short film Hole, garnered many awards. It was a story about a disabled man seeking intimacy. What inspired that story?”
MARTIN “That film started when I’d met a disabled actor several years earlier. He has a severe disability but he’s nothing like the character in the film, he’s very outgoing, charming, he’s queer and very proud. I had met him after watching a corporate video that he was in. He had a giant pride flag on the back of his wheelchair. I kept thinking about him over several years and when I started writing the short, there were some similar themes between the two characters in each film, as a lonely middle-age man. He stayed in my thoughts, so I did a few drafts of a story that was written about him and that’s how it came about.”
HNMAG “Considering that film won so many awards and garnered so much attention, what types of doors did it open for you?”
MARTIN “People took me more seriously as a filmmaker. At the time, I was working as a production manager and assistant director. When you’re doing those crew jobs, people don’t take you as seriously for the creative side of work. I also had many meetings with agents, managers and others. Some of them were great but a lot of the time they wanted me to do things that I wasn’t passionate about. It gave me the confirmation that this is something I can do and it definitely opened doors for financing whenever I’d apply for something. I can include it as a sample work and having it on my resume makes things a lot easier.”
Martin concludes that if you finish well at a festival and your film wins some awards, Hollywood won’t come knocking on your door with millions of dollars… but you will open doors.
HNMAG “Do you have distribution for this film, since it’s opening in Toronto?”
MARTIN “We decided to release it ourselves. We didn’t want it falling into the wrong hands after hearing stories from some of my peers with their first features. In many cases, a distributor will take it on and the film would sit on a shelf and you never see a penny back. We also knew the pandemic would make it challenging, it’s in the language of the Philippines, it’s a slower pace with older actors. It’s not a sexy film that people will rush to theatres to see and we didn’t want to see it die on a shelf somewhere. We wanted it to get the attention that we thought it deserved and if we fail, then we’re happy to accept that. We’re getting the type of release we had wanted.”
In terms of release dates and cities, it opened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, The Cinematheque in Winnipeg from the 15th – 28th of April, VIFF, The Roxie in San Francisco, just to name a few. Important upcoming dates include April 28 at the NNIFF in Duluth, MN, April 29 – May 5 at the following locations: Ultrastar Cinemas in Mississauga, Cineplex Cinemas, Mississauga, Cineplex Cinemas in Scarborough, ON and in the Ultrastar Cinemas Mission Valley in San Diego.
MARTIN “We wanted to target the cities with dense Filipino communities because they would respond to it the most. We also wanted to target the Independent theatres because we feel that it’s a cinephile type of movie.”
I had asked Martin about a network release of Islands, to which he confirmed that there would be but couldn’t divulge the name of the network yet. This was a terrific film with a slow burn leading to thought provoking sparks of epiphany. Islands shines a light on realistic issues that many immigrant families face, especially Filipino families. Martin Edralin is charting his own path on his terms without trying to fit into a mold. His films have rich characters with something to say – about life, about relationships and society. Let’s keep watching.
You can watch the trailer here.