WATER SPORTS

WATER SPORTS
by Whammy Alcazaren

19 MINUTES, 36 SECONDS | Apocalyptic Romcom

CAST
Elijah Canlas, Renz Javier, Bon Lentejas, Ricky Davao

PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR/SCREENPLAY – Whammy Alcazaren
CINEMATOGRAPHER – Berhil Cruz
PRODUCTION DESIGN – Ana Lou Sanchez
EDITOR – Carlo Francisco Manatad
ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE – Sage Ilagan and Caloy Soliongco
SOUND DESIGN – Danjo Galapon
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS – Eduardo Lejano, Jr., Manet Dayrit, Adnan Al Rajeev
PRODUCER/S – Alemberg Ang, Mara Ravelo Bernaldo
CREATIVE PRODUCER – Thesa Tang
LINE PRODUCER – Dorothy Labro
VFX – Neil Mendoza, Mark Legazpi
ASSOCIATE EDITOR – Alvin Chan

LOGLINE
Two sad boys harness the power of their love in an attempt to survive a world devastated by climate change.

SYNOPSIS
The Teacher believes that children are our future. He says to teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Jelson and Ipe, students deep in love, undergo trials of the mind and body as they prepare themselves to survive a world devastated by climate change. Though life may be harsh and unforgiving, They believe what their teacher says that a strong heart and mind can triumph with an iron will. But Jelson and Ipe soon learn that maybe the best way to survive the end of the world is to simply just live, laugh, and love.

FILMMAKER’S PROFILE

WHAMMY ALCAZAREN is a multi-awarded porn director and production designer for film and advertising. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines Film Institute, a participant of the 2013 13 Little Pictures Film lab in Singapore, 2016 Festival Belluard Bollwek Watch and Talk Residency in Switzerland, and 2024 Berlinale Talents. As production designer, he is a frequent collaborator with director Carlo Manatad for Whether the Weather is Fine (2022, Locarno Concorso Cineasti del presente) and director Raya Martin for Death of Nintendo (2020, Berlinale Generations). His most recent collaboration as production designer is for Sam Manacsa’s short film Cross my Heart and Hope to Die, which premiered in 2024 Cinemalaya and the Venice Film Festival 2023. His first short film Bold Eagle won Best International Short at the Fantasia Film Festival 2023. The film was also screened in the 61st New York Film Festival and the 40th Edition of the Sundance Film Festival. He is currently in development of his next feature, Noodles, Our Love was Instant and Forever. He likes cats and Pokemon.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

As a single gay man in his mid-thirties, setting aside even the weighted struggle to make ends meet and build a future, I’ve accepted that life is pretty hard. But it is even more so if we put into context the repercussions of the present to both our future and the future of the planet. It is something that is often reminded to us at this dawning of a new century – the earth is dying and if we don’t do anything about it then we’re all doomed. I wonder to myself, what would Greta Thunberg do? How has she mustered the courage to let go of the joys of being young and carefree? She champions the protection of the world above herself, over childish things. How can she be so selfless while all I want is to sleep and eat after a tiring day? WATER SPORTS is the culmination of these thoughts. As a single gay man, this is my search for purpose in a dying world. And I resolve to be selfish. I find that the answer is in itself the solution to saving the world. Childish, Yes. But what is life without love? I propose that we live, laugh, and love to save the day. At the least, at the very end, we will have a hand to hold when we watch it all burn and fade away.