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Filipino Filmmaker Set to Direct Australian Horror Film Set in Sydney’s Underground

The Tunnel, a horror film about a TV crew that ventures into Sydney’s vast tunnel systems in search of a story has been generating international and local attention through its unique funding and distribution model.

Helming the project is Filipino-Australian director Carlo Ledesma, a Bacolod native who migrated to Sydney six years ago and has since won numerous awards for his short films, including the 2007 comedy The Haircut which took out a special prize at the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival. The Tunnel is Ledesma’s feature film debut and he could not be more excited as he teams up with two close collaborators - Distracted Media’s Australian producers, Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey on the crowd-funding scheme.

“Enzo and I have had a great working relationship since 2007 when he edited a short film of mine called The Last One. I’ve done a few projects with Julian as well and the three of us have always expressed a desire to break through the traditional methods and just do a film without having to go through the usual motions of asking people for money. At an early stage of any filmmaker’s career, I believe you just have to go do it yourself. I think Enzo and Jules have created a terrific scheme which has allowed us to go out and shoot our first feature.”

"When we were considering up-and-coming directors to approach for our first feature project, Carlo was always right at the top of our list. His understanding of the character and story is evident in his previous work and collaborating with him is always a rewarding experience. He brings an enthusiasm and passion difficult to find – we are thrilled to have him on board for The Tunnel”.

“On my end it’s my job to make sure the story delivers. We have no intention of wanting to be known as just ‘that film with the cool funding gimmick’ but also as the guys that churned out a great and entertaining film. “

“It’s been a fun challenge directing the actors because of the pseudo-documentary approach of the film. All the films I had done in the past were so adherent to what’s written in the script so it’s quite refreshing to be able to go the complete opposite for this film and tell the actors to not memorise any lines.”

“I see The Tunnel as the first step in what I hope to be a long and fruitful filmmaking career. I really enjoy the people I am collaborating with on this project and hopefully this will open more doors for us and give us more opportunities down the road to do more films.”

With Ledesma having secured dual citizenship this year, he feels a strong desire to make films in not just Australia but in the Philippines as well.

“Making films in the Philippines is definitely something I want to do. The ideal scenario for me would be to be able to have solid bases in both countries and fly back and forth as the projects see fit. Having worked for several years in the industry back there, I am absolutely aware of the immense talent of the Filipino and I can’t wait to tap into that.”

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Carlo Ledesma is an award-winning filmmaker based in Sydney Australia, with a career that spans over fifteen years in film, radio, theatre, and television.

From 1997 to 2004 Carlo worked as a senior producer and presenter on the acclaimed Philippine sports and travel show Gameplan. The show won several Catholic Mass Media Awards and gained a strong cult following.

Moving to Sydney in 2004 to pursue a Masters degree in Film, Carlo wasted no time establishing his presence. His first short film in Australia, Locked, was named Best Film at the annual University of Sydney Film Awards and Carlo hasn’t looked back since, directing several films and working on high profile projects, mainly for a video and internet production company called Viocorp. In 2007 Carlo’s film The Haircut was awarded the Mini Movie Channel Award for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival. The prize money from that enabled Carlo to get started on his next project The Last One.

Carlo also shot and directed a feature-length documentary for Nike called My Game, which explored the Philippines’ devout passion for basketball. My Game premiered in October 2007 in Manila to glowing reviews and the DVD, which was released in a limited run, is now a much sought-after collector’s item.

Carlo now has several projects lined up. He is currently directing Distracted Media’s The Tunnel and has two feature scripts in development. And recognizing the ever-evolving ways to reach out to modern audiences, Carlo is working on an interactive film and graphic novel tie-up.

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