Nespresso Talents 2021 searches for stories of ‘doing’

What have you done to create a positive change in the lives of others?  

In a challenging time such as today, no small good deed is ever small so long as it’s being done. And these “challenging realities” inspire the global filmmaking competition Nespresso Talents to focus on stories about being a force for good. This year’s theme is “Doing is Everything.”

“‘Doing is Everything’ to me, means that at the end of the day your intentions don’t matter, your talent doesn’t matter; what matters is rolling up your shirt sleeves and getting to work,” said screenwriter and teacher Wanggo Gallaga. 

Nespresso Philippines, together with last year’s partners Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and De La Salle University (DLSU) and new partner Edukasyon.ph, has announced the opening of the submission of entries for Nespresso Talents 2021.

“For over 30 years, Nespresso has been building a holistic business model that preserves exceptional coffee, supports coffee agriculture, and ensures sustainable livelihoods for farmers. This same narrative of helping others is what we want to get across through Nespresso Talents,” said Patrick Pesengco, managing director of Novateur Coffee Concepts, the Philippine retailer of Nespresso. 

This year’s edition has two categories, national and international. All entries competing nationally will automatically qualify for the international category. 

Each participant can only submit one entry to www.nespresso.com/talents/ph. Submissions should be in vertical format (9:16), and two- to three-minute long. All genres are welcome (e.g. comedy, drama, educational, etc.) in the form of fiction, documentary, or animation. 

Submissions will close on May 16. The shortlisted films for both international and local categories will be live on the website by mid-June followed by the awarding ceremonies in July.

A local jury will select the top three locally produced films. This year’s jurors consist of Jose Javier Reyes, Quark Henares, and Bela Padilla. Gallaga and Pepe Diokno, meanwhile, led vertical filmmaking workshops. 

The 1st Selected Talent in the local category will take home a cash prize of 1,500 euros, the 2nd Selected Talent will get 1,000 euros, and the 3rd Selected Talent will get 500 euros. All three winners will each receive a trophy and a Nespresso machine and capsules.

All three jurors are looking forward to this year’s entries. “In a world run by video platforms like Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram, it would be interesting to see how the innate filmmaking capability in young creators these days will surface,” said Henares. 

“I want to see what the filmmakers consider essential. What things, visuals, feelings, and people they can’t live without. Frames and minutes should capture now what is most important. I want to witness how this global pandemic did or did not affect our future filmmakers,” shared Padilla. 

To compensate for the carbon footprint of the competition, Nespresso, in collaboration with long-time partner PUR Projet, will plant five trees in each contestant’s name to support the social business’ agroforestry projects. 

The five previous editions of Nespresso Talents have received over 2,000 applications from 50 countries. Just last year, more than 740 videos were submitted from 48 different countries.

“In this industry–or in anything in this world–you have to walk the talk. Go out there and make work, submit to festivals and competitions, send pitches, make connections, and don’t stop,” urged Gallaga.