The Debut

The Debut

88 mins | Drama | May 18, 2000

Filipino-American high school student Ben (Dante Basco) works in a comic book shop to earn money to pay his way into Cal Arts. His father, a postman, is determined that his son--who has won a pre-med scholarship to UCLA--will become a doctor. The eighteenth birthday party of Ben's sister, Rose, sets off a comedic and touching series of events and family struggles that will in turn determine young Ben's future. This fresh independent production from Gene Cajayon presents a lighthearted and warm coming-of-age tale filtered through the eyes of an American subculture rarely seen on film.

The Debut

88 mins | Drama | May 18, 2000

The Debut
Filipino-American high school student Ben (Dante Basco) works in a comic book shop to earn money to pay his way into Cal Arts. His father, a postman, is determined that his son--who has won a pre-med scholarship to UCLA--will become a doctor. The eighteenth birthday party of Ben's sister, Rose, sets off a comedic and touching series of events and family struggles that will in turn determine young Ben's future. This fresh independent production from Gene Cajayon presents a lighthearted and warm coming-of-age tale filtered through the eyes of an American subculture rarely seen on film.
IMDb rating 6.4
Producers Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), National Asian American Telecommunications Association
Original title The Debut
Directors Gene Cajayon
Writers John Manal Castro, Gene Cajayon

Cast

Dante Basco

as Ben Mercado

Jayson Schaal

as Doug

Brian Card

as Dave

Mindy Spence

as Jennifer

Nicole Hawkyard

as Susie

Ernie Zarate

as Tito Lenny

Gina Alajar

as Gina Mercado

Bernadette Balagtas

as Rose Mercado

Derek Basco

as Edwin Mercado

Joy Bisco

as Annabelle Manalo

Tirso Cruz III

as Roland Mercado

Darion Basco

as Augusto

Dion Basco

as Rommel

Eddie Garcia

as Lolo Carlos