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Documentary film director Leah Callon-Butler could not help but be overwhelmed with the support they received during the red carpet premiere of the documentary Metaverse Filipino Workers on November 20 at the SM Aura Cinema during the YGG Play Summit.

Metaverse Filipino Worker (MFW) is a five-part documentary film showcasing the lives of players who have embraced Web3 and play-to-earn gaming as a new platform for earning money.

According to BDC Consulting, a consulting agency specializing in investment funds and cryptocurrency, web3 gaming is "a new way to play video games using blockchain. It lets you own in-game items like cool weapons or rare characters.” Players can earn real money just by playing these games in various venues.

In an interview with GMANetwork.com, Leah expressed how overwhelmed she felt seeing her documentary on the big screen once more, after her first short film, Play-to-Earn: NFT Gaming in the Philippines, in 2021.

“I'm very passionate about sharing stories of the Philippines with the rest of the world especially stories about positive impact and to have the opportunity to show amazing stories like this one within one of the best cinemas in the whole Metro Manila with such an incredible crowd of amazing influential people, it's really overwhelming,” she said.

Leah added how grateful she is to see so many people at the premiere night, and the positive feedback she received after the guests saw the film. She also shared that her motivation in creating the film stemmed from her interest in Filipino stories and how technology has enhanced people's lives through the years. While she acknowledges that there have been negative narratives about cryptocurrency, she, her team, and her film aim to "show both sides of the coin."

“But sometimes, I feel like these positive stories have really come from members of the community, just real, everyday Filipinos, they don't see the light of day. So for me, it's really important to have to share those and I guess I'm in a privileged position to be able to do it 'cause I actually live here. These people are my friends, I've known them for years.”

“I guess we are the people that do due diligence on a story, I've lived this. So it's my goal to be able to show that to the rest of the world.”

MEANWHILE, TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FILIPINA CELEBRITIES WHO ARE CERTIFIED GAMERS IN THIS GALLERY:

So what is Metaverse Filipino Workers exactly?

For Leah, MFWs are “on the same track with and at the same time opposite to the overseas Filipino Worker.”

She explained, “Both of them need to go outside the Philippines to find good work, decent-paying work, not just money but also learning opportunities, skills development, and the opportunity to be a part of a relevant industry. But the difference is how they get there.”

While OFWs would have to travel and go abroad, leaving their families in the country, MFWs can stay with their families and not leave the country.

For Leah, the film is like an update to her first one, Play-to-Earn: NFT Gaming in the Philippines.

“The first episode actually features Spraky, Pots, and Ken, the co-founders of Axie University who were in the original film from 2021 and I thought it was really important to give a bit of an update in their lives in terms of where are they now because it hasn't been easy for people who have stuck with crypto,” she said.

The three founders of one of the first web3 guilds were great examples of people who saw the value in the industry.

“I think that they recognize that this is a growing industry, and it was going somewhere other than just, I guess speculation. They've reaped the rewards for that and I think it's important to show the success that they've had but also balance that too with what they've had to sacrifice to get there,” Leah said.