The Santo Niño is one of the most familiar religious images among Filipinos. Faith, as represented by this icon, is lost and found by a family in "The Portrait," a short film created by alumni of the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT).

"’The Portrait’ is a story about genuine faith embodied in the image of the Santo Niño, which is present in every Cebuano household to immortalize their belief," says Peter Ian Mancao, the film’s director. "I was inspired by the real idea of faith, like how Martin Luther King put it: ‘Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.’"

The making of "The Portrait" was also a spiritual experience for Lawrence Espinosa, who plays the lead. "When the theme of your film is religion, it connects man’s spiritual need and the actor’s search for himself," he says. Espinosa, who is the program director for Acting at IAFT, met Mancao and producer/writer Angelo Agojo when the two were classmates at the film school. "They made wonderful films as students, and I’ve wanted to do a project with them since then. When the opportunity came, I agreed immediately."

Mancao and Agojo built their winning partnership by collaborating on several projects while enrolled in IAFT’s Diploma Program in Filmmaking, and after graduating from the program last August 2008. "I write and produce the material and he [Mancao] shoots, edits, and directs it," says Agojo. "Ideas flow in and if we think it works, then we include it," adds Mancao.

The duo agrees that among their projects, they found working on "The Portrait" one of their most memorable. "The camaraderie on the set was amazing. We enjoyed getting to know the cast and crew better during breaks. Also, it was the first time for Ian Martensen, the child actor playing the son, to act in front of the camera, so it was fun guiding him," says Mancao.

Mancao and Agojo also recognize their IAFT training as key to their success. "At IAFT, I was exposed to the whole filmmaking process hands-on, from developing a script, to shooting it, to making the final cut," relates Mancao.

"Aside from the lessons I learned in screenwriting class, I was able to use the skills taught in production class like budgeting and time management," relates Agojo. "IAFT, as part of Bigfoot Entertainment, is the only film school in the country that has the state-of-the-art equipment used by major international studios. But it was the interaction with different people from around the world, and the amazing amount of talent and ideas which made my stay at IAFT memorable."