By Gay Ace Domingo
To celebrate Valentine month, we are featuring four pairs who also work together behind the camera. These tandems have successfully collaborated on many endeavors, and, by the looks of it, are set to remain creative partners for life.
Lawrence Fajardo and Krisma Maclang Fajardo
Director-editor Lawrence Fajardo is married to producer Krisma Maclang Fajardo.
Krisma serves as line producer or producer of many of Lawrence’s films. One of their earliest collabs was “Kultado,” Best Short Film winner at the Gawad Urian. Their team-up, which began in the early 2000s, has produced many more noteworthy films such as “Kintsugi,” “Imbisibol” and “Amok.” The Fajardos have their own production outfit called Pelikulaw.
Away from the camera, they’re a sweet couple. He describes her as a terrific chef, while she values his caring nature. “You opened the world and windows to us, and… you take care of us,” Krisma posted on FB as her heartfelt message to Law.
Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas
Perhaps writer-director Antoinette Jadaone and director-cinematographer Dan Villegas don’t need to look far for inspiration for their love-themed works. Their relationship can already rival the sweetness of the most popular onscreen love teams. Antoinette and Dan often happily post about the other’s career developments, and are equally thrilled about their joint undertakings.
Their recent “coup”? The first Pinoy-produced Netflix series, “Replacing Chef Chico” directed by Dan and created by Antoinette, and co-produced by Cornerstone Entertainment and Dan and Antoinette’s own Project 8 Projects.
The year 2023 was very productive for the power duo. Aside from the mentioned Netflix series, they also produced the Cinemalaya gems “Rookie” and “Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing).” Among their past collaborations were “Fan Girl,” “The Break-Up Playlist,” “Beauty in a Bottle,” “English Only Please” and many more.
Individually, Dan and Antoinette are excellent. Together, they are exceptional. They’ve been a couple since 2015 and were engaged in 2020.
Erik Matti and Michiko Yamamoto
Director Erik Matti is open about his appreciation for screenwriter Michiko Yamamoto who wrote “On The Job,” “On The Job 2,” “Honor Thy Father,” “Kubot The Aswang Chronicles,” among his other films.
The usually articulate director is stumped when he reflects on his decades-long relationship with Mich. He wrote, “To me, I honestly cannot specifically verbalize it the way I could in dissecting what works or not in a movie scene. All I know is this, I can’t imagine a life without you (Michiko).”
Aside from making movies, Erik and Michiko travel and go on culinary journeys, and tend to an artistic home together.
Baby Ruth Villarama and Chuck Gutierrez
Editor-director Chuck Gutierrez and documentary filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama are married; he is the editor of her documentaries “Little Azkals,” “Jazz In Love,” and “Sunday Beauty Queen.”
That “Sunday Beauty Queen” won Best Picture in the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival and gained commercial success, is a cherished accomplishment.
Baby Ruth describes Chuck as “a wonderful human being” and regards him as her “unshakable foundation.” For his part, Chuck thanks Baby Ruth for her support and inspiration. They run a production company called Voyage Films – their studio for their joint and individual projects, and collaborations with advocate-filmmakers.
