MANILA, Philippines?Actor Joel Torre plays the lead in the indie movie ?Sabungero.? According to JC Bernardo, producer, and a cockfight aficionado, the film can count on the support of some six million registered sabungeros.

Directed by first-time filmmakers Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado, ?Sabungero? will be shown in the week-long 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which starts July 17. Later in the year, Bernardo said, it will be screened nationwide.

He told Inquirer, ?I am confident that this movie will fare well at the box-office even if it?s not mainstream material. Outside of those six million registered sabungeros, imagine how many more there are, unregistered.?

The film, written by Luz Innocia, shows the struggles of a man who lost everything to gambling and is picking up the pieces. It also stars Ricky Davao, Noni Buencamino, Leo Martinez, Mark Gil and Maritoni Fernandez.

Torre attended a day-long orientation at the TJT Cocking Academy in Alfonso, Cavite, where he learned all about the sport, including breeding, nutrition and cock training.

Delgado and Kaimo watched a number of cockfights before working on the film. ?It?s easy to get caught in the gambling aspect,? said Kaimo, ?but we want to show the other side of it.? Delgado added: ?We also put in a little love story.?

How much did the movie cost and how long did it take to make?

Bernardo: The film cost P3.2 million to produce. I initially sought a grant from Cinemalaya but it didn?t make the cut.

Delgado: We?ve been working on it for 11 days now. We still have three shooting days.

What were your headaches as a first-time producer?

Bernardo: Mark, Leo, Ricky and Joel are all cast in an ongoing TV series. It?s hard to find a schedule agreeable to all of them. Shooting in the cockpits has been hard, too. In the provinces, we had to deal with extortionists.

What was it like directing veterans?

Delgado: I was shy at first. I made Miguel deal with them while I handled the technical stuff. A few days later, Miguel said, ?You can?t be scared of your actors all the time. They will know.? Ricky Davao once joked, ?Kinuha n?yo kami para madali ang [trabaho].?

Is that observation correct?

Delgado: In a way, yes. The actors bring what they already have. It?s just a matter of ? minor tweaking.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph