Manny Jacinto sets sights on PH film collaborations

Targets projects with Antoinette Jadaone, Alessandra de Rossi, Rafael Manuel.

Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto has expressed interest in working with more Filipino filmmakers following his voice acting role in the all-Filipino-led animated series “Sun Chaser.”

In an interview with Asian Journal, Jacinto shared that he went to the Philippines earlier this summer to visit family and “scope out the possibilities” of filming projects and collaborating with local directors.

He revealed that he has already been in meetings with several Filipino filmmakers, including Antoinette Jadaone, Alessandra de Rossi, and Sundance award-winning director Rafael Manuel.

“There’s a good number of talented filmmakers, and I would love nothing more than to try and find the right project with the right director over there,” he said.

Apart from voice acting, Jacinto also served as the executive producer for “Sun Chaser.” He praised the involvement of Filipino creatives in the show, particularly local animators.

“For [Bobby Pontillas] to bring on animators from the Philippines […] I feel is so special,” he said. “It shows that Filipinos are incredibly talented and hardworking, and that they can collaborate to make something really special as well.”

Jacinto shared that his role in the show closely mirrors his personal life experiences. As Jordan, he plays a teen who spends his summer in the Philippines and becomes entangled in a supernatural event tied to his Filipino heritage.

“I love getting to play Jordan just because he is me. I would spend my summers in the Philippines with my Lola,” he shared. “So, it really just resonated. It was really the story that reflected my childhood.”

But beyond potential collaborations with local filmmakers, Jacinto said more work still needs to be done about Asian representation in international cinema.

“It’s probably still at a point where we have to do a lot of work,” he said. “But I try to see it as positive. […] There’s a plethora of stories that we can [still] tell and that we can bring forth.”

Last year, “Sun Chaser” was awarded the Animation du Monde Prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. Its pilot episode premiered on YouTube for free last June 22.

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