Meet Dominic Leano | Writer & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dominic Leano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dominic, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I am motivated to work with talented people and ultimately create a body of work in all the things that interest me in life that I can one day look back on as a whole and be happy with in the future. I am lucky to stand on the shoulders of those AAPI creatives that have come before me who, through their hardships getting into this industry and the avenues they have laid can continue to push towards a better tomorrow for all of us to be seen. All the writers and directors who inspire me have created such diverse, great filmographies/bodies of work; I continue to ask myself how I can possibly emulate such creative artistry in my original expression. I want to do something as spectacular as the ones I am influenced by have done. PTA, Linklater, Scorsese. I could talk about them all day—they all showed me what’s possible with this visual medium. I commend the storytelling of Lulu Wang; I saw The Farewell a few years back—a personal favorite—and it is one of the most touching films I have ever seen. Lino Brocka is beyond amazing; Filipino cinema is an unappreciated gold mine that I just recently dived deeper into more. As a Filipino-American screenwriter and director, every one of these people and more truly opened my eyes to the importance of storytelling through filmmaking. These deeply personal experiences from the AAPI community can be put on-screen. That revelation hit me like a wave. What if I can try too but for the Filipino-American community in my unique voice?

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
All the work I have shared recently has been short-form content for me to learn and experiment, practice camera movements and lens choices, and refine how I capture specific moments of life while collaborating and working with some incredibly talented actors and creatives in the SGV and LA area. It’s my kind of evolving crash course for filmmaking and storytelling where I can figure certain things out myself and learn each aspect of film as I go along while absorbing as much as I possibly can from the heaps of movies I find the time to watch on my own time. However, all the long-form work (ex. screenplays) that I have been confidentially working on and writing for a bit are more personal and intimate to me: I am gearing up to tell new authentic stories that will help put Filipino and Filipino-American talent on-screen and shine a light on the different diverse experiences that we Filipino-Americans live through here in America. I have a few scripts that I have been quietly developing and writing, but that’s as much as I can say about those for now.
It is impossible to voice all Filipino Americans because our experiences are so diversified among each other; however, I hope that these stories I want to tell reaches a universal audience where anyone can connect and resonate with our creative voices. For the longest time, I have wanted to tell stories through my creative voice that involves our distinct Fil-Am culture here in America. Before, I never felt ready or prepared enough to tackle such a particular subject, but with time naturally came to figure out how to do so in a unique, sincere, and of course, respectful manner. It is a slow, continuous learning process, and I love learning to write in a way that is as true, genuine, and honest as I can possibly be.
As one of the largest AAPI ethnic groups in California and the second-largest AAPI ethnic group in the United States, Filipino-Americans have been historically marginalized, stereotyped, and devalued on-screen. But the times are slowly changing. The groundwork is already being laid for new voices from unheard-from-before communities in the industry to tell their stories, be heard and seen positively, and share their unique perspectives of the world as AAPI creatives.
We can push for a future where all Asian ethnic groups are no longer being grouped under a single umbrella to count as ‘Asian representation,’ instead, we must work together to have each of our own unique cultures be represented on the big screen properly. With more Asian representation finally getting recognized universally in pop culture, it is time for the Filipino and Filipino-American communities to be acknowledged and seen too.
As a second-generation Filipino-American, I am incredibly fortunate to grow up with a family I can willingly reach out to openly talk, learn from, and acknowledge my family’s Filipino heritage open-heartedly. Through these dynamic relationships, as well as doing my research and readings, I can only be respectful in learning and understanding the two cultures—both American and Filipino—to find my own identity in the world and express my creative voice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am from Rowland Heights, CA so holla to the 626. It’ll definitely start on Colima Road & Nogales Street—that’s where it always starts, doesn’t it? And from there, we have to go north of Nogales towards Mandarin Plaza for some seafood at Boiling Krab, KBBQ at Baekjeong, or some late-night food at Hanshin Pocha. Or we can go west on Colima to Yes Plaza and spend a whole night there as usual. We already know what’s in there. That’s some typical Rowland Heights stuff. That four-plaza intersection on Fullerton and Colima Road is quintessential primetime Rowland Heights activity. Then, we end the afternoon on top of one of the hills of the area or watch a movie at AMC Puente Hills 20. The view of the SGV mountains does not get any better than here. From here, you can see the pinkish-purple California sunsetting West over the San Gabriel Mountains, encircling an expansive area of incorporated cities and unincorporated neighborhoods filled with parks, plazas, shopping malls, foodie spots, local businesses, and residential areas that begin to illuminate the valley as night falls. There are so many other amazing places to check out here, but you’ll have to visit yourself to find out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to personally shout out my family and girlfriend, who have always been there for me. My friends and family are synonymous with me, and I am fortunate to have formulated a close-knit group of people around me. The honesty they share with me, the refreshing catch-ups we have, and the insightful stories from their life experiences they tell me keep me grounded and steer me toward success in anything I do. Their endless encouragement pushes me to keep going and make my mark. And finally, I would love to shout out all my family antecedents; descending from them, I am deeply honored and privileged to be here in the very fortunate position I am in today as I continue to grow—much love for both of my Nartates-Leano family all around the world.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominicleano/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/dominicnleano/