When he was hired as sales assistant at Dubai Duty Free in 2008, Archie Enriquez was on cloud nine. For him, being employed at one of the most stable and biggest retail companies in the UAE is priceless.
“I considered it as one of the proudest moments in my professional career because I believe that our company will help me grow and fulfill my dream for my family in the Philippines,” he said.
He then discovered he has a knack for filmmaking when asked by a friend to create a slideshow presentation using Microsoft Movie Maker. He edited film clips and started watching filmmaking tutorials on YouTube. He bought a cheap digital camera to practice cinematography and visual effects based on what he learned online.
“I believe that Filipinos are very talented, they just need a venue to showcase it.”
This resulted to the creation of his very own short film which starred his friends. The film became viral in his company and resulted in him being promoted as New Media and Web Development In-charge, creating artworks, video coverage and marketing materials. He is also responsible for digital media animation at the airports as well as in the company’s social media platforms. Some of the TV commercials he created are being played in the US, UK and Ireland.
In 2013, the self-taught filmmaker founded APE and Co. with a vision to gather talented Dubai-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have a passion for acting and filmmaking, and produce quality films that Filipinos can all be proud of, both locally and internationally.
“The main advocacy of APE and Co. is to create a network of Filipino filmmakers, editors, animators, artists and actors and to uplift the Filipino talents in the UAE. As its founding chairman, I started gathering Filipino talents and groom them to become successful in their craft,” said Enriquez.
“I believe that Filipinos are very talented, they just need a venue to showcase it. We are a small group of filmmakers with a simple vision: to recognize OFW talents in filmmaking in the UAE and internationally,” he added.
Enriquez and his group started joining film competitions such as the 48 Hour Film Project, held during the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in December 2015. His first film “Agent Who?” won three major awards: “Audience Choice”, “Best Use of Character,” and second runner-up – beating 43 other entries.
When he first joined the Emirates Short Film Festival in 2016, his entry “Anibersaryo” (Anniversary) bagged the Best Actress award for one of his talents, Honey Cocson in 2016. His entry entitled “Kaarawan” (Birthday) in the Film Fest this year, won “Best Film” and he received the “Best Director” award. The film also became one of the finalists in Los Angeles Cinefest and IndieWise in Miami, Florida.
Enriquez has just completed his first full length film “Lamentasyon” (Lamentation), a psychological thriller. With Lamentasyon, he wants to make history by making the first-ever full length film with an all-OFW cast and crew. The film is slated for public screening this November.
