Today we’d like to introduce you to Mil Alcain.
Mil, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m from Manila, Philippines. Every person I meet is always surprised when I tell them that because I look Caucasian, thanks to my father who’s from San Sebastian, Spain. Because I was born and raised there and it was the only culture I’d ever known, I consider myself Filipino.
Growing up, my mother had always been the breadwinner so when my father died when I was 13, nothing much changed except that she had to deal with expensive hospital bills. Even though the only thing that ever really excited me was what was in the theaters currently or the American shows that had been imported in the mid-90s, the idea of studying that in college wasn’t even a consideration. How could I study something that had a very unstable future when my mom was busting her butt off to make sure my brother and I could go to decent schools? So I took the safe route and majored in finance.
I graduated Magna Cum Laude from one of the top schools in Manila. I started working almost as soon as I graduated and it wasn’t long before I ended up in the trust department of one of the biggest banks in the country. It was exciting at first, the idea of making my own money. I could pay for things without running it by anyone. As the years went by, however, the routine of it all weighed on me. I started thinking, is this it? Is this what the rest of my life will look like? I tried doing some extreme things to shake myself out of those thoughts. I jumped out of a plane. I jumped off the Macau Tower. I jumped off almost everything I could find on the Internet but there was something I couldn’t shake off.
Considering I’d jumped the height of the highest bungee, it still wasn’t as scary as quitting my job and applying to film school. I knew that as long as I had a fallback, I would never take the plunge. Every day I waited for the results, I wondered whether I’d made the right decision. Not getting into two of the schools I’d applied to really took a toll on my self-esteem. And then one May morning, I got it. I received the email that I’d been accepted to the producing program of the American Film Institute Conservatory. It felt like a sign from the universe.
It wasn’t easy by any means but now I’m a graduate of the two-year masters program, produced a bunch of short films with my thesis film, NEW YEAR’S EVE having premiered at the Sardinia Film Festival and a semi-finalist in the 2019 Student Academy Awards. I’ve interned for companies like Preferred Content (JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI), CBS Films (FIVE FEET APART, HELL OR HIGH WATER, SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK), Temple Hill Entertainment (LOVE, SIMON, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, FIRST MAN, THE HATE U GIVE) and Entertainment One (QUEEN AND SLIM, BOOKSMART) while balancing independent producing.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Having no film experience whatsoever, I didn’t get into some pretty good schools. When you’re competing against millions of applicants around THE WORLD though, I learned the hard way that your expectations always have to be realistic. The insecurity of lack of experience carried over to my time in AFI. There were times I felt like my opinion was inferior to others’. If I didn’t like something that the majority did, I opted to give a diplomatic answer instead. There’s something about LA though. Maybe it’s how nothing comes easy here or the encouragement to be “authentic” and “in touch with your feelings” or the forced growth you have to do after the eventual fall out with people you thought were your friends, but I learned that everyone is battling their own insecurity and afraid to be wrong themselves. Also, with something as subjective as film, there’s no such thing as a “correct” opinion.
There’s also being on one difficult set after another for long periods of time. I’d been yelled at and called the police on. Then you have to deal with the personal struggles each member of your crew is bringing with them each day. There’s nothing routine about being on set, for sure.
Then there’s being away from home. The biggest export of the Philippines are its laborers. We call them Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and there are millions of them. I’d heard stories growing up of what they went through but nothing can really prepare you for the feeling of missing out on really big moments that can’t be duplicated: weddings, baptisms, birthdays, vacations. You miss out on so many memories. There’s a constant need to remind yourself of the bigger picture and what you’re doing this for.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?|
My family. If you’ve seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you know what my family is like.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: twitter.com/milalcain
- Instagram: milalcain
Image Credit:
Camille De Guzman
Xindi Lou
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