Meet Cole Bacani

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cole Bacani.

Cole, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I just finished four years of film school at USC, and I feel like right now is the perfect opportunity to finally reflect. I got started back in middle school by making family videos. I’ve always been super close with my giant extended family, and I just recorded everything growing up.

Each year, I’d make a montage of family memories and screen it on New Year’s Eve for everyone- and I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously laughing and crying. It made me aware of how powerful film can be and how different layers can affect different people at certain times in their lives.

I grew up with my cousins as my best friends in the Chicago suburbs; we would hang out every weekend. Growing up with my cousins is a huge part of Filipino culture. One of the hardest decisions in my life was deciding to leave it all behind to pursue my dreams in Los Angeles. I just graduated from USC, but still, nothing hurt more than graduating from high school in 2016 and saying goodbye to all of them.

Fast forward four years, and now I’m temporarily back home in Illinois to make a film about leaving all my cousins behind. I feel like it’s come full circle. I’m back home now because of the pandemic, so now is the perfect time to finally put my family story into a script. Many of my new friends, collaborators, and coworkers are flying out from LA just to help me make this film in Illinois… and I feel so lucky. It feels like I’m combining my two families (from LA and Illinois) to make a film ABOUT family.

Here’s a 5-minute video that explains what the short film is about: https://vimeo.com/426849339/62e06195cb

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I mentioned this earlier, but I think that deciding to take this road in the first place was the biggest struggle. My cousins are still in Illinois- so watching them continue to grow up without me for the four years while I was at USC was hard. But moving to LA was also one of the best things to happen to me. I’m happy to say that I’ve found family here in LA through my new friends and coworkers.

I’ve been working on and off at Jubilee Media for three years while at school. They’re an incredible team of amazing humans who have really shaped who I am as a person and a filmmaker today. Even though they’re coworkers, I feel really lucky to say that they feel like family. And as my final year at film school came to an end in May, I feel like I finally found my people at USC. I realize now that home isn’t a place.

Currently, I’m back in Illinois to make a short film about my family titled “Everything Stays.” Cast and crew are flying out from LA just to help me bring this story to life, and a lot of my struggles right now come from trying to make a film during the pandemic. The pandemic is making this feel like a nearly impossible task. Safety is our number one priority, and we’re constantly changing our plans.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
A film critic/judge once said this about my work: “unapologetically mopey, it works because it feels true to its age, and it’s told with moments of humor and self-awareness” and I think that’s a perfect way to sum up my style, haha. I love stories that are painfully awkward and brutally honest.

I tell a lot of personal stories, and my friends always ask how I can relive these painful moments on screen. I think it’s because it really is cathartic. I make most of these films not just because I want to, but mostly because I need to. I’m stealing this quote from somewhere, I don’t remember where, but I agree with it: “Great art is clear thinking about mixed feelings.”

For me, one of the best parts about making a film is when the themes start to reveal themselves to me. I often write scripts based off of real life, not really knowing where they’re going. And when I start to attach the cast and crew and hear them analyze my writing, that’s when it gets exciting. I learn a lot about myself that way, and it’s comforting to hear how they all relate to it in different ways.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The biggest thanks always goes to my family and my entire extended family. It all started with them. We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs in the past few years. We’ve all slowly grown up and moved to different places- but no matter where life has taken us, they’ve always stayed here by my side, which is why this current film I’m working on is titled “Everything Stays.”

You can read more about the film here: everythingstaysfilm.com.

The team at Jubilee Media and all my friends from USC have really helped me find my footing in LA and have made it a second home.

Contact Info:

• Website: vimeo.com/cabacani
• Instagram: instagram.com/cabacani
• Twitter: twitter.com/cabacani
• Other: https://www.filmindependent.org/programs/fiscal-sponsorship/everything-stays/

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