The Gift of Barong: a Journey from Within

This film is about two generations of Filipino-American surfers from the Bay Area who traveled to the Philippines to immerse in the culture, surf the islands and rediscover themselves.

What started as an innocent participation in a Filipino town fiesta and an accidental viewing of one’s self in the mirror with the BARONG TAGALOG (a traditional Filipino shirt), resulted in the awakening of consciousness of one of the main characters.

This simple journey from within developed into a full-blown independent documentary film project that took two years to make.

A must see film for the Filipino and Filipino-Americans and other ethnic communities. It shows the complexity of the social and emotional side of immigrants, and shows the courage and resolve of the few.

Director/Writer/Editor: Benito Bautista
Executive Producer: Jocelyn Formento
Producers: Dan Moreno and Benito Bautista
Directors of Photography: Michael Rodriguez, Benito Bautista, Emma Francisco, and Grant Washburn
Sound Recordist: John Rivera
Sound Engineer: Chris Mayrena

The Gift of Barong: a Journey from Within (2006)

Award & Screenings

Best Cinematography in a Documentary
New York International Independent Film & Video Festival, 2006

Official Selection:
Filipino Film Festival, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2012
Pan Asian Film Festival, Calgary, Canada, 2007
Cinemanila International Film Festival, Philippines, 2006
Chicago Filipino American Film Festival, 2006
New York International Independent Film & Video Festival, 2006
San Diego Asian Film Festival, 2006

Screenings:
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
San Francisco Asian Art Museum
San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco State University
Stanford University
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
Riordan High School, San Francisco, CA
WestBay Pilipino Center, San Francisco, CA
Young Filipino Professional Association, San Francisco, CA
Sine! Sine! Pistahan’s Filipino American Film Festival, San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles CinemaIndio
San Diego Filipino Heritage Festival
Filipino American National Historical Society, Vallejo, CA
SAIT College, Calgary, Canada
Independent Theatre, Calgary, Canada

Telecast:
Chicago Suncast TV
PINOY INDIE on GMA Pinoy TV (GMA International)