Fil-Am animator Bobby Pontillas talks of his new TV project, 'Sun Chaser,' and winning at Annecy Film Festival
And for Fil-Am Bobby Pontillas, it was going back to his roots, doing what he loves to do, and winning at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France, considered the Oscars of Animation.
His TV animation project, "Sun Chaser," which he created with Bernard Badion, together with Toon City and Playlab animation studio, won the Annecy Festival MIFA Animation du Monde Prize (Animation of the World – All Categories).
The boyish-looking Pontillas said in an email interview, "Sun Chaser was selected for the MIFA Pitches at Annecy in the TV Series category and won the Animation du Monde prize, which supports original stories from underrepresented regions in animation. Just being invited felt like a huge win, as it gave us the chance to share our story on one of the world's biggest animation stages."
The "Animation du Monde" Prize at the Annecy Festival's MIFA Pitches is dedicated to spotlighting animation projects from regions where the industry is still emerging—those often under-funded, under-resourced, or just getting started. It aims to open doors for international creativity across geographical, cultural, and technical diversity.
Pontillas revealed that his inspiration for his Sun Chaser "came from a personal place of wanting to tell a story rooted in Filipino mythology and identity, through the eyes of a young Filipino American trying to reconnect with his roots."
Originally from Bremerton, Washington, and then Glendale, California, Pontillas is now back in the Philippines.
Asked what made him make the big move, the former animator at Disney, Blue Sky, ArenaNet and Taiko Studios, said, "I wanted to be closer to the culture I was drawing inspiration from, and I wanted to work with Filipino artists to bring a very Filipino story to life. It felt very important to help bridge the gap between local creatives and the global animation industry."
Pontillas, who worked in such blockbuster projects as "Frozen," "Zootopia," "Moana" and "Rio," was also a former Oscar nominee for the short film, "One Small Step."
The only child of a single mother, Corazon Pontillas from Nabua, Camarines Sur, Pontillas shared that his greatest inspiration in being an animator was his mother. "All of us have been fortunate enough to have strong support systems that encouraged us to be artists. For myself, my mother was my biggest cheerleader when I was trying to become an animator. She sacrificed so much for me, and I wanted to pay tribute to that love."
Asked how he would compare the animation industry in the Philippines to that of Los Angeles, Pontillas said, "The Philippine animation industry has long been known for its incredible service work, often helping bring to life stories from studios in LA. And while we know that service work will always be the backbone of the industry here, we're also working to expand our narrative. It's time the world sees what Filipino artists can create when we tell our own stories, in our voice."
He explained why "Sun Chaser" is special to him and significant for representation. "First and foremost, I want Filipino kids to see that they can be the heroes of their own stories.
"But beyond that, I hope it resonates with anyone in the diaspora, across cultures, who's searching for a deeper connection to their roots. There's so much beauty in our heritage, and this is my way of honoring that while inviting others to do the same."
As to his next project, he said, "We're actively looking for the right partners to help bring Sun Chaser to life. At the same time, I'm committed to working closely with young Filipino artists, helping them find their voice and supporting them as they tell original stories rooted in their own lived experiences. Seeing their talent and heart gives me so much hope for the future of our industry here!"
He admitted there was no more time to celebrate the win. He confessed, "Honestly, I celebrated the win by getting back to work haha! But also taking quiet moments of gratitude. Wins like this don't happen alone, and I'm incredibly thankful to my team and everyone who's believed in the project so far.
"That said, we know there's still a long road ahead, not just to make Sun Chaser a reality, but to help inspire our industry here in the Philippines to keep investing in original content. This is just the beginning!"
—MGP, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
7 hours ago
- GMA Network
K-pop group AHOF, JL Gaspar drop debut song 'Rendezvous'
K-pop group AHOF with Filipino member JL Gaspar just made a hot debut! The nine-piece group dropped the music video for their debut song "Rendezvous," along with their first mini album, "Who We Are" on July 1. As of this writing, the music video has garnered over three million views on YouTube with the comment section filled with love and support from Filipinos fans for JL. AHOF, which stands for All-time Hall of Famer, is composed of nine members: JL from the Philippines, Australian-Korean Steven, Chinese Zhang Shuaibo, South Koreans Park Ju Won, Seo Jeong Woo, Cha Woongki, and Park Han, Taiwanese Chih En, and Japanese Daisuke. They won the K-pop talent search, "Universe League," which aired on SBS. AHOF is managed by F&F Entertainment, the same agency of girl group UNIS. UNIS also has Filipina members: Elisia Parmisano, Gehlee Dangca, and Filipina-Korean Jin Hyeon Ju. JL is one of the members of the P-Pop group PLUUS, who debuted in 2023 under SBTown. The boyband is best known for their songs, "Amigo," "Shining Star," "My Time," and "Missing You." —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
8 hours ago
- GMA Network
Filmmaker Alberto Belli talks of his journey from 'Delikadesa' to 'Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado'
At the blue carpet at the special screening for the cast and crew of the reboot of "Dora The Explorer," entitled "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado," the star at the moment was filmmaker Alberto Belli, the tall and charming director of the new live-action family film being produced for Nickelodeon and Paramount+ by Nickelodeon Studios. Getting kudos from everyone and being photographed with the cast outside the Sherry Lansing Theatre at the Paramount Pictures Studios, Belli was obviously thrilled and excited. Present at the event were his wife Maria Brasero, former entertainment reporter and their two sons – Rafa, 5, and Leo, 1. It was also like a reunion of sorts for former USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA schoolmates Belli and long-time film school friend Lea Dizon Breault, who directed the thesis film, "Delikadesa," of which Belli was one of the producers. "Yeah, it was so fun," Belli commented when we interviewed him virtually. "Lea was my first friend from film school. We were both at the health center, and then we connected after that. And so, when it was time for her to do the thesis, she wanted to make a very authentic Filipino story ('Delikadesa'). And I was very excited about that." Contributed photo Breault, in fact, got emotional after watching the Belli-helmed film, "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado." "He used to sleep on my couch, and I used to feed him chicken adobo," she confided to me. She added, "Alberto was my very first friend and one of my truly closest friends in LA. We were both incoming foreign students at USC at the time, and so we met at the health center because all foreign students were required to do a TB test before the first day of school. So, we met before class even began. Then we became fast friends because, like I said, we were both foreign, we lived close to each other, and we generally just got along. He grew up in Mexico, so there were many similarities in our culture. We were both driven and resourceful. We always supported and advocated for each other on our film projects throughout film school. He was my actor on my very first project in school, and I was commended by my professor for that project. "By the time we hit our last year for our MFA, we decided to produce each other's thesis films. He was a producer for 'Delikadesa' and I was his producer for his thesis, 'The Case of the Missing Garden Gnome.' One particular memory I had in making 'Delikadesa' was how challenging it was to cast an all-Filipino cast who can speak Tagalog. Alberto had the idea to put fliers up in a Filipino community, and I thought it was, in fact, a great idea! So, there we were, the two of us going door to door in West Covina to all the businesses, asking if we could put up our announcement for a casting call. And the plan worked! We were able to complete casting because of that. "We would always hang out outside of school. We would accompany each other on errands. We were thick as thieves and confidantes. He knew my love interests and my heartaches, and vice versa. He understood my particular brand of drama. HA! And let me tell you if you want someone who would always be on your corner, you want Alberto. Kakampihan ka talaga! (He will really be by your side.) Alberto is the godfather to one of my children. "Since we lived close to each other, he always came over, especially during our first year. He always made tambay (hangout) on my couch, and, of course, as a Filipino, if someone is in my house, you better believe you will be fed. So, I would always make food for him. Sandwiches, pasta, and, of course, rice and chicken adobo. He ate everything I fed him with gusto! I tried teaching him to eat rice meals with a fork and spoon (Filipino style), but I was not very successful. But all in all, Alberto is like an honorary Filipino. He eats the food, relates to the culture, and understands our quirks." "When I watched 'Dora,' I felt incredibly proud. I felt like 'Tambay lang ito sa apartment ko dati (He used to just hang out in my apartment), and now he directed a multi-million-dollar Hollywood studio film!' I felt quite emotional when we were both tearing up when we talked after the screening. To witness someone's journey in life is such a privilege. And this film is so Alberto. It is so representative of his visual style and his storytelling. Something that everyone who knew him in film school recognized even back then." This writer, in fact, was chosen by Belli and Breault to portray Donya Claudia in the short film, 'Delikadesa.' Belli recalled, "So we couldn't find actors in LA who were Filipino. It was like a challenge. Somehow, we found you, Janet. Lea was hoping you would say yes because you were so perfect for the character. So, when you said yes, it was like you were having so much fun. You were meant to play that character. Even though you were different in real life. Obviously, in real life, you're so nice. She was a little bit tougher. In the story, she didn't want her daughter to marry someone who was not from her class. So that was really fun in that you were wonderful. I think you're watching all these movies, and that helped you manage that perfect performance." Belli, a computer science engineer whose love for storytelling turned him into a director, moved from Mexico to Los Angeles to get his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he received the prestigious John Huston directing merit scholarship. So, how did being a computer engineer help him become a better storyteller, we asked. "It's the collaboration because when you are in computer science, many programmers are doing a little bit of coding that has to come together for the program to be able to function. And it's the same thing with filmmaking. You have the DP (Director of Photography), the costume designer, the actress, and everyone is doing their version of the movie. So, you have to make sure that everyone is making the same movie that you wish to make. And I think that taught me a lot because in programming, even a comma can screw everything up." Contributed photo Based on a screenplay by JT Billings, "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado" was filmed for four months in Bogota, Colombia. Belli shared the challenges of filming in Colombia. "We try to make it as real as possible. So, we went to the jungle in the middle of nowhere. And the chances are, obviously, besides the heat and the animals, we had a snake wrangler who would find snakes every day, like gigantic snakes. Someone would be there with a scorpion in there. What makes it magical? Once you're there, and then you see this beautiful jungle, it makes you respect nature and makes it like an experience for everyone. You can feel that in the movie, besides the challenge of it all." Working with JT Billings was also amazing, Belli said. "He was great when I came on board. When I was researching to get the job, I found this concept called IOU, which means working together, and that every individual is important. When we met, I pitched that concept to him. And he's like, how do we bring that concept into the script and make it part of, hopefully, pop culture. And he was super open to it, and he adjusted all the scenes to make sure that we have that ingrained in all the scenes. So, I love working with him." Belli, who also worked before in the Disney movie "The Naughty Nine," is not new to working with child actors. So, when he worked with Samantha Lorraine, who portrayed Dora Marquez, and Jacob Rodriguez, who was Dora's cousin Diego Marquez in the movie, he was able to work with them without any problem. "It was a dream," he said. "They're so easy. They're so good. You know that Sam is Dora. She is very positive and energetic and always willing to do everything. And then she's also very physical. She used to be a gymnast and a dancer, so she was able to do a lot of her stunts on her own. And the same thing with Jacob. He loved doing the swinging. And then you see in the movie, in the final, it was so easy for me. Ninety percent of directing is in the casting. Once you find the perfect actors, you just have to guide them a little bit. But you don't have to completely steer to 180 degrees to get the performance that you need." Belli, whose feature debut was the fantasy/comedy "Gatlopp," used animation and special effects in the "Dora" live film. He admitted it was challenging in the beginning, especially when they were working with little Dora, who opened the movie. "I think for her it was a little hard because she was supposed to be excited and everything, and she was just looking at like a puppet who was not even speaking back at her. So, it took a little while and a bit more practice. But by the second or third day, she would get it. We had someone acting as the voices so she could imagine it beforehand." But the most difficult scene for him to do was "probably the big set piece at the end, which I cannot reveal a lot of it, but it had a lot of completely mechanical stuff. So, there are a lot of moving parts that have to come in and out and up and down, and like, all these things are resetting to be able to put the stuff. That was a challenging one for me because it was also very, very technical to be able to pull it off." As for the weather in Bogota, Belli said," We got really lucky about the weather because usually in Bogota it rains a lot. And we went to the rainforest. We only got rain once. I don't know how you know the gods of nature or whatever. It was happening. Like they allowed us to shoot very smoothly, except for one day for a couple of hours. But besides that, it was great." When not working on the set of commercials, movies, or television, Belli enjoys hiking, cooking, and singing on repeat "You're Welcome" by Dwayne Johnson from "Moana" to his two sons. Contributed photo He explained the challenge when he is away from his family. He said, "The hardest part was when my kid was a baby. He was like six months old when I left. They called and asked me if I was interested in doing 'Dora'? It's like new kids bring you new jobs. That's the same in Mexico. So, it was a lot of FaceTime. And my wife was amazing. She took care of the whole family here. So, she stayed here. I was also sending a lot of photos." Belli shared that the best reward was seeing his son watch "Dora." "He loved it," he revealed with pride. "And he has seen it every step. I showed him the rough cut. And he was still reacting to it very positively. So that's the reason I knew that the movie was going to be special. And then he saw the final cut during the screening. He saw everything, and he was blown away. He just had fun." Influenced by Steven Spielberg and Billy Wilder, Belli said, "I like movies that have humor but could also be dramatic." As for what's next for him, he said, "The hope is we're focusing on making bigger and better adventures for the world. That's the hope right now. So, we'll see what happens. I'm working on new stuff, but I cannot say what it is yet. But the hope is to keep on growing." —MGP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
9 hours ago
- GMA Network
DigiPlus launching Brazil ops in September
Filipino digital gaming giant DigiPlus Interactive Corp. is all set to expand its presence in the global stage as it is targeting to go online in Brazil later this year. In a news release on Wednesday, DigiPlus —the company behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone— said it is on track to launch its operations in one of Latin America's largest countries in September, which it expects to unlock a gaming market twice the size of the Philippines. In November last year, DigiPlus announced its wholly owned subsidiary, DigiPlus Brazil Interactive Ltda. passed the qualification stage for a federal license with Brazil's Ministry of Finance's Secretariat of Awards and Bets (SPA). In February, the internet gaming firm named industry specialist Graham Tidey as the country manager for its upcoming Brazil operations. With a population of over 200 million and internet penetration of nearly 90%, DigiPlus said Brazil is one of Latin America's fastest-growing gaming markets, with an estimated market size of $4.6 billion for internet gaming, citing a report from LCA Economic Consulting. The company said it will bring in a fresh line-up of live-streamed games, slots, table games, and exclusive self-developed digital entertainment content designed for local players in Brazil. 'We are excited to bring world-class entertainment to new markets, bringing the strengths and expertise that we have established in the Philippines," said DigiPlus chairman Eusebio Tanco. "Our entry into Brazil is part of our strategic expansion program to usher DigiPlus' next phase of growth," Tanco added. DigiPlus said its expansion to Latin America comes at a time when Brazil has implemented a structured legal framework for internet gaming. In 2024, Brazil's government formally approved regulations for both online betting and gaming, providing clear guidelines for licensed operators, consumer protections, and fair taxation, which paved the way for international players such as DigiPlus to enter the Brazilian market legally. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
