#FIRSTLOOK: “TREASURE OF THE RICE TERRACES” TEASER TRAILER

Knowledge Network has green lit and picked up the Canadian rights for Kent Donguines’ feature documentary, Treasure of the Rice Terraces by Crawford Filmworks and Aimer Films. In this documentary, Donguines, a Filipino-Canadian filmmaker, sets out on a journey of self-discovery to meet the 106-year-old Indigenous tattoo artist, Apo Whang-Od, unearthing the global impact of traditional tattooing and the need to end its stigma, preserve Filipino cultural heritage and fight for cultural sovereignty. Production will be completed late 2023.

Directed by award-winning Donguines (Paco, Kalinga, This Ink Runs Deep) and written by Donguines and Zlatina Pacheva (Run the Burbs, Kim’s Convenience), the documentary is produced by Jacob Crawford and Bailey Wood of Crawford Filmworks, co-produced by Epicmedia’s Head of Production Patti Lapus (Midnight in a Perfect World, In My Mother’s Skin, Nocebo) and Grace Palicas.

Producer Jacob Crawford said, “We are thrilled to have the project land with Knowledge Network. They have supported us through our early and late development, and it really feels like the right home for Canada. With an international project like this and the success of the teaser’s global reach, we are excited to explore distribution options in other territories. We aim to provide individuals worldwide with the opportunity to experience this documentary.”

Writer/Director Kent Donguines added, “I’m really excited to be working with Knowledge Network and Crawford Filmworks in bringing this feature documentary to life. The development took over four years, and I’m happy that we took our time to rally the right people and the community to show the beauty of the Philippines beyond its tourist destinations. Through Treasure of the Rice Terraces, I want audiences to reflect and be encouraged to also reconnect with their respective roots, whether it’s through traveling, reading, art exhibits, tattoos, etc. I want to be able to inspire them to reclaim that sense of pride they used to have as human beings with respect to their own cultures.”

“We are thrilled to green light Treasure of the Rice Terraces for production,” said Patrice Ramsay, Senior Manager, Independent Production at Knowledge Network. “The stories we broadcast on Knowledge inform, enlighten, and connect viewers to each other and the world. Treasure of the Rice Terraces explores themes of interconnection and identity, and we look forward to sharing this fascinating journey of self-discovery with our audiences.”

Treasure of the Rice Terraces is being filmed in Manila and Buscalan, Philippines and Vancouver, Canada and will be released in 2024.