MANILA, Philippines?Now screening at Indiesine until June 23 is Ned Trespeces? ?My Fake American Accent,? set in the Ortigas business district, and tackling the world of call center agents as they deal with crazy inbound calls from the land of Uncle Sam.

Ned confesses: ?I worked for a year as a call center agent. I collated my experiences and wrote this screenplay. I slept during the day and worked at night. My life revolved around home and my work at the call center. So, I wanted an in-depth examination of that industry.?

Contest

The 35-year-old screenwriter of ?Jologs? won Star Cinema?s scriptwriting contest in 2000 and is credited with mainstream features like ?Sanggano?t Sangago,? ?Till There Was You? and ?May Pag-Ibig Pa Kaya??

Why did he work in a call center when he was already an established writer? He replies, ?I have my own place now, but I couldn?t have afforded it with the salary I got from writing. I was able to pay my bills!?

He also hits two birds with one stone?by writing and directing the film. He relates: ?It?s a common frustration among writers that their ideas are not fully realized onscreen. But, directing is both an opportunity and a curse. Now, I understand why a director makes many script revisions.?

Frustrated writer

The film, which stars Mailes Kanapi, Jonathan Neri, Martin dela Paz, Cherry Mae Canton, Miro Valera and Tracy Abad, follows a call-center team composed of a newbie, a burned-out agent, a frustrated writer and a rebellious team member.

Ned notes: ?Almost everyone has a friend or relative who works as a call-center agent. The mortality rate is high. Out of 100 positions, only two are usually hired. Give them six months, most likely, lilipat ?yan. The syndrome comprises a young crowd.?

Any tip for upcoming filmmakers? ?Develop your material well. Fix everything at the script level.?