The Debut

Director Gene Cajayon spent eight years making The Debut, the first feature film about Filipino-American youth, only to have it ignored by Hollywood distributors. Now, in a commendable effort to buck the system, he’s screening it in six rented theaters at a time (that’s how many prints of the film exist). After 12 weeks (and counting) in San Francisco, the film opens in Sacramento this week. The plot follows high-school senior Ben (Dante Basco) who is caught in a power struggle with his father and wrestling with feelings for two women. Tension mounts when these issues collide at his sister’s 18th birthday party.