“I hope this graduation would not signal the end of your efforts to write more scripts but would instead open up a wide range of possibilities for you to create better ideas for the industry,” the acclaimed writer said in Filipino.

Lee was beaming with delight upon learning that most of his students, inspired by the success of previous batches, are exerting their best to create stories that would appeal to different kinds of audiences. Some past workshop attendees are now working regularly as scriptwriters for film companies and TV studios.

Among his recent students who made it into the limelight are Ned Trespeces, whose script “Jologs” won first prize in the Star Cinema scriptwriting contest and was later turned into a movie, and the group of JP Carpio, Astrid Tobias, Pepper Marcelo, and Bahaghari, whose digital full-length film “Balay Daku” is currently making the rounds of local independent film festivals.

The latest workshop graduates, who came from diverse backgrounds, were greatly heartened by the presence of the screenwriter who penned such classics as “Himala,” “Karnal,” “Salome,” “Brutal” and “Moral.” Some of Lee’s other works include “Lahar,” “Rizal,” “Lagarista,” “Anak,” and “Mila,” among others. Members of Batch 14 – Sunday group, as they are called, are hopeful that they can penetrate the tough field of cinema and television with the scripts they completed from the workshop and with the stories they are planning to come up with in the near future.

Of course, some of them have already carved a niche in film and TV before, whether mainstream or not. Pamela Ann Miras, a graduate of the UP College of Mass Communication, won the top prize for the Short Film Feature category in the 13th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video competition three years ago with her entry “Reyna ng Kadiliman,” which also eventually bagged the Best Short Film award in the 1999 Gawad Urian of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. The said film was screened for her batchmates during their graduation night at the said venue. Her other short, “Bongga: Best in Wedding Gown,” was shown at the Greenbelt preview room last August as part of the Cinemanila special program.

“Through the workshop, I’ve learned the basics of writing a proper narrative, different ways of interpreting written work, and appreciating films from the point of view of a writer,” the young independent filmmaker said. Miras, who is currently working for the advocacy cable TV channel Isla, enjoys the part of the workshop where they critique each other’s works.

The group’s assessment of their scripts helped another member Agustin Sugatan, Jr. win third prize in the Carlos Palanca Awards for Literature screenplay category last year for his work “Fish Crackers.” Sugatan, a product of the Mowelfund Film Institute, also had his short film “Supot” included in the said Cinemanila program last year. His film, which was also screened last year at Mowelfund’s 9th Pelikula at Lipunan, zeroes in on about an uncircumcised man's struggle to free him from society's ridicule.

“I got some confidence after the workshop,” Sugatan revealed. “I worked as a freelance writer before but I never really considered myself a writer then. After winning the Palanca, I gained more confidence,” he added.

Although actress Princess Punzalan is also a part of the batch, she did not receive any special treatment from Lee during the workshop. Like her batchmates, she also had to write her own storyline, its sequence treatment, and, finally, the script.

Punzalan, currently seen on TV as part of the cast of GMA-7’s soap opera “Kung Mawawala Ka,” learned many things from Lee’s workshop. “I gained a better understanding of a scriptwriter’s motives and developed a good appreciation of films with a tightly written script. After the workshop, I realized the importance of a complete story in order to come up with a better movie,” she shared.

Some members are writing for different media companies but they also have the same passion for watching movies like the rest of the group. Adin Abillar is part of PTV-4’s news department. Mario Banzon writes for the Manila Standard. Rod Divinagracia has just been accepted at ABS-CBN after working as a creative writer for “Eat Bulaga.” Nestor De Guzman is employed as a staff of the UP Press while taking up his graduate studies. Yugel Losorata and Alvin Campos work for the Manila Bulletin.

“After writing some storylines and short stories, I became more inspired to set a new direction in my writing. Right now, I’m learning to shoot videos and further develop my craft,” Campos said.

Jake Bacud is presently pitching his ideas as a co-writer for an upcoming film remake and Carol Solis-Da Silva works on a project basis as a translator and dubber for Tagalized series and cartoons.

There are also those who contribute articles for several publications. Jose Jason Chancoco, a medtech student, is a recognized poet whose recent works were published in Panorama and Moist magazines. Christian Lacuesta, the acknowledged film authority of the group, went home in his native Zambales town “to gain more inspiration to finish my short stories.” Seymour Sanchez, a technical assistant for contact center projects, moonlights as a film reviewer for online and print media. Elbert Or, the youngest in the batch, is an undergraduate student at Ateneo who works part-time as a storyboard artist and freelance writer.

“The workshop has influenced me to write more visually, whether for script or comics. I have learned to follow the beats and rhythms of writing as well as conventions of a film. Even the dialogues that I write have become more concise,” the 18-year old Atenean stressed.

Two batchmates are hooked with video editing. Sunshine Matutina, an AVID editor for ABS-CBN soap operas, was able to take her writing seriously during the workshop. John Anthony Wong has decided to put up his own company, Elemental Revolution, after a brief stint as a DJ and newscaster of 102.7 STAR FM and a fruitful career as director for multimedia projects and Mandarin instructor at the Centro Escolar University.

“I’ve learned that there’s more to movies than ‘The Matrix.’ What I mean is I never imagined myself watching foreign language films and indie movies before. Obviously, my mindset is still fixed on technically adept films,” the video editor Wong beamed.

Several members of the batch are involved with marketing and advertising agencies. Annie Maureen Tamayo-Uy works as a marketing assistant for Banco de Oro. Imee Lumbab does marketing for the Philippine Airlines head office. Jessie James Abastillas has been a part of the marketing department of Wyeth Philippines and Globe before he entered the workshop. Pia Roxas is a copywriter for Ogilvy & Mather while Peegy Yparraguirre works for its competitor Leo Burnett before she transferred to New Zealand Milk. Lovely Barba is now employed in another Makati-based ad agency after rendering volunteer work for the Cinemanila filmfest. Mary Grace Gayoso handles group sales and marketing for Philamlife corporate accounts.

The rest, who are preoccupied with non-writing jobs, still make it a point to finish their scripts and stories for contests such as Star Cinema, Palanca, and Cinemanila, among others. Christopher Belmonte, the group’s scientist, is a research specialist at the DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute. Lenin De Guzman is a talent manager for Star Records. Richard Legaspi is a computer graphic artist for a packaging company. Krispin Ontong is a web design and computer programming instructor at the AMA Computer University. Xedric Luna-Pison is a law student and Bernadette Reyes, a freelance photographer, is expected to finish her fine arts course at the College of Holy Spirit after a recent group exhibit at SM Megamall.

Mary Angelica Reginaldo, a newspaper distributor, is still waiting for her big break in the TV industry. Richarest Velasco is a young businesswoman busy traveling in different places. Leilanie Villanueva serves as the deputy executive director of the Policy Review and Editorial Services, Inc. (PRESS).

In charge of keeping the group together and updating them about recent developments are Grace Orbon, a former writer and director for campus stage plays, and Sanchez. Barba, Legaspi, and Reyes provide support in coordinating their activities. Realizing the great potential of the batch, they decided to pool their resources together and launch the writers group KATORSE, in obvious reference to their batch number.

Sugatan, primarily due to his Palanca victory, was again recognized during the event. KATORSE also handed out certificates of appreciation to Cho, Siapoc, and Timmy Magalang for assisting Lee in the conduct of his workshop. Finally, the writers group expressed their gratitude to Lee for his free workshop, the strongest link which binds them together aside from their appreciation of cinema.

Asked what message they would like to share to future workshop attendees, Matutina sums it up in one wish, “I hope the next batch of workshoppers will also have the same passion as we do.”