A young Filipino director has created waves on the international film scene. Her short films garnered screenings in in-person and online festivals, all the way to Los Angeles, California! Her name is Charlie Garcia Vitug.

Though self-described as a producer, director, writer and film critic, Charlie began her stint as a debate lecturer and coach, with over seven years of exposure in competitive debating and with experiences of mentoring young individuals from Shanghai and New York.

Despite this expertise, Charlie, the youngest of four siblings, is actually still on her third year of college! But don’t let that fool you, as she is set to graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde early this year, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film with specialization in Writing. With her ongoing academic record, she is a possible candidate for the Latin honors — Magna cum laude.

Charlie’s initial exposure to the world of film came about through her brother. “He got me into watching really good ones at a relatively young age. The shows we watched together were my earliest memories of admiring filmmaking. He doesn’t work within the industry but he always knew so much about it. His appreciation for the craft is something we continue to bond over today.”

The young then-would-be filmmaker dabbled in high school contests, where the passion in the field was completely ignited. And despite the naysayers to not pursue filmmaking as a profession, she dared to defy the odds. “They were honestly valid reasons. But I guess I decided to just go for it and had to promise myself to do whatever it takes to build a career in film.”

However, there was one more roadblock. At the age of 10, Charlie was diagnosed with bilateral optic neuropathy, the permanent damage on the optic nerves of both eyes. For a field so visual, this had to be the Achilles’ heel. But the enterprising student found a way. “Admittedly, it doesn’t affect me that much, thanks to technology, which includes accessibility features such as magnification. Perhaps the only way it affects my work is I have to be transparent with the people around me about my vision or any possible limitations. It’s never been a problem once it’s been communicated.”

Throughout Charlie’s college life, she wrote Ballad of a Blind Man, her latest short film. “I wrote its screenplay over the span of nine months. It was the longest it ever took me to write, not because it was difficult to do, but rather because I knew I had to grow up more before developing the concept I had in mind,” she admitted.