Cindy Sison '82, MBA '85

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The film "About Us But Not About Us" is being released to theaters on Dec. 1 by Cinema Independent, an acquisition, licensing and distribution company run by president and CEO Cindy Sison '82, MBA '85. It will be screening at the Laemmle Theater in Glendale, California, Dec. 1–7 and at the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at New York University on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. EST.

In the film, written and directed by Filipino filmmaker Jun Robles Lana, a conversation between a professor and his student turns into a game where truth could be at stake. Eric, a Literature professor at the English department of the University of the Philippines, meets up with his student, and rumored lover, Lancelot, months after the suicide of Marcus, a celebrated Filipino writer best known for his novels in English, and Eric’s longtime partner. As their conversation becomes more detailed and complicated, secrets and lies will be unearthed and the sinister nature of their identities will be revealed while they all wrestle with the truth.

"About Us But Not About Us" won the Critics’ Pick, Best Film award at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival this year and took home a slew of awards at the Metro Manila Summer Film Festival, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Romnick Sarmenta), Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Neil Daza), Best Sound (Immanuel Verona, Fatima Nerikka Salim), Best Editing (Lawrence Ang), Best Musical Score, Best Production Design and Special Jury Prize (performance of Elijah Canlas). At this year's Asian Film Festival in Barcelona, it was the Discoveries Section award nominee for best film.

As an international sales agent, Cinema Independent works with filmmakers to find the appropriate territorial buyer for their film and to maximize its revenue potential across all licensed rights.

Sison, a veteran of international film sales and distribution, is best known for championing independent and Philippine cinema. Via Cinema Independent, she plans to elevate Asian and Pacific Islander films, bring these films to a wider audience globally, and monetize them for their producers. Sison represents the 50+ titles of the TBA Studios library exclusively for licensing globally, and acquires theatrical films for exhibition in Philippine cinemas on behalf of TBA Studios. Recent acquisitions include "Everything Everywhere All At Once," "Triangle of Sadness" and "The Whale."

Sison's passion for community service and art extends to board positions on charitable nonprofits organizations that organize medical missions abroad (APPPA-ERF), produce theater productions from the community (East West Players), champion diversity and inclusion among entertainment executives and in filmed entertainment productions (CAPE), further diversity of culture and art collections (Ethnic Arts Council) or better a child’s educational experience (charter school). She majored in psychology as an undergraduate.