A brand new filmmaker forges her own path in the shadow of legends

In a city pulsating with creative energy, Ten Monteverde found her voice and true passion. A scion of the illustrious Monteverde film empire in the Philippines — grandmother “Mother Lily” founded the production giant Regal Entertainment and is considered Ina ng Pelikulang Pilipino (Mother of Philippine Movies), while dad Dondon is behind the maverick Reality MM Studios sub-division — the 22-year old recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University's (NYU) Film and Television program, and now ready to leave her indelible mark in the world of cinema.

(Above and below) Marching at NYU’s summer graduation ceremonies, Lily Monteverde’s granddaughter is soon to bring home a Magna Cum Laude degree in Film.

Monteverde's decision and journey to become a full-fledged filmmaker began with uncertainty as she initially pursued double majors in painting and journalism. Her ticket to the Big Apple was actually securing a place at Parson's School of Design, and the fresh graduate is grateful her typically protective Filipino-Chinese parenst allowed to find herself in Big Apple, following a number of debates. “

I had to beg and cry before they finally realized it would be good for me to go off on my own,” the only girl in a brood of three laughed at the recollection. Futher reminiscing about how she got to where she is today, Monteverde admitted there was a part of her that suppressed her interest in storytelling because young ones always try to avoid getting into the family business.

But as the saying goes, the love for film and for making it unmistakably runs in her veins and got her in the end. “I guess it was a matter of finding who I was apart from my family in the beginning even if I was always a creative person,” the polite and well-rounded young lady expressed. Her early exposure to the power of cinema, thanks to her legendary movie producer grandmother and her next generation maverick father inevitably ignited a spark within her that would later blaze into this deep and now all-encompassing passion for filmmaking.

The revelation came during her freshman year in college when Monteverde embraced the fact that “Film is basically unlike any other medium I have worked with and created with.”

The latest Filipina pride (center) flanked by her ecstatic family, dad Dondon Monteverde, mom Grace and brothers Matthew and Theo (extreme left and right respectively)

She finally allowed herself to be blown away by what film can do in people's lives, especially when it inspires and empowers those who need it most.

This newfound clarity set her on a resolute path to embrace the art of storytelling through the lens of a camera. With NYU as her stage, Monteverde declared, “I jumped in and didn't run away from it anymore.” In other words, she did the work. And when she did, the only Filipina in the program – and possibly the only student in the batch whose famil owns a mainstream movie company that was founded in 1962 and exists to this very day – didn't only complete all the requirements but aced it.

On the other side of the world, Monteverde touchingly shared how her family embraced the news of her triumph with boundless joy.

She said of her father, Dondon, whom she credits as the first person she shared her filmmaking ambitions with, “He was very happy. There wasn't any pressure whatsoever about carrying on our family business necessarily, but of course, there was joy in the fact that I found the thing that I love.”

Her grandmother, Mother Lily, echoed this sentiment, showing unwavering support for her granddaughter's desire to explore filmmaking beyond the Philippines' borders. A cinephile through and through, Monteverde draws inspiration from illustrious filmmakers worldwide. From the thought-provoking works of Hayao Miyazaki (“My Neighbour Totoro, 1988; “Spirited Away,” 2001) to the empowering narratives of Celine Sciamma (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” 2019; “Petite Maman,” 2021), she finds herself inspired by the diversity of storytelling and the emotional depth that film can evoke.

This varied influence is reflected in Monteverde's own artistic vision, as she expresses a desire to create genre-bending films and transport audiences with her stories. With her diploma in hand, Ten is eager to embrace the challenges that lie ahead. Her creative spirit yearns to share Filipino stories with the world, and she admires the impact of Korean cinema in paving the way for more diverse narratives in Hollywood.

“I think we will get there at one point,” she declares with determination, envisioning a future where Filipino stories shine on the global stage.

While she remains open to collaborations with her family's production companies, Regal Films and Reality Films, Ten is equally enthusiastic about forging her own path in the industry. She emphasizes that filmmaking is a collaborative art, where each artist contributes their unique perspective, and she hopes to make her mark both in the Philippines and the US.

As Ten Monteverde steps into the world as a formidable filmmaker, she looks back on her journey with a profound sense of accomplishment. “I am very blessed to have the support of my family,” she humbly acknowledged.

And at this crossroads, when cinema seems to be dwindling in the country, there is certainty that the Monteverde legacy has more than a fighting chance in thriving into the future, thanks to a young lady of boundless creativity, Ten Monteverde.