Filipino-Australian actor and filmmaker Felino Dolloso is heading into 2026 with a slate of projects across film and theatre, continuing a body of work shaped by independent filmmaking and stories grounded in the migrant experience.
At the centre of his plans is Jojo Lost His Shoe, an independent short film where Dolloso takes on both directing and acting roles. The realist melodrama explores mental health, family resilience and migration, with plans to enter the international film festival circuit over the next two years.
Dolloso said the project began with a simple intention – to collaborate – and grew into something more personal.
“The initial idea for Jojo Lost His Shoe was because both Miles Paras and myself wanted to work together in a film project as actors,” he said.
“I wanted to do a dramatic film and I wanted to challenge myself to take on a directing role after Trumpet Player Series.”
Known for an immersive and emotionally grounded approach to acting, Dolloso said his process has evolved over time through both formal training and lived experience.
“As an actor, we learn a number of different acting techniques and then life experiences adds onto that along the way,” he said.
“I guess my attraction to knowing how a character feels and reacts and drawing from life experience and imagination leaned towards the Method style of acting.”
That connection between personal experience and performance is also what draws him repeatedly to migrant stories.
“I love migrant stories, it’s so rich, it’s relatable, it’s so real to me and I am so passionate about it because it’s me, it’s my story like all other migrants,” he said.
Beyond Jojo Lost His Shoe, Dolloso is set to appear in Echo 8 Beyond, an action-comedy sequel currently in post-production, where he plays the role of Mercado.
On stage, he will take on the role of Sultan Graturko in the 2026 production of Moro Moro, portraying a ruler defined by strength, family loyalty and the weight of leadership.
Moving between such contrasting roles, he said, begins with finding a shared emotional core.
“I’m always drawn towards finding the sadness initially in characters and then I can build it up with all other emotions that drives them like building blocks,” he said.
“Finding the truth for each character and then allowing myself to disappear in their truth makes their emotional journey genuine.”
Letting go of one character before stepping into another, he added, remains one of the more difficult parts of the craft.
“Learning to let go of the character to be able to play a totally different character is the hardest part,” he said.
Dolloso is also part of the Parramatta Play Project, a collaborative initiative bringing together writers and performers to develop new Australian work, reflecting his continued involvement in ensemble-driven storytelling.
Creative producer and director Augusta Supple, who has worked with Dolloso across several projects, described him as an artist who elevates the work of those around him.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Felino Dolloso across multiple projects over many years, including productions and developments of new writing, where his instinct for text and generosity as a collaborator brings out the best in the work.
Working with Felino is to work with an artist of rare sensitivity, emotional depth and range. He has a beautiful, textured voice, a warm and gentle manner – he is an actor who listens deeply, elevates others, and commits to the challenge of every role he is given. As a director is a gift to work with such an artist!”
His earlier award-winning web series, Trumpet Player, continues its run on the film festival circuit into early 2026.
For Dolloso, however, the measure of his work remains simple.
“If the character I played made an audience member feel something at the end of the film or stage play, then that would be great,” he said.
At the heart of his process is a search for emotional truth.
“Finding the truth, the pain and the hurt of the character is a great starting block for me as an actor,” he said.
As his projects move across stage, screen and international festivals, 2026 is shaping up to be another active year for Dolloso—both as a performer and as a storyteller.
