Dawn Zulueta rushed from a press conference in Makati City to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City to catch another media junket prepared for the 6th Cinemalaya this afternoon, June 16.
The 41-year-old actress was excited to talk about her first digital movie titled Sigwa, which is one of the official entries for the full-length category of the annual indie film festival. It will be shown on July 9 to 18 at the CCP on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
Dawn said it took her a while to finally do the movie project. She even acknowledged the invitation she got from the award-winning director Joel Lamangan.
"Sabi ko nga, I've always wanted to do these things. But now kasi, mas naengganyo ako noong si Joel Lamangan ang nag-invite sa akin," the actress told the media during the launch of the 1st CamSur Marathon also held this afternoon at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati.
The multi-awarded actress added that she is ready to do another movie. However, she is just waiting for a good story to come along.
"Gusto ko talagang gumawa ng mga movies. Kaso nga lang ang dalang nga ng magandang material na gusto kong gawin. Kaya kapag may dumarating na maganda, kunwari sa digital, hindi ako namimili. Then, of course, it will also be good to do a film."
Since this is an independently produced film, the actress is aware that the project has a very low budget, and so she waived her talent fee.
"Winave ko na nga ang fee ko sa sobrang low. Nakakaawa naman, hayaan na natin. So, for the love of naman," Dawn said with a smile.
She also calls on fellow celebrities to do the same once in a while so they could help the movie industry. "That's what I'm hoping to do. So, parang let's try to help na lang na pasiglahin [ang industriya]," Dawn said.
While she's more than willing to be part of a movie, Dawn, on the other hand, says no to TV series in the meantime.
"Kasi ang teleserye takes up so much of my time," explained Dawn. "Pa-morning-an doon, e. Then, after ng pa-morning-an, useless ka naman the next day. I need to see after my children. So, I prefer na lang to do guestings. Tapos kapag movies, may ilang araw naman 'yan."
Dawn was last seen on television in ABS-CBN's defunct fantaserye Lastikman in 2007. She portrayed the role of Ruth Abelgas, mother of Lastikman (Vhong Navarro). She also appeared in one episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya with Jake Cuenca in 2008.
LEADING THE CAST OF A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. After Sigwa, Dawn will be busy doing A Little Night Music, an original Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim.
She is happy that from a minor role in Ang Larawan more than a decade ago, Dawn would be portraying the lead character named Desiree Armfeldt this time. The role was originally played by first-time stage actress and Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta-Jones last year. The Oscar-winning actress won as Best Actress in the recently-concluded Tony Awards for her performance in A Little Night Music.
Although A Little Night Music is a musical, the non-singing actress is more excited than nervous about it.
"Luckily, if you're familiar with the story, si Desiree Armfeldt, 'yong role that I am portraying. 'Yong singing part niya kasi it's not so much...hindi naman ito 'yong Lea Salonga! Hindi ko kaya 'yon! Pero parang it's like speaking lang with the emotion. In terms of the vocal calisthenics, kayang-kaya ko na," said Dawn.
A Little Night Music is slated to be staged in October 2010 by Atlantis Production. It will be directed by Bobby Garcia.
ENRICHING YOUTH EDUCATION. Aside from movie and stage projects, Dawn finds time for charity work, one of which is creating a DVD copy of various prose and poems of our National Artists.
"I'm in the process of finishing the production of the DVD for Kahit Hindi Pasko Foundation that we just set up. This DVD kasi, it's gonna be a compilation of prose and poems of all our National Artists. What I hope sana to do when this DVD comes out, I wanna make a big thing about it. I'm gonna invite all of you again to talk about it," she said.
This move aims to benefit the underprivileged indigent Filipino kids. "This DVD kasi that I produce is going to bridge the culture," the actress continued. "Because I think, parang ang mga bata ngayon, they need to be living in this kind of information and education about our National Artists."
Dawn and the Kahit Hindi Pasko Foundation also sought help from other local celebrities by asking them to share their talents in the production of the DVD.
"We have several celebrities who kindly, kindly, participated already by using their voice. So, nagre-recite sila ng poems, sila Gary Valenciano, Arnel Pineda... Then, yesterday we already...kasi may mga on-cam. So, nag-shoot na kami with Jericho Rosales and Efren Peñaflorida," said Dawn.
Right now, Dawn says that it has become her focus to help less fortunate Filipinos.
"Siguro when you have so much time in your hands, kagaya ko, wala naman akong teleserye, marami akong naiisip na gawin. I think I just want to be creative. Ang feeling ko lang, by being creative, sana makatulong na rin. So, mabuti na ito na mayroon tayong nagagawa, there are also others who are going to benefit from it," she ended.