IAFT Student

"I’m now accomplishing many of my goals."

Originally from Quezon City in Metro Manila, Steven Flor grew up in Blue Ridge Village overlooking Marikina City and the Antipolo Hills.  When searching for a film school in 2005, he knew that he wanted to find a school that would allow him to use state-of-the art lighting and camera equipment to practice and hone his filmmaking skills.  He understood that film and video production is a highly “technology-driven” industry, and students at schools that have the most advanced equipment have definitively stronger skill sets upon graduation.  With this knowledge in mind, Steven chose IAFT’s One-Year Immersion Program in Filmmaking and graduated in September 2007.

Since graduation, Steven has focused his efforts on a short film that he created while at IAFT.  A short documentary that Steven made for his Documentary elective class under mentor Rashmi Kanungo, A Day In The Life Of A Street Sweeper tells the story of Angelina Navecilla, a street sweeper in Cebu for nine years, and her struggles with work and family during a single day.  The film demonstrates that in poverty, values such as love, compassion, honesty, and integrity are still present, and many of these traits may be even more pure and abundant than in much wealthier social classes.

A Day In The Life Of A Street Sweeper has garnered a lot of attention since its completion.  The film just received the Best Short Documentary Award at the 2009 Chashama Film Festival in New York City this month.  Last year, it won a Silver Remi Award from the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival for the Ethnic/Cultural Category, and was also selected for the New York Short Film Festival.  In December 2007, the short was also an official selection at the Indyarocks Film Festival in India.

“IAFT offered hands-on training with great equipment, which was supervised by highly experienced mentors,” says Steven about his experience at the school.  “My education at IAFT  increased and improved my knowledge and skills in filmmaking quickly.  As a result, I secured work in the film industry immediately upon graduation, and I’m now accomplishing many of my goals.”

Today, Steven continues to build his post-IAFT career.  He has completed the new short narrative film Breakfast With Lolo, which is currently in competition at the 180 Microcinema Online Film Festival.  In April, he also finished a 35mm short film for a Cinematography workshop under acclaimed cinematographer Neil Daza.  Additionally, he is working as Director of Photography on a digital feature entitled Askal, and an audio-visual presentation project for an NGO.

Steven also recently sent a grant proposal for a short film project to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and is developing a full-length feature film concept that he hopes to shoot by next year.