Filipino filmmaker Drama Del Rosario has just won a grant from the acclaimed British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ first ever Short Film Commissioning Grant and the Global Student Accommodation (GSA).
The success is for the 24-year-old, New York Film Academy student’s upcoming personal documentary, I’m Okay (And Neither Are You). It’s set to show Del Rosario’s personal journey to recovery from sexual assault and suicide ideation, as well as the challenge his trauma posed on his and his boyfriend’s mental health.
In an Instagram post, Del Rosario describes the win as “a truly life-changing moment.”
“This is so amazing,” he writes. ” I am so excited to put this documentary together.”
In the same post, which shows a photo of him at the grant’s awarding ceremony, Del Rosario shares his experience in 2018, which he considers his roughest year yet.
“I was so nervous to deliver an acceptance speech for this grant because I knew that it would be the first time I would publicly open up about my mental health,” he writes. “In June 2018, I was sexually assaulted by a stranger. At that time, I was already in a happy relationship with Chris, so late 2018 was a rough period for us as a couple.”
He says the trauma “reached a breaking point” just before Christmas of 2018.
“Chris had to call the police, and I was detained for suicidal ideation,” he continues. “In documenting my recovery from trauma, I have learned so much about how my mental health affects the mental health of the people closest to me.”
As of writing, Del Rosario is finishing the film using the 8,000-dollar grant. Once completed, GSA will screen the film to students around the world.
Watch the film’s teaser here:
Photo from Drama Del Rosario on Instagram
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