Banchi Jimena, or commonly known on his social media as “The Feelmer” is part of a new wave of skate filmers shaping how Philippine skateboarding is seen today.

Through his projects like What The Sigma, PayGround, Mendiola, and more, he is documenting the scene from within. Crews, spots, personalities, and moments that exist beyond competition formats. His work has started to reach global platforms, connecting him with brands like Lakai, Erased, and more, while staying rooted in the local skate community.

~

A Full-Length that Came from Hunger

What The Sigma did not start as a full-length. It came from being back in the Philippines and seeing the scene up close.

“Nag start yung What the Sigma nung umuwi ako dito [Philippines] from the US, August 2023. Sinama ako ni Kuya Spank (Jerwin Santos) sa Bicol, tapos ‘di ko akalain na skater lahat ng kasama doon...“Parang doon ko na-realize na may skate scene pala dito. Tapos bigla akong nagutom na gusto ko gumawa ng full-length.”

That experience shifted something in him; the project grew naturally from there, more than a year of collecting clips and parts from various homies and skaters he met along the way, from Esh Francisco,  Boya Go, Lui Lango, Drix Peralta, Kevin Almazan, Joseph Balan, Ciro Borrero, Jerry Santillan, Merc, Adrian Florendo, JB Ogaya, Motic Panugalinog, Renz Gelig, JM Abarca, and more, upto the film’s final ripper Oyo Bruce Tan. A film built on raw skate sessions, travelling the country, and real connections.

~

The Filmer Shapes the Story

For Banchi, the role of the skate filmer goes beyond documentation. Every decision matters: angles, pacing, and how a skater is being presented.

“Para sakin, pinaka importante yung filmer. Parang ikaw yung director or coach ng crew. Ikaw yung mata...alam mo kung paano papagandahin yung spot, paano i-eexpose yung skater kung anong style niya...Ikaw yung coach, Ikaw yung CPU.”

The filmer becomes the one who brings everything together, to make sure riders can shine and not outshine each other.

~

Why Community Still Shows Up

It’s been more than a year now since he premiered his full-length film, with minimal expectation of the number of attendees, the video premiere event came in clutch as a surprise. The venue, Kalawakan Space Time in Quezon City, which is an art gallery repurposed for the viewing of the said skate film, is only supposed to handle about 50-80 warm bodies, but then the skate community showed up for Banchi, for the riders/skaters, for the scene, and for what they expect the film to be. It turned a personal project into a shared moment for hundreds of attendees, gaining the film an encore for replay of two times.

“Hindi ko inexpect na sobrang daming taong pupunta. Kami-kami lang naman gumagawa nun e… Sobrang importante ng video premieres kasi yun yung way para mag-connect yung community, magsama-sama. Kung wala ’yon [sadly], nasa internet nalang lahat.”

This win then turns to a bigger appreciation by various local communities and crews all over the country, concluding the project to bag the first Silog Skate Awards “Skate Film of the Year 2025”, with a landslide vote from voters all over the Philippines.

~

What His Lens Holds

When you watch a Banchi video, you are not just watching skateboarding. You are seeing friendships being built in real time. Skate sessions and long days under the hot sun of the Philippines. Missed tricks that turn into landed ones. For skaters and every crew, those small wins feel bigger because they are shared.

This is what it looks like when a group of individuals believes in themselves, even before the rest of the world catches up. And maybe that is the real power of what he does, and the skateboard scene on his back.

He reminds us that this culture is already here. Philippine skateboarding will always be alive and growing. Already moving. All it needs is someone to keep the camera rolling.