On August 12, 2023, UPFI Film Center and EdukSine organized a free public screening of Pinay, American Style (1979) at UP Videotheque.
Directed by Elwood “El Maestro” Perez, the film follows the story of PX (Vilma Santos) who struggles as an illegal immigrant in New York city. Her journey takes a lot of interesting turns as three men in her life can’t seem to get enough of her.
In a jampacked theatre room comprising university students, the EdukSine team, and Director Elwood and friends, the crowd shared laughter and tears all throughout the film showing.
Afterwards, EdukSine’s CEO and Founder, Ms. Karen Jane Salutan, announced that the event also serves as her farewell party before her flight to New York in a week. A short segment was allotted to show appreciation to the interns of EdukSine through a simple gift-giving. Ms. Karen handed out edible flower candies and delivered a short message to recognize the hard work poured by the team, especially following the StartUp QC grant award. See: EdukSine Receives a 1 Million Peso Grant as a StartUp QC Finalist
The interns of EdukSine also prepared some entertainment for the guests: Bianca Millare sang a beautiful rendition of Maybe This Time, while Pierre Taduran composed and recited an insightful poem. Both belong to the 5th batch of interns and are from Far Eastern University.
El Maestro himself was then invited to share his insights through a short talk. He took a trip down the memory lane and recalled the experiences and challenges faced while filming Pinay, American Style, and imparted valuable advice to aspiring filmmakers. Director Elwood also adressed the questions of the enthusiastic audience.
The seasoned director is a trusty mentor and close friend of Ms. Karen. With the presence of El Maestro and the EdukSine team, the combined film showing and farewell party was definitely a memorable way of celebrating her upcoming departure to NYC.
At present, Ms. Karen is already in Brooklyn, New York. EdukSine continues to flourish albeit the distance between the team and the CEO and Founder, signifying that the cultural and social enterprise is boldly on its way to international operation and recognition.