LOS ANGELES — Dante Basco wasn't expecting a green light on a personal project based on his own family. The actor, well known for playing the fiery Rufio in 1991's "Hook" and Zuko on the hit animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender," didn't even have a script yet.
But for years he'd been developing the saga of four brothers gathered for a wedding — fictional, yet drawn from real events and relationships — that he'd star in alongside his actual brothers Derek, Darion and Dionysio. Conceived with co-writer Darion and set in their Bay Area hometown, its title proudly placed their heritage front and center: "The Fabulous Filipino Brothers."
Meeting with potential backers in the Philippines, the idea struck a chord. Basco, 46, got a script drafted and was soon helming his own directing debut, an indie labor of love (now out on video on demand) that would bring together family and friends and pay homage to the close-knit Filipino American community that shaped the siblings' childhoods.
