IAFT Student

Chasing the Dream: From Ireland to Cebu and then to The Big Screen

Hailing from Ireland, Peter Lemass had a promising career in Information Technology. A lucrative but uncreative profession from Peter’s point-of-view, IT provided a steady income and safe future, but did not allow enough time to pursue outside interests or hobbies. Peter’s long-time passion for movies and filmmaking seemed impractical at the least, and unobtainable at the most.

Looking to take a break and re-evaluate his life, Peter decided to switch gears and travel. He reached India and worked as a tour guide for a time, but grew restless as he pondered his future. Ads he saw on Fashion TV about the International Academy of Film & Television (IAFT) piqued his curiosity, and prompted him to get in touch with Alan Lyddiard, one of the first foreign graduates of the film school, who encouraged Peter to enroll. Peter considered Alan’s recommendation, but continued on his travels.

Later, while vacationing in Budapest, Peter came across and watched the DVD I Heart Huckabees, a screwball comedy by David O. Russell, at a hostel where he was staying and had a revelation: The movie has the elements of a story that Peter himself wanted to tell – meditation, existentialism and humor. It reminded him of a newspaper article he had come across years ago that described a cancer patient who watched comedies for weeks and then miraculously went in remission. The concept of the healing power of comedy resonated with him, and was the final motivation for him to change the course of his life.

In January 2008, Peter arrived at the IAFT campus in Cebu, Philippines to begin to follow his dream. Enrolled in the Diploma Program in Filmmaking, Peter proved to be an enthusiastic and ambitious student who worked hard and took his studies seriously. His mentors quickly identified his dedication and ambition. After successfully completing much of the program, Peter took some time off to develop his final thesis project: A comedy about a young man whose girlfriend asks him to get a circumcision, resulting in unexpected repercussions.

During his time at IAFT, Peter’s talent and commitment also drew the attention of the producers at Bigfoot Entertainment, IAFT’s parent company, which was shooting the new feature film Deep Gold and needed a Second Assistant Director. The film producers immediately thought of Peter and enlisted him for the role. Following Deep Gold, Bigfoot also hired him as Second A.D. for their following feature, Victim of Circumstance, which was shot in Cebu and Vietnam. Although still a film student, Peter had already gained “real world” experience in filmmaking which he can apply to both his resume and his own future films.

Peter graduated from IAFT in March with top honors for his academic performance and his technical deft in filmmaking. Well-received by both his mentors and peers, his thesis film project, Circumcise Me, successfully reflects Peter’s original vision of weaving spirituality and humor together to convey a larger message. Asked if Circumcise Me exemplifies the kind of film he strives to create in the future, Peter says: “Definitely! I would love to make screwball-style comedies that reveal the folly of human actions, but simultaneously encourage people to think beyond the surface. Ultimately, I want to make comedies that are spiritual at their core.”

Links:
IMDB