The Debut

The Debut

Movie

  • :
  • Genre(s): Drama
  • Language(s): English
  • Director(s): Gene Cajayon
  • Cast(s): Dante Basco, Ernie Zarate, Gina Alajar, Bernadette Balagtas, Derek Basco See all Cast & Crew
  • Duration: 1h 28min
  • Music: Curtis Choy,Wendall J. Yuponce
  • Award(s): Golden Screen 2004 (Won) Awards List
  • Similar To: "Wuthering Heights", 180
  • Story:
    Filipino-American high school student Ben (Dante Mercado) works in a comic book shop to earn money to pay his way into Cal Arts. His father, a postman, is determined that his son--who has won a pre-med scholarship to UCLA--will become a doctor. The eighteenth birthday party of Ben's sister, Rose, sets off a comedic and touching series of events and family struggles that will in turn determine young Ben's future. This fresh independent production from Gene Cajayon presents a lighthearted and warm coming-of-age tale filtered through the eyes of an American subculture rarely seen on film.
    Full Story

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The Debut - Cast

The Debut - Crew

The Debut - IMAGE GALLERY

STORY

Story
Filipino-American high school student Ben (Dante Mercado) works in a comic book shop to earn money to pay his way into Cal Arts. His father, a postman, is determined that his son--who has won a pre-med scholarship to UCLA--will become a doctor. The eighteenth birthday party of Ben's sister, Rose, sets off a comedic and touching series of events and family struggles that will in turn determine young Ben's future. This fresh independent production from Gene Cajayon presents a lighthearted and warm coming-of-age tale filtered through the eyes of an American subculture rarely seen on film.

AWARDS

Won
Golden Screen Award

Best Supporting Actor | 2004 | Tirso Cruz

Best Sound | 2004 | John M.

Audience Award

Best Narrative Feature | 2000 | Gene

Jury Award

Best Narrative Feature | 2000 | Gene

BOX OFFICE

Budget 1,000,000 USD

TRIVIA

Trivia

This film was never picked up by a major distribution company. Instead, the producers organized a grass roots effort to self-distribute the film. Three years passed between initial principal photography to opening, and another three to have the film travel and screened across the United States. A total of six years before the film made it to DVD and home video.

Considered in the Philippines as the very first feature-length film to extensively show the Filipino-American experience.

The writers/director of this movie, had no help in promotion, so they promoted their movie by going to stores and hanging up posters, as well as distributing flyers.

The close-up hands, at the end of the film, browsing through Ben's portfolio belong to writer John Manal Castro.

Bernadette Balagtas (Rose Mercado) had injured her ankle while basketball training for the movie. She had to wear an ankle brace throughout the entire filming schedule. The brace had to be digitally removed in one of the major dance sequences where her ankle is prominently featured.

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Outcome
Outcome

10 Apr 2026