Toggle navigation

Lounge
Blog
Jobs
Education
Certification
Script Services
Meetups
Invite

Sign in
Join Stage 32

Lounge
Blog
Jobs
Education
- Webinars
- Classes
- Labs
- Certification
- Contests
Certification
Script Services
Contests
Invite

About

Posts & Updates
About
Video / Audio 2
Loglines 1

Loading profile...

⚠️

Unable to load profile data

David Semas

Loading...

Lounge Posts (0)
David's Wall (2)
Loglines (1)

About David

Loading bio information...

Company:

Title:

Lives in:

Unique traits:

Cancel

Life Experience

Loading life experiences...

Photos

nterior concept for Century Past, the $50 million entertainment complex conceived and developed by David Semas in the 1970s—approximately $300 million in 2026 dollars. Designed as a 4,500-seat destination, the complex combined seven themed restaurants and shopping villages with a 2,400-seat upper-level dinner theater, live headline entertainment and a floating riverboat. Beyond evening performances, the venue was envisioned for daytime production of television specials, game shows and other entertainment programming—an ambitious early intersection of Semas’s real estate development and entertainment interests.

David Semas with his longtime business partner and motion-picture producer Bobby Roberts at American Realty Advisors in the mid-1980s. At the time, they were negotiating the acquisition of the 500-room Canyon Hotel & Golf Resort in Palm Springs, a celebrated Hollywood retreat. Roberts, a veteran entertainment executive and producer whose film credits included Death Wish, The Hot Rock, Monte Walsh, The Gypsy Moths and Bank Shot, brought decades of Hollywood experience to a business partnership with Semas that would span nearly 20 years.

David Semas with his wife, Susan, at the 2023 Balboa Island Parade in Newport Beach, representing Los Caballeros, the historic cowboy riding club founded in 1949. Each year, some 150 riders and 160 horses travel to Catalina Island for the club’s annual ride. Fifty years after the events that inspired The Philippine Connection, the cowboy life remains part of David’s story—a reminder of the young man he was and the extraordinary road traveled since.

David Semas at approximately age 26, shortly before departing for the Philippines on the journey that would become the foundation of The Philippine Connection. Following meetings in San Francisco concerning international financing for Century Past, arrangements were made for Semas to travel to Manila and meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. When military officials met him upon arrival, Semas asked how they knew whom to look for. Their memorable answer: the Philippine Airlines captain had told them to “look for the guy who looks like Tony Orlando.” The young developer had no idea that the journey ahead would become a story he would still be telling 50 years later.

Videos

Achievements

Loading achievements...

Delete Project

Warning: This action cannot be undone.

To confirm deletion, please type the project name below:

Project Name:

Type the exact name

Evaluation Details

Featured Projects

Loading featured projects...

Work Experience

Loading work experience...

Representation

Loading representations...

Loglines

The Philippine Connection Budget: $30M+ | Biopic / True Story ⋄ Thriller / Suspense In the turbulent final days of the Vietnam War, an ambitious young American developer travels to the Philippines seeking financing for a visionary entertainment project and is drawn into a dangerous world of political power, international intrigue and espionage—setting in motion extraordinary true events whose broader global implications would not be exposed until 1991.

Share This Stage 32 Profile

facebook
X
linkedin

0/500

Crop Your Profile Photo

Drag and resize the box to crop your profile photo. Profile photos should be square (1:1 ratio) for best display.

Add a Caption (Optional)

Add a caption to describe your profile photo

0/500

No profile photos available

Confirm Photo Deletion

Are you sure you want to delete this photo? This action cannot be undone.

Warning: This is your current profile photo. A new default will be selected automatically.

0/500

Crop Your Cover Photo

Drag and resize the box to crop your cover photo. Cover photos should have a 3.4:1 aspect ratio for best display.

Add a Caption (Optional)

Add a caption to describe your cover photo

0/500

No cover photos available

Confirm Photo Deletion

Are you sure you want to delete this photo? This action cannot be undone.

Add Project

Error:

Details
Genres
Format
Credits

Title * 0 / 255 characters

Logline 0 / 1000 characters

Tagline 0 / 255 characters

Synopsis 0 / 5000 characters

Status *

Stage *

Page Count

Runtime (minutes)

Budget ($)

Previous Loglines

Click to restore a previous version (up to 3 most recent)

Select Genres

Select Sub-Genres

Select a genre above to see available sub-genres.

Select Primary Genre *

Pick which one of your selected genres or sub-genres is the primary.

Project Format

Note: You must maintain at least one credit on projects you've worked on.

Select Your Credits

You can only manage your own credit on this project.

David Semas

Loading...

About David

Life Experience

Photos

Videos

Achievements

Evaluation Details

Featured Projects

Work Experience

Representation

Loglines

Links

Share This Stage 32 Profile