After the backlash: Ricky Lee on his workshop’s future

The National Artist reflects on online criticism, overwhelming support, and why his free scriptwriting workshop continues to draw thousands.

For National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, the recent controversy surrounding his scriptwriting workshop has been both painful and instructive.

Lee revived his long-running free workshop last year, a program he began in 1982 to mentor aspiring storytellers. Over the decades, it has become a quiet institution in local cinema, producing writers, filmmakers and actors who have gone on to shape the industry.

The latest batches—30, 31 and 32—drew more than 2,600 applicants. Only about 200 were accepted, chosen through a screening process that evaluated creative potential and aimed to form a balanced mix of beginners and more experienced participants.

The limited slots sparked criticism online

Some questioned the selection process and raised broader concerns about access and privilege in creative spaces. The discussion grew into a debate about who gets opportunities in the arts, especially when they are attached to a respected figure like Lee.

“When there was bashing, so-called, for two to three days, it was painful because the workshop is personal to me,” Lee told Radar Entertainment.

The backlash was short-lived. What followed, he said, was an outpouring of support. Former workshoppers—from actress Bella Padilla to filmmaker Lemuel “Lem” Luarca—posted messages defending the program and sharing how it shaped their careers.

More significantly, offers of help began to arrive. Private companies, business groups and even government agencies expressed willingness to sponsor future batches. Some volunteers offered to serve as assistants without pay.

“It turned around,” Lee said.

The FAP bankrolls the latest workshop series

For the most recent run, the Film Academy of the Philippines stepped in as sponsor, allowing the workshop to continue. Lee had postponed sessions before the pandemic because of the financial strain and effort required to mount them independently. When support was formally offered, he agreed to proceed.

“I think they saw the value of this,” he said. “I’ve been doing this since the ’80s. I never stopped. And thousands are applying. It must be important.”

Lee maintains that the renewed attention, both critical and supportive, reinforces what he has long believed about the craft.

“I always say, I don’t believe that because you’re an artist, you don’t need to have a workshop. There’s no end to learning,” he said.

Out of more than 2,000 applicants, he estimates that over 200 were already strong. For the first batch alone, he increased the number of participants from 30 to 36 because of the quality of submissions. “Maraming mahusay sa workshop. Piling-pili sila.”

Diversity: a good mix of newcomers, established creatives

The diversity inside the room is deliberate. Among the workshoppers are newcomers and established creatives. JC Santos has completed one script and is working on two more, Lee said. Wanggo Gallaga is developing new material. Director Dodo Dayao, known for horror, is experimenting with something outside his usual genre—“eerie, but not quite horror.”

Lee describes the dynamic as collaborative rather than hierarchical.

“My mix is not like a classroom where everyone is the same level as beginners,” he explained. “Here, I’m not the only one teaching. They’re also teaching because there are more experienced ones.”

The experienced participants help pull up the newcomers, while the energy of beginners challenges the veterans. The exchange benefits both sides, creating what Lee considers a healthy balance.

Interest from actors remains strong. Jericho Gonzales, Coco Martin, Paolo Contis and Lovi Poe have expressed a desire to join, he shared. The difficulty is the commitment. The workshop runs for 10 consecutive Sundays, with no absences allowed.

“Kylie, Cristine, they have 10 Sundays without absences,” he said. “Even though they have work, they’re there every Sunday.”

‘Artists who are good are generous’

Cristine Reyes, he added, brought a lively presence to the sessions. “She’s fun. Usually, artists who are good are generous—the ones who share, who talk, who don’t complain.”

Over the years, several artists who joined the workshop have maintained close ties with him, including Agot Isidro and Candy Pangilinan, who produced a film that grew out of material developed during a workshop.

For Lee, these continuing relationships, and the steady stream of applicants, affirm the workshop’s purpose. Beyond the debates about access and selection, he returns to the principle that has guided him since 1982: writing demands community, rigor and the willingness to keep learning.

 

 

I always say, I don’t believe that because you’re an artist, you don’t need to have a workshop. There’s no end to learning.

National Artist Ricky Lee

 

 

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