Yassi Pressman enters her producer era

May 21 ------ It’s thrilling to see artists like Yassi Pressman get out of their comfort zones (such as acting and hosting) and venture into unfamiliar territories (like producing). The actress has entered her producer era for the game show titled “Tubig to Handle” and the movie “Little Hope.” Yassi collaborates with screenwriter-director Benedict Mique for the latter, which will be submitted to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

She joined this paper, along with select print-digital platforms, in a brief group chat following the film’s storycon, which tackled character descriptions of and creative vision for “Little Hope.” “(I’m) quite strict but also very fun (to work with),” Yassi described herself as a producer. “Ayoko ring masayang ang oras ng mga tao. Ayoko mahihirapan ang mga tao, siyempre, yung crew natin. Everyone is treated equally.” “Kunwari kung nasa arawan tayo, there should be a consideration for everyone,” she added. “Gusto kong maagang natatapos, nakakapahinga (I want to finish early and take a rest). Nag-bo-bonding ‘pag day-off (Have bonding time during day-off).”

What excites her, for instance, in “Tubig to Handle,” a co-production with ABS-CBN, starting to broadcast on May 23 and 24, said she, is “see something that you built from the very beginning, from a random concept, like from just thinking if (the idea) would be fun.” Dabbling in producing was something she didn’t expect. When the opportunity to do a game show presented itself, Yassi considered the idea of people having fun and participating in water-based activities.

Since her boyfriend, Luigi Villafuerte, is among the representatives of the province of Camarines Sur, also known for its Camarines Watersports Complex (CWC), she thought about the latter as a venue for “Tubig to Handle.” Fun and simple games had been suggested.

Yassi is also hosting the “water obstacle game show,” described on her Facebook page, with Marco Gumabao, Danita Paner, TJ Valderrama, and Zia Mercado. Besides wearing the producer’s hat for “Little Hope,” Yassi also stars as the female lead in it. “It’s a very heartwarming film about a kid who is struggling with cancer,” she said. “Ako, iyak po ako nang iyak habang binabasa po yung script… nakaka-ano talaga nakakahabag ng puso because she is very, very hopeful despite all of the challenges.” Her character is Angel, who was “very beautifully written” by direk Benedict, said Yassi. “Isa siyang angel na darating sa buhay (nung bata). She’s very self-made. Her family has gone through a lot. She has a soft heart. She’s very successful, and she’s an entrepreneur. So, she approaches everything but in a nice way.”

Angel will also meet Tom, a contractor who is into building bridges and a young dad, played by Pepe Herrera. As a producer, she feels lucky to have Lonewolf Films on board for this project. Yassi said the production company knows the creative industry well, and it has been in it for a long time. So, filming “Little Hope” will be easy. Given its family themes, the movie is perfect to be an official entry in the 2026 MMFF. “Sana (I hope). Pinagdarasal,” said she. “It’s not really in our hands. Wherever it goes, we’re very grateful (and) if it’s theatrical first, and then maybe we’ll put it on streaming, and we’ll see.” With Pepe in the ensemble cast, Yassi shared that “there’s humor in it,” adding, “it’s more light and also dramatic,” added she.

Source: philstar.com