For a film enthusiast with not-so-secret dreams of being a film actress or filmmaker, it is quite exasperating that there are very few local film workshops. I was ecstatic to be informed that award-winning scriptwriter and mentor to rising scripwriters, Armando “Bing” Lao, is coming to Davao City.

Among Lao’s former students are Jade Castro, Jim Libiran, and Mark Meily. Among Lao’s works are Tuhog, La Vida Rosa, Bridal Shower, and Bikini Open, and the classic Saan Nagtago ang Pag-ibig? The last one, being one of my favorite Filipino films, even if I watched it when I was very young.

According to Monchito Nocon, Workshop Tour Coordinator, through the workshop, Lao

“will expound on what he calls the ‘found story code,’ a scriptwriting process that Bing says best tells the story of the Filipino reality for it is derived from objects or phenomena found in real life. The different modalities under this code is the real-time mode, dramatic time, poetic time.

Bing Lao’s Found Story Workshop is part of the ufo Workshop Regional Summer Tours. It will be held from April 12 – 16, 2010 here in Davao City. The workshop fee is PhP5,000.

Yes, I am very much excited to learn more about writing and scriptwriting and be one step closer to my dream of becoming a filmmaker. 🙂

For questions and inquiries, you may contact Monchito Nocon at +63920-2836393 or through ramoncn@gmail.com.

ufo Workshops may be contacted at 2/F, 85-H, Araullo St. (corner Balagtas st.), Brgy Addition Hills, San Juan, Metro Manila 1500. You may also reach them online via ufoWorkshops2010@gmail.com, their FB page: facebook.com/ufoworkshops, and their blog ufoworkshops.wordpress.com.