Award-winning Director-Writer-Producer Direk Nijel de Mesa (formerly known as “Njel”), Ms.
Jan Christine (Executive VP of NDMstudios) with Arci Muñoz (Creative Director) has
accomplished yet another feat by bringing his most loyal and trusted people from NDMstudios
to attend the Hongkong Filmart. Their main objective was to acquire content for a global
audience but it seems that Direk Nijel sees the world differently—rather than restricting his
plans for just the Philippines, he has expanded his operations all around the world. His selected
foreign council consists of sort-of-attachés that speak Japanese, Mandarin, Korean—aside from
English and Filipino. This makes his global business transactions (particularly in the APAC region)
are carried out with great ease.
The trip, apparently, serves as a “loyalty incentive” to people from NDMstudios who have
shown great initiative, concern, and love for the company. Among the people who joined the
trip with Direk Nijel, Ms. Jan Christine, and Arci Muñoz were artists from Japan: Kazuo Nawa,
Keiko Makikawa, (from Taipei) Johnson Ching and Pau Cantos– as well as NDMstudios’
homegrown film actress, Shane Santos, Seasoned Managing Director Junna Mangalindan, and
award-winning director Carlo Alvarez.
“It has been quite an emotional journey for all of us, because we never knew there would be a
time that members from our international offices will be able to meet in a different country.
Work a little bit, bond, and have a bit of fun,” Direk Nijel de Mesa recounts as he expounded on
his “Fly-Film-Fun” business model. “Basically, our filmming culture says it all. We fly to another
destination, we film something, and then we have fun while we’re doing it. Sort of an ‘Ikigai’
moment for us.”
“Ikigai” is a Japanese philosophy that combines “raison d’etre” with profitability and an
expanded worldview. Aside from NDMstudios Animation opening this month and a new
academy brewing on the horizon, Direk Nijel is actually wants to create and provide jobs to
more people. He is now looking for actors to perform for his Palanca Award-winning Subtext
the musical and teachers to teach in his film and performing arts academy. Interested parties
may send a letter of intent to www.facebook.com/NDMstudios or via
ndmstudiosph@gmail.com
