FILMMERSION: Assistant Directing 101 Workshop with Grace Simbulan

Moderated by Charles Gray

In this workshop, learn about filmmaker Grace Simbulan’s decade-long experience in Assistant Directing in international co-production film sets in countries like Japan, France, India, and the Philippines. Learn the difference between being a 1st AD and a 2nd AD, the main responsibilities of an AD on set, pre-production work as an AD, and more! Grace will also talk about her journey being an AD to writing and directing her first feature film, A IS FOR AGUSTIN which is an Official Selection at SDFFF, screening on October 16, 5pm at AMC 12 Otay Ranch Town Center. Grace will be in attendance for the Q&A. Don’t miss it!

FILMMERSION is presented by California Arts Council and GI Film Festival San Diego brought to you by KPBS
Tickets now available for purchase for SDFFF’s virtual Filmmersion workshops.  Reserve your spot at sdfff.org

About Grace Simbulan:

After graduating cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in film, Grace received a grant from the European Union as part of their project entitled “In Defense of Land and Life: Addressing Human Rights Concerns of Indigenous Peoples in Resource Conflict Areas” to produce a mid-length documentary film. As a follow up to this project, she immersed in the same community for more than eight years while producing the feature-length documentary film “A is for Agustin”.

The experience and knowledge she obtained through her years in the Indigenous community became her driving force in pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where her research explores the pressures, counter pressures, and negotiations, that lead to the adoption of projects for Indigenous women and children in the Philippines.

Grace is one of the contributors to the book, Indigenous Futures and Learnings Taking Place. Her chapter focuses on dreams and dream sharing as a critical means of documenting and passing on Indigenous knowledge.