Bobby A. Suarez(1942-2010)
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Roberto A. Suarez, commonly referred to as "Bobby", hailed from a poor
descent necessitates his living in the temporary refuge known as the
`Manila Boy's Town'. From being a nobody, he was able to get a
Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Far Eastern University, while being
employed as janitor-messenger for the Philippine Branch of Arthur Rank
Film Distribution, Inc. He was able to prove dependability and
resourcefulness, and through sheer labor and persistence, he was
promoted to various capacities, until he was given the post of Asst.
Sales manager for the company in 1963. In 1965, he became Sales and
Marketing Director for Fortune Films, owned by one among the most
respected movie industry in the Philippines then, Gen. Mariano Peralta,
until he ventured on with other friends and colleagues in the business,
to establish Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) Ltd. of Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, he showed his innovativeness and vision for the Asian
Film industry and produced several Chinese version movies, dubbing them
in English and marketed these movies all over the world. He also
produced many movies in their original English version to be marketed
all over the world.
He became very close to Sr. Don Antonio Isasi, then among the most
renowned and respected Spanish movie producer-directors, whose movies
were sold all over the world with no less than the American major movie
companies acquiring the rights. During this time, Bobby took this
opportunity to learn the rudiments of movie production from this man
who industry players refer to then as a master.
He also developed close friendships and associations with Messrs. Digby
Davidson, then Far-East Marketing Supervisor for Warner Brothers, Herb
Fletcher, International Marketing Director of Avco-Embassy Pictures,
and Bobby Meyers of Orion Pictures, Inc. From these motion picture
marketing luminaries, he was able to hone and expert his marketing
expertise.
In 1977, Bobby came back to the Philippines to establish Bobby A.
Suarez Film (Basfilm) Production, Inc., and, armed with the valuable
directorial knowledge passed on to him by film director Isasi,
produced, directed more than two dozen movies and sold all the rights
over the world, including the highly sophisticated and hardest to
penetrate North American theatrical market.
He has also written the story and screenplay of more than a dozen of
movies he produced and directed. His experience and mastery in the art
and science of international movie production, direction, and marketing
of commercial movies, is evidenced by his membership of Writers' Guild
of the Philippines (WGP), Directors' Guild of the Philippines (DGP),
Writers' Guild of America (West), Movie Producers Distributors
Association of the Philippines (MPDAP) and Philippine Motion Picture
Producers Association (PMPPA).
His consistent exposure and experience in the film industry has molded
him into a versatile personality which gave rise to numerous
professional accomplishments in the world of film production,
distribution exhibition and international marketing.
In 1990, Bobby was given the prestigious award given by the European
publishers as the Asian movie producer and director whose movies were
shown in Europe, and are at par with European movie standard of
quality. The visionary in him inspired once again, he established
Basfilm Production, Inc. in the USA, to handle the world's sales and
distribution and international market of the movies produced and
acquired by Basfilm Production, Inc. in Manila, Philippines. He was
also awarded the Gregorio Valdez Memorial Award by the FAMAS, the
Philippines counterpart of the Oscars in the United States. This award
was given Bobby for his contribution to the upliftment of the standard
of Filipino-produced movies.
In further recognition of his dedication to the Philippine movie
industry, he was bestowed with the Ciriaco Santiago Memorial Award for
introducing Filipino-produced movies in the international market. In
1996, he ventured into the importation of movies, TV-movies and other
TV-programs and established 21st Century Entertainment, Inc., which
handled the television and video rights local distribution of Basfilm
Productions' acquired programme.
A year later, he established yet another company, Platinum Multimedia
Entertainment, Inc. to handle the theatrical distribution of the movies
acquired by Basfilm Production, Inc. At present, he serves as President
of Basfilm Production, Inc., in Manila and the U.S.A., 21st Century
Entertainment, Inc., and Platinum Multimedia Entertainment,
Inc.
descent necessitates his living in the temporary refuge known as the
`Manila Boy's Town'. From being a nobody, he was able to get a
Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Far Eastern University, while being
employed as janitor-messenger for the Philippine Branch of Arthur Rank
Film Distribution, Inc. He was able to prove dependability and
resourcefulness, and through sheer labor and persistence, he was
promoted to various capacities, until he was given the post of Asst.
Sales manager for the company in 1963. In 1965, he became Sales and
Marketing Director for Fortune Films, owned by one among the most
respected movie industry in the Philippines then, Gen. Mariano Peralta,
until he ventured on with other friends and colleagues in the business,
to establish Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) Ltd. of Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, he showed his innovativeness and vision for the Asian
Film industry and produced several Chinese version movies, dubbing them
in English and marketed these movies all over the world. He also
produced many movies in their original English version to be marketed
all over the world.
He became very close to Sr. Don Antonio Isasi, then among the most
renowned and respected Spanish movie producer-directors, whose movies
were sold all over the world with no less than the American major movie
companies acquiring the rights. During this time, Bobby took this
opportunity to learn the rudiments of movie production from this man
who industry players refer to then as a master.
He also developed close friendships and associations with Messrs. Digby
Davidson, then Far-East Marketing Supervisor for Warner Brothers, Herb
Fletcher, International Marketing Director of Avco-Embassy Pictures,
and Bobby Meyers of Orion Pictures, Inc. From these motion picture
marketing luminaries, he was able to hone and expert his marketing
expertise.
In 1977, Bobby came back to the Philippines to establish Bobby A.
Suarez Film (Basfilm) Production, Inc., and, armed with the valuable
directorial knowledge passed on to him by film director Isasi,
produced, directed more than two dozen movies and sold all the rights
over the world, including the highly sophisticated and hardest to
penetrate North American theatrical market.
He has also written the story and screenplay of more than a dozen of
movies he produced and directed. His experience and mastery in the art
and science of international movie production, direction, and marketing
of commercial movies, is evidenced by his membership of Writers' Guild
of the Philippines (WGP), Directors' Guild of the Philippines (DGP),
Writers' Guild of America (West), Movie Producers Distributors
Association of the Philippines (MPDAP) and Philippine Motion Picture
Producers Association (PMPPA).
His consistent exposure and experience in the film industry has molded
him into a versatile personality which gave rise to numerous
professional accomplishments in the world of film production,
distribution exhibition and international marketing.
In 1990, Bobby was given the prestigious award given by the European
publishers as the Asian movie producer and director whose movies were
shown in Europe, and are at par with European movie standard of
quality. The visionary in him inspired once again, he established
Basfilm Production, Inc. in the USA, to handle the world's sales and
distribution and international market of the movies produced and
acquired by Basfilm Production, Inc. in Manila, Philippines. He was
also awarded the Gregorio Valdez Memorial Award by the FAMAS, the
Philippines counterpart of the Oscars in the United States. This award
was given Bobby for his contribution to the upliftment of the standard
of Filipino-produced movies.
In further recognition of his dedication to the Philippine movie
industry, he was bestowed with the Ciriaco Santiago Memorial Award for
introducing Filipino-produced movies in the international market. In
1996, he ventured into the importation of movies, TV-movies and other
TV-programs and established 21st Century Entertainment, Inc., which
handled the television and video rights local distribution of Basfilm
Productions' acquired programme.
A year later, he established yet another company, Platinum Multimedia
Entertainment, Inc. to handle the theatrical distribution of the movies
acquired by Basfilm Production, Inc. At present, he serves as President
of Basfilm Production, Inc., in Manila and the U.S.A., 21st Century
Entertainment, Inc., and Platinum Multimedia Entertainment,
Inc.