Ivory Tulle (Short Film)

A Filipino bride-to-be struggles with preparing for and enjoying her wedding day due to her being pressured by her family and friends to invite her estranged father who she shares a strained, farcical relationship with.

It's Teresa's wedding day and everything is as beautiful as can be: the outdoor garden is in full bloom on a bright, sunny day in the summer, the decorations are tastefully designed and composed, and the bride and groom look the best they've ever been, the mother and father of the bride are present and happy to witness this event. 

Things are unfortunately not what they seem: months before Teresa's wedding, she had decided to uninvite her estranged father, much to the dismay of her wedding planner. Despite his warning, Teresa decides to push through with her decision. In a bridal gown fitting she has with her friends and mother, Myra, present, the truth is revealed. This lights a fuse in Myra and an argument ensues, which ends with her slapping Teresa. Shocked by what had just unfolded, Teresa relents and reconsiders her decision to uninvite her father. 

Teresa's wedding is shown once more, but after learning of the history behind it, one must question if the wedding was a happy one after all. 

This film is designed to challenge the time-old belief that blood is thicker than water, that family goes first, something that is deeply embedded in Filipino culture. Family is a core aspect of Filipino culture. It's close, tight-knit, and collectivist in nature. On one end, family will always be there for you, but on the other hand, they can reject feelings and ideas that are against the norm.

In Ivory Tulle, the bride, Teresa, tries to defy tradition in pursuit of her own happiness by cutting ties with her father after realizing that he doesn't deserve to celebrate this milestone with her. Her desire to be liberated from the shackles of toxic family values paired with her devotion to her family is the focal point of the story. We see her in a constant juggling act from when she prepares for her wedding up until the wedding day itself.

While it's brave to stand up and try to go against the family-first traditional norm by setting boundaries, this film also acknowledges the reality that filial piety in Filipino culture is so deeply ingrained that the more common outcome is to give up at the cost of happiness and inner peace.

Ever since my first term at Toronto Film School (TFS), most of the stories I've told were done with the intention of introducing the world to more Filipino stories, which is not common in Western media. This film is my own little way of putting faces that look like mine more on screen and hopefully making Filipinos all over feel seen and validated. I believe that small efforts like this towards Filipino representation are where it all starts. 

Jax Guillen, Writer and Director

Prior to entering Toronto Film School (TFS), I've worked as an Art Director in a creative agency for four (4) years back home in the Philippines, making me no stranger to conceptualizing and executing work that is both visually appealing and effective to viewers. This experience has been instrumental to all the work I've done throughout my time at TFS.

I've worked as a Production Designer, Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup on Jennifer Bendle’s film, Runners; Nico LaFramboise’s film, Pass or Fail; Fernanda Molina’s film, Lonely Love; as a Production Manager and Hair & Makeup on Thevin Gamage’s film, Invited Guest; and an Art Assistant on Babak, a Canadian Film Centre-backed short film. Safe to say, I've maximized her time at TFS gaining set experience and I'm more than ready to pursue my goal of being a film director who aspires to tell Filipino stories with my first step being to bring Ivory Tulle from the script to the screen with my crew.

Steven Higgs, Producer

Jax and I may not have worked together on set, but after working on several projects in class together, I’ve established a good rapport and developed a strong work dynamic and friendship with her. After reading her script for the Ivory Tulle I was very interested to come on board and make use of that pre-established confidence to help create something deep and interesting.

Throughout my learning experience at Toronto Film School (TFS), I think a good script, a reliable producer, and a strong, confident crew are what it takes to make a successful film, and I’m honored to be part of the team to help my dear friend and colleague make her story come to life.

Alec Stephens, Director of Photography (DOP)

Over the past few terms at Toronto Film School (TFS), I’ve had a lot of experience working with cameras, on and off of TFS sets. Working as a 1st AC, or as Camera Operator, I’ve been able to see first hand how the camera department operates, and what’s required of a DOP. I’m hoping to put this into practice when working with Jax on this project.

When I’ve worked with Jax in the past, I’ve always been impressed with her attention to detail and vulnerability. It’s a very personal story, and she has a very thorough vision of how she wants to bring that to life. I’m excited to have the opportunity to use multiple visual styles to realize this film. Creating the contrast between appearances and reality is a challenge I’m looking forward to meeting. The stylistic choices she’s making in her depiction of this, gives me a chance to try out a lot of different techniques I don’t often get to use. I have the utmost confidence in Jax as a director, and a writer. I can’t wait to be on set, behind the camera, capturing this story.

Devin Cooke, 1st Assistant Director (1st AD)

I've been part of various sets since her third term at Toronto Film School (TFS), most of them being Term 5 or 6 students' greenlit films. These include Runners written by previous Writer student, Jennifer Bendle, Actor student, Nico Laframboise’s film, Pass or Fail, and Actor student, Kaitlyn Whetstone’s film, Forbidden Fruit. I've had the pleasure of being 1st AD and realised a love for the role. I've developed the skills needed to communicate well between different roles, have an organised schedule and environment, and be able to direct many people on a set to get things accomplished smoothly and on time. I've fallen in love with the organising, scheduling, and conduction of a film set and the process of how a film is created. Seeing how everything comes together and creating something to be proud of is my utmost favourite thing about being part of a film. 

In order to bring this film to life, the team will need a total of C$4,000, which will all go into the following:

Locations: The shoot will take place in two (2) locations: an outdoor garden where Teresa's wedding pictorial will take place and a studio to be dressed up into a bridal boutique where we witness the events and history behind Teresa's wedding.

Equipment: The team will be renting certain camera equipment to effectively accomplish the type of visual storytelling and style we envisioned for the film. We will mainly be using an ARRI Amira. The additional equipment we will rent includes the following:

Production Design: The team will need the right set design, props, and wardrobe to successfully immerse the audience in the world we want to create for Ivory Tulle.

Transportation: The team will need to rent a 20" UHaul truck to safely and efficiently transport camera, lighting, and sound equipment as well as any props and set dressing in and out of the shooting locations.

Craft and Catering: The team will need to make sure that our cast and crew are well fed and taken care of to ensure a safe, working environment on set.

Your contribution to this project will be instrumental to our personal mission to increase and improve Filipino representation in film. It's about time that stories about Filipinos are told more truthfully and the team is more than determined to do this to the best of their ability and make every moment count. And we want you to be part of this effort in telling this story and making it come to life.

Helping us create a film we are so passionate about will not go unrewarded! We want to give back as much as we can so you know how much we appreciate your support. 

Digital Copy of the Film:  A C$20-99 contribution to this campaign will receive entail a digital copy of the film upon completion.

Digital Copy of the Poster: A C$100-199 contribution will earn you a digital copy of the poster, as well as a digital copy of the film upon completion. (Please take note that the poster displayed is a stand-in for visual aid.)

A Copy of the Screenplay: A C$200-349 contribution will earn you a digital copy of the screenplay of Ivory Tulle, as well as a digital copy of the film upon completion.

Behind-the-Scenes Content: A C$350-499 contribution to this campaign will earn you an additional behind-the-scenes video and other content filmed during the days of production in addition to the previously mentioned rewards.

Film Still Prints: A C$500-699 contribution to this campaign will earn you ten (10) film prints of stills from Ivory Tulle personally selected by the key creative team in addition to the previously mentioned rewards.

'Special Thanks' Credit: A C$700-899 contribution to this campaign will award you your name in the Special Thanks section in Ivory Tulle’s credits in addition to the previously mentioned rewards.

'Associate Producer' Credit: A C$900-999 contribution to this campaign will award you the title of 'Associate Producer' in Ivory Tulle’s credits in addition to the previously mentioned rewards. (excluding the 'Special Thanks' credit).

'Executive Producer' Credit: A contribution of C$1,000 or over to this campaign will award you the title of 'Executive Producer' in Ivory Tulle’s credits. It also gives you the rewards from all the tiers below (excluding the 'Special Thanks' credit and the 'Associate Producer' credits).

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