Director Lav Diaz. Hazel Orencio Photo – Sine Olivia Pilipinas
“Sine ni Lav Diaz: A Long Take on the Filipino Auteur,” a book detailing the life and works of the famous Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz was virtually launched on Monday (Aug. 16).
Edited by Professors Parichay Patra and Michael Kho Lim, the Intellect Books (UK), De La Salle University, the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) were behind the publication.
Patra is an assistant professor of Film Studies at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India. He is currently working on his monograph on the Indian New Wave of the 1970s.
Lim is a lecturer of media and cultural policy and acting course director of the master’s program in Cultural and Creative Industries at Cardiff University, UK.
He is the author of Philippine Cinema and the Cultural Economy of Distribution (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), co-editor of Re-imagining Creative Cities in Twenty-First Century Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020), and co-author of The Media Kit: A Frame-by-Frame Guide to Visual Production (Anvil Publishing, 2008).
“The first book-length study on the groundbreaking auteur, the collection takes a critical look at his career and corpus from various perspectives, with contributions from cinema studies researchers, film critics, festival programmers, and artists, the CCP said.
The book offers “a nuanced overview” of the filmmaker and the cinematic traditions he belongs to for film enthusiasts, researchers, and general readers alike.
“Though Diaz’s contributions to slow and durational cinema are well-known and his importance in contemporary world cinema is beyond doubt, the director remains largely unexplored in cinema studies” the CCP added.
“The book addresses this research gap, situating Diaz at the crucial juncture of new auteurism, Filipino New Wave, and transnational cinema, but it does not neglect the industrial-exhibitional coordinates of his cinema,” the CCP said.
“This original collection considers Lav Diaz and his works without being confined to a specific approach or research method. On the contrary, it touches on nearly every major contemporary academic approach to cinema,” the CCP said.
The book cover features a photo of the director on the set of Ang Hupa (The Halt), taken by Cielo Bagabaldo, a Filipino filmmaker who produces, directs, and edits short films, music videos, and online content.
The Sine ni Lav Diaz book launch is part of the 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which runs until Sept. 5, 2021.
Watch the films in competition and exhibition via ktx.ph.
Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites for more updates and festival schedule.
Japan’s award-winning film, “Passage of Life” (2017), is scheduled to have a limited free screening and a live online discussion with the film’s director and producer during the ongoing Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
The Japanese film is being featured in the Cinemalaya’s Allied Screenings section.
“The Japan Foundation, Manila continues its long-standing partnership with the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival as it brings another award-winning Japanese film accessible for free from August 19 until 21, 2021 as part of the festival’s Allied Screenings section,” the Japan Foundation Manila (JFM) said.
Directed by Akio Fujimoto and produced Kazutaka Watanabe, the “Passage of Life” is a story of a Burmese boy living in Japan and how he matures as an individual.
“The film depicts his experience of a world that lacks reason and his resistance to it, as well as his hatred and love for his family,” the JFM said.
The 98-minunte drama is a Japan-Myanmar co-production and has won several awards, including Best Asian Future Award at the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival
and the Spirit of Asia Award by the Japan Foundation Asia Center for its director.
The live online discussion happens on Aug. 20, 2021, 7 pm-9 pm, to be participated in by Fujimoto and Watanabe, with JFM Director Ben Suzuki moderating.
Joining the Japanese panel is Filipino film director Janus Victoria who discuss the “broader perspective on co-productions with Japanese film producers and film companies.”
The “Ika-33 Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video” (Gawad Alternatibo) showcases this year’s finalists, side by side with the competing entries in and other films screening at the 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
The Gawad Alternatibo has started streaming from Aug. 6 and runs until Sept. 5 via the CCP Vimeo Channel and the Gawad Alternatibo website. Talkbacks and livestream events will be held at Facebook Live.
This 2021 Gawad Alternatibo film festival and competition, with the theme ALPAS: ‘Kwento Natin ‘To opened with the premiere of TATLONG DEKADA, a video compilation on and about Gawad Alternatibo and its filmmakers, produced by Cinema Regla and the Gawad Alternatibo production team.
This year’s theme “conveys the perseverance of the film community and the audience in their attempt of breaking free from the constraints of the pandemic, by surfacing, claiming and embracing our very own narratives,” the Cultural Center of the Philippines said.
“It is only by doing so that filmmakers and audiences find their strength in weathering any storm that comes by,” it said.
On its 33rd year of annually citing the country’s most outstanding film and video artists, the Gawad Alternatibo continues to recognize the best efforts of Filipino filmmakers in four categories: Animation, Experimental, Documentary and Short Feature.
Follow the lines, the hues, and step into the world of these selections of finalists in the Animation Category:
HOME by Bryan Kent Abias; HARAYA by Kem Jaspher D. Abayon; LANGIT LUPA by Cha Roque; MY MAMILY by Cha Roque; IAMANNIKA by Dan Verzosa; FLUSH by Roland Cartagena; MA, by Dexter Paul de Jesus; LAST PIECE by Gaspar T. Dela Cruz III, Andrea Mae Kristine C. Bonagua, Anthony P. Santiago; and BASURAHAN by Maki Liwanag.
Discover a world of oddity and extraordinary that defies norm and form presented through the lenses of these filmmakers in the Experimental Category:
Set A: MALIKMATA by Rianne Hill Soriano; TUNGKOL KAY SIKAT by Carlo Paulo Pacolor; DECALCOMANIA by Hannah Tabaquero Ragudos; ELEHIYA SA MANLILIKHA NG MGA LILA by Jonar Johnson; HUGAS KAMAY (WASHING OF HANDS) by Vahn Leinard C. Pascual; KAWING SA SAMAPAYAN NG TAGAPAGTANGGAP by Sophie Casasola and Lilian Marie Gomes; MGA BAG-ONG NAWONG SANG DAMGO KAG KATINGALAHAN by Mark Raymund L. Garcia; ÑAWA, MAULI-ULI NA by Joi Villablanca.
Set B: IN SEARCH OF by Joseph Dominic Cruz; SIGNALS by Jose Carlos Soliongco; SOMEWHERE A DESTINATION by Celeste Lapida; TRANSIT TYRANNY by Jonathan Jose Zamora Olarte; ANG MGA DAMGO PARA LANG SA WALA NAGAKATULOG (DREAMS ARE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT SLEEP) by Richard D. Olano Jr.; PEKYU by Kristine Cerva; EVERY TIME THE SUN COMES UP by Gabriel Grenan T. Carmelo.
Set C: [K]AHON by Jaime Pacena II; LET OUR RESPONSE BE by Ruka Azuma; TORN by Timmy Harn; THE EARTH IS NOT THE WORLD by Gio Lingao; NAGLIPANA ANG MGA MATA by Jael Mendoza.
Set D: SALOM by Massah Gonzales–Gamboa; OUROBOROS by Jonar Johnson; AS IF I’M DREAMING WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS LIVING by Mario Cabus; DAGITI TALLO A VIRGEN by Melver Ritz L. Gomez; STATING THE OBVIOUS by Anton Guiller R. Nartea.
Go in a journey that witness the works of these filmmakers as they set down and record the realities of life in the Documentary Category:
Set A: MGA GIPAAMBIT GIKAN SA TUBIG (WHISPERS FROM THE WATERS OF MINDANAO) by Anna Miguel Cervantes; MALILIIT NA HAKBANG by Richard Soriano Legaspi; SO MASA O PANIYAKIT by Hassanodden Hosni Macote Hashim; KAMBALINGAN by Terence Giourdan Gonzalves; BLUE IS NOT MY FAVORITE COLOR by Vahn Leinard C. Pascual; ISANG GABING WALANG PASKO by Jermaine Tulbo; ILAW NG TAHANAN by Jerome Avanzado.
Set B: PANAMBI by Jane Mariane Biyo, Katya Marie Corazon Puertollano, Myra Angeline Soriaso; IYALLATIW by Melver Ritz L. Gomez; PAKISABI by Lyshiel Aranal; PALONG by Kim Angela A. Santos, Christian Aquino; SI BABY AT SI JAYVEE by Kenneth Peterson F. Leviste; PISAPUGAN by Khalil Salih Verzosa.
Behold these stories with different narratives as told by exceptional storytellers in the Short Feature Category:
Set A: BANGUGOT by Moses Webb; SA PAGPULA SANG LAWOD (WHEN THE OCEAN BLEEDS) by Kenneth De la Cruz; DENG RESIDENTI QUING BUNDUK (MOUNTAIN RESIDENTS) by EJ Gagui; GUTAB by Mary Andrea Palmares; LAGALAG by John Nehemiah Lopez; LAOT by John Lester Rimorin; TANDA NG PAGTANAW by Aireen Justine D. Remoto.
Set B: MUNDONG WALANG KATIYAKAN by Vahn Leinard C. Pascual; HERE NOT HERE by Mariah Vianca Quinesio; NANAY, NANAY, GUSTO KO SIYA by Nicca Patricia D. Marcelino; THE GIRL FROM NOWHERE by Flory Ann Tacuban; WALTZ OF QUALM by Francisco L. Tavas III; CAMILLE ALONE by Kaya Guillen.
Set C: ANG DALA NG KAWALAN by John Kurt Vincent R. Santos; MANYAOK by Kate Villanueva; PIG’S GAME by CM Bautista; ISSA PRANK by Louangel Jei D. Benjamin; HILUM by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan; APOL by James Andrew B. Bueno; ANG PAGSALOP SANG ADLAW (THE IMMERSION OF THE SUN) by Kent John D. Desamparado.
Also featured are exhibition films under the Curated Section, a cut-above-the-rest selection of entries from this year’s submissions:
Set A: ATMOSPHERE by Yuki Okazawa; PASAHERO by Pat Kay Laudencia; RITMO NG PALAHAW by Ronaldo S. Vivo, Jr.; DALAGINDING NA SI ISANG by Kristinne Nigel C. Santos; GABBY by Joanna Vasquez Arong.
Set B: POST LULONG by Szackobe Kabro Zaballero-Sanchez; KAHON by Ivan Cortez; LAMON BABAE by Shaun Ocrisma, Danilo Vaquilar; NARANIAG A BULAN by Mike Cabarles; WALANG KATAPUSANG HURNO by Glenn Barit.
Set C: D.P.N.N.L. (DAPAT PALA NUNO NA LANG) by Angelo P. Gillo; BALAI by Klarisse J. Purugganan; MINA’S FAMILY HISTORY by Christopher Gozum; KAHILWÁYAN (FREEDOM) by Sweet Hearty Ligas Puyong.
Set D: TAKWAY NI NANAY TUNGO SA TAGUMPAY by Raymark Esteban Estael; JUDITH by Junmarl Alconga; GAME OVER by Carl Angelo Ruiz; SUPER-ABLE by Arjanmar H. Rebeta; MALAYO SA NGAYON by Jermaine Tulbo.
The Emergent Media Section features artworks that go beyond the confines of traditional media and the physical world, into the digital realm:
COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCES 2.0 by Miggy Inumerable; I BEGAN TO DIE AND I BEGAN TO GROW by Julius Redillas; DOON (AR/VR PROJECT) by Issay Rodriguez; CURRENTS VR Exhibit by Dayoung Ko.
This year, Gawad Alternatibo offers VIDEO EXPERIMENTATIONS featuring the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) alumni and student works:
Special one-time screening of MAGPAKAILANMAN and PELIKULA by Raymond Red.
Works of Creative Writing majors–VISITING HOURS by Danielle Castillo, SA ARAW-ARAW NA GINAWA NG DIYOS by Bea Rabe; Visual Arts–PHSA (animation) by Tristan Paul C. Guinid; Omnibus works on theater-video experiments by PHSA Theater Arts majors.
Dance films: TAGO(S) by Krislynne Buri; MEMOIRE by Jovit Diño; DRENCHED IN THOUGHT by Jon Ferrer; CLOWNING AROUND by Mars Quejada; PEPE by Carlo Señeres; OF VENUS by Reanne Nicole Tangalin; BUGSO: Dayog sa Saliw ng Damdaming Sumisiklab by PHSA Sanghiyas Pangkat Mananayaw & UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe.
Established in 1987, the Gawad Alternatibo is considered the longest-running independent film and video competition of its kind in Asia. It is one of the main components of the 17th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which also runs from Aug. 6 to Sept. 5, 2021. The Gawad Awarding ceremony will be held on Sept. 4, 2021 at 2 pm via the CCP Vimeo Channel and Facebook Live.
Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on the Cinemalaya Film Festival screening schedules and other offerings.
Sulk no more, Cinemalaya Filipino full-length feature film lovers.
While short films dominate the competition section due to COVID19 pandemic impact, the Cinemalaya@17 is also showing full-length Filipino films written and directed by Filipino directors.
Chris B. Millado, Cultural Center of the Philippines vice president and Cinemalaya festival director, announced on Aug. 4 that four “never-before-seen films directed by award-winning Filipino directors will premiere” during the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, from Aug. 6 to Sept. 5, 2021.
Millado said the four new Filipino films will be screened under the “Premieres” section of the festival.
The Premieres section features full-length and short films which have been produced in the past year, but will be screened for the first time in the Philippines. The Premieres is showing at ktx.ph.
This year’s Cinemalaya, its second online edition due to the COVID19 pandemic, showcases 13 short films competing for the prestigious Balanghai trophies.
In an online media call, Millado said full-length films also will be featured in the “Visions of Asia,” one of the major components of the film festival, which screens award-winning indie films from Asia.
The four Filipino films in the 2021 Premieres are the family drama “Highest Peak” by director Arnel Barbarona, drama “He Who Is Without Sin” by director Jason Paul Laxamana, noir film “Love and Pain In Between Refrains” by director Joselito Altarejos, and social monologue “Tao Po” by Mae Paner aka Juana Change.
THE HIGHEST PEAK
From today (Aug. 7) to 14, “The Highest Peak” is showing. It is about a man who decides to follow through his family’s plan to climb the highest mountain peak in the Philippines after he lost his wife and son.
“A journey of redemption, closure and healing, the film was shot predominantly in Mt. Apo,” Davao-born director Arbi Barbarona told journalists during the zoom media conference.
Shot before the pandemic, the film stars Dax Alejandro, Mara Lopez, Henyo Ehem, Rowena Caballes, Jea Lyka Cinco, Johnny Hager, Buggy Amplayo, Jun Alcover, Bong Artil and Ferdinand Mesias.
Barbarona is known for his films centered on indigenous peoples of Mindanao including his debut feature film “Tu Pug Imatuy,” which won several awards in various film festivals.
HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
“He Who Is Without Sin” is showing from Aug. 15 to 21. The 75-minute film follows what transpired during a chance meeting between a broadcasting student and the TV reporter he idolizes.
In the days that follow the encounter, the young student shares with his friends separately three versions of what transpired: what happened, what really happened, and what might have actually happened.
Through the conversations with friends, he comes to terms with the idea that his idol – a dignified newsman who is supposed to be a paragon of virtue – is not who he appears to be on television.
Director Jason Paul Laxamana said this was his last film shot before the Philippines went into lockdown due to COVID19.
In mid-March 2019, many parts of the country were placed in varied states of movement restrictions, or “community quarantine.”
Laxamana said he was happy to have one of his films shown again at Cinemalaya Film Festival, which he said “shaped him as a director.”
Laxamana said the movement limitations have “affected his script writing because he prefers to write in cafes or where people gather.”
“It is rather to do it now given the situation,” he said.
Laxamana’s “Mercury is Mine” won the Special Jury Prize and Best Screenplay in the 2016 Cinemalaya.
“He Who Is Without Sin” features Elijah Canlas, Enzo Pineda, Pearl Lagman, Migs Campanilla, Lara Fortuna, Gio Gahol, Marnie Lapus, and Iman Ampatuan. It marks the Sinag Maynila debut of Laxamana.
LOVE AND PAIN IN BETWEEN REFRAINS
“Love and Pain In Between Refrains”
You can catch “Love and Pain In Between Refrains” from Aug. 22 to 28.
A neo-noir film dealing with the tragedy that feeds on love and co-dependency, and the cycle of abuse and violence, the 88-minute film is about high school sweethearts who lost touch with each other after high school graduation and met again after 10 years. As feelings rekindled, they start living together. But what supposed to be a beautiful relationship turns into a traumatic reunion.
Director Jay Altarejos said “the film is about a romance marred by violence, its cycle of abuse, and the addiction to this kind of relationship.”
“Love and Pain In Between Refrains is a cautionary tale, that no one wins in this type of relationship. Both the abuser and the abused become victims,” Altarejos said.
The film’s “beautiful palette of colors is an allegory to the feeling of being in love.”
“Like a song, this film has an introduction, verse, and refrain,” Altarejos said.
The film cast includes Oliver Aquino, Elora Españo, Richard Quan, Anelle Durano, Suzette Doctolero, Natileigh Sitoy, Anjo Resureccion, and Jill Urdaneta.
With 2076 Kolektib production company, Altarejos aims to create and produce multimedia contents that will “arouse, educate, and inspire his audiences to become more vigilant and conscious of the social issues and challenges they face in the age of yet another strongman rule.”
An advocate of “Cinema of the Social Consciousness,” Altarejos is known for his films 2014 Cinemalaya Best Film “Kasal,” “Tale of the Lost Boys” (2017), “Unfriend” (2014), “Ang Laro sa Buhay ni Juan” (2009), and “Ang Lihim ni Antonio” (2010).
TAO PO
“Tao Po”
Starring Mae Paner aka Juana Change, “Tao Po” premieres on Sept. 3. The film follows the social awakening of a photojournalist when he covers the “tokhang” beat.
From several immersion trips and in-depth interviews conducted by artist-activist Mae Paner and playwright Maynard Manansala emerge four monologues that give faces to the issue of extra-judicial killings.
Originally a stage play mounted at the CCP’s Tanghalang Batute in 2017, Pane said Tao Po
was “a product of her sleepless nights when the series of nighttime killings supposedly related to drug cases started happening and dominating the headlines.”
Tao Po had Philippine, Australian, and European tours.
“I started feeling numb about these killings. As an artist, that was an emotional weird state for me,” Paner said.
“Together with Maynard Manansala, we joined journalists and photographers who covered the night beat. They were called nightcrawlers. Among them was a photojournalist who became a character in this play and now a film,” Paner said.
Cinemalaya@17
The 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is co-presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc., in partnership with streaming partners KTX.ph and Kumu, corporate partners Huachen Bayfront Hotel, McDonald’s Philippines, Optima Digital, B+C Design Inc., and media partners Rank Magazine, Adobo Magazine, Our Awesome Planet, Inquirer.net, ArtPlus Magazine, ClickTheCity, Business World Online, WeThePvblic, Philippine Primer, and the Manila Broadcasting Company.
Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the Cinemalaya Film Festival screening schedules and other offerings.
AN SADIT NA PLANETA (THE LITTLE PLANET) BY ARJANMAR H. REBETA
LOGLINE: A young man explores a little planet.
SYNOPSIS: Awakened by a mysterious voice, Arjan finds himself alone on a small planet, called Planet I. Soon, he finds himself exploring the little planet for 40 days.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: ARJANMAR H. REBETA, a Bikolano filmmaker from Cabusao, Camarines Sur, is an alumnus of Ricky Lee Film Scriptwriting Workshop, Film & Media for Human Rights Advocacy Workshop and the Mindanao Screen Lab. He is also known as AstroNoy, a content creator character that inspired him of the treatment of his film “The Little Planet.” His short films include: “Super-Able,” “Viral Kids,” “My Father is an Astro-Not,” “The Complicated Dance to the Wheel of Life,” “A Boxing Country,” among others. His short film “Palabas” was nominated at the 42nd Gawad Urian for the Best Short Film. His films have been selected and awarded in different local and international film festivals. He is a recipient of Ani ng Dangal by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, a film ambassador by Film Development Council of the Philippines, and a recipient of Indie Bravo Award by Philippine Daily Inquirer.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Arjanmar H. Rebeta PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ SCREENWRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPY/ MUSIC SCORER/ EDITOR/ SOUND DESIGNER – Arjanmar H. Rebeta; PRODUCER/PRODUCTION DESIGNER / PRODUCTION MANAGER – Khaye Medina-Rebeta; EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS – Arjanmar H. Rebeta and Khaye Medina- Rebeta
12:00 MINUTES Experimental Narrative,
Bicolano language
ANG MGA NAWALANG PAG-ASA AT PANLASA (THE LOST HOPES AND FLAVORS) BY KEVIN JAY AYSON
LOGLINE: A documentary on the quest of finding “pagkaing Iloco” in the midst of a pandemic.
SYNOPSIS: Micro food establishments have been gravely affected by the pandemic. The film features the struggles faced by Ilocano food entrepreneurs and how they slowly rise amidst the challenges of this health crisis.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: Currently based in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, KEVIN JAY AYSON finished his degree on computer engineering at Mariano Marcos State University, Batac City. The 29 year-old filmmaker pursued his passion for filmmaking through his own wedding video company Hearts in Motion. Aside from creating wedding videos, he directed short films that won awards in the different local film festivals in Ilocos Norte. His socio-political horror short film “Brad” won the grand prize and other major awards at the 2020 Lilia Cuntapay Short Horror Film Contest held during the Ilocos Norte Semana ti Ar-aria Festival. “Ang Mga Nawalang Pag-asa at Panlasa” won first runner-up at the 2021 Tan-ok ni Ilocano Film Festival.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Real-life Ilocano food entrepreneurs PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ EDITOR/ SOUND DESIGNER – Kevin Jay Ayson; SCREENWRITER – Mark Moneda; PRODUCER – Marionne Moneda; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Darwin Macugay, Juan Carlo Uy; MUSIC SCORER – Romnick Arcartado; PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Marc Ryan Alejo; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Marionne Moneda
19:57 MINUTES Documentary
ANG PAGDADALAGA NI LOLA MAYUMI BY SHIRI DE LEON
LOGLINE: A virginal old woman hires a callboy to change her perspective about men.
SYNOPSIS: After years ofbeing teasedas the town’s old virgin, Lola Mayumi decides to hire a young callboy who never expected to have an elderly client. When the two meet, an unlikely connection forms between them. After a night of intimacy and vulnerability, Lola Mayumi and the callboy start to question their beliefs. Her belief on how she sees men is be tested, are they really all bad? Or are there actually good men out there?
FILMMAKER PROFILE: Currently pursuing her film degree at Meridian International College in Pasig City, “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Lola Mayumi” is SHIRI DE LEON’s first short film. She learned filmmaking from her family members who are all media practitioners. She fell in love with the art of storytelling and aspires to be a messenger of stories who pushes the beliefs of humanity and tackles topics and issues that are important and can be translated universally. She aspires to break the stereotypes on female filmmakers, and hopes to work and collaborate with different people, adding a piece of them and her heart in her work.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Ruby Ruiz, Julian Roxas, Xenia Callista, Darlene Ballano, Michelle Gallero PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/EDITOR –Shiri De Leon; SCREENWRITER –Shiri De Leon, Darlene Ballano, Bryant Gali; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Roy Ocampo; MUSIC SCORER – Denise Ballano; SOUND DESIGNER –Jeremiah Villardo; PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Bryant Gali; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Darlene Ballano
20:00 MINUTES Drama
ATE O.G. BY KEVIN MAYUGA
LOGLINE: A struggling aging house helper finds herself going through an unexpected and uplifting experience.
SYNOPSIS: ATE, an aging household helper, struggles with the slow, dull, day-to-day depression of home quarantine in the midst of a nationwide lockdown. Her two teenage employers also struggle and cope in their own way, but seem to take out their negative feelings on her. After running a series of stressful chores for them, Ate finds a familiar medicine that gives her an unexpected form of relief and a newfound connection with the teenagers in her care.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: KEVIN MAYUGA was born in the cinema when he started kicking in his mother’s womb while she was watching Goodfellas in a movie theatre, thankfully there was a nearby hospital. Since then, he’s been obsessed with the audio visual arts, with a little bit of disco. His career roots are in advertising as a creative writer where he eventually got jaded and slowly started shifting into filmmaking. He has directed and produced multiple digital content, commercials, music videos and short films with various production outfits. Kevin is now shifting his sights and finding his voice in narrative filmmaking – focusing on his first feature film, web series, short films and finally watching Goodfellas again.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Merle Cahilig, Kara Mayuga, Keenan Mayuga PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ SCREENWRITER/ EDITOR/ PRODUCTION DESIGNER/ DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY/ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Kevin Mayuga; MUSIC SCORER – Roger Wang, Mia Palacios; SOUND DESIGNER – John Michael Perez
16:57 MINUTES Drama
BEAUTY QUEEN BY MYRA AQUINO
LOGLINE: A young woman struggles to find herself after losing her father during World War II.
SYNOPSIS: Set in Pampanga in 1940, Remedios Gomez is a classic woman through and through, and she has the town’s beauty pageant crown to prove it. But when the Empire of Japan invades the Philippines, plunging the country into unmitigated chaos and violence, her quiet provincial life is completely overturned. After her father is tortured and killed by the Japanese for his refusal to obey them, Remedios runs to the mountains with her brother Oscar to join the Hukbalahap resistance and find renewed purpose in the war. Once she arrives in the thick jungle encampment, however, she discovers that not only does being a woman limit her options in the resistance, but her suppressed grief over her father’s death continues to persist. She must grapple with both obstacles as she tries to find the strength to be who she needs to be for her country, while still unapologetically being herself.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: MYRA AQUINO is a writer-director who grew up in Guam and the Philippines. She graduated in 2020 with an MFA in Directing from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. She is passionate about telling stories that explore the impacts of multiculturalism and globalization on Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, and other underrepresented communities.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Febie Agustin, Lau Apostol, Norman King, Bajun Lacap PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Myra Aquino; SCREENWRITERS –Myra Aquino, Eric Hwang; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Tey Clamor; MUSIC SCORER –Nathan Matthew David; EDITORS – Lawrence Fajardo, Myra Aquino; SOUND DESIGNER – Matt Yocum; PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Juan Pablo Pineda III; PRODUCERS – Tita Pambid, Reuben Domingo
17:59 MINUTES Drama, Historical
Kapampangan language
CROSSING BY MARC MISA
LOGLINE: A desperate robber is forced to choose whether he should become a hero to his victims or fall victim to a robbery himself.
SYNOPSIS: driven by desperation, security guard Gabriel Arkanghell resorts to robbing a bus. Just before he could commit the crime, two seasoned robbers beat him to the punch. As one of then approaches his seat, Gabriel tightens his grip on his concealed firearm and struggles to make the decision whether to become a hero and take the robbers down or fall victim to the robbery himself.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: MARC MISA is a writer and filmmaker based in Antipolo, Rizal. He produced and directed his first feature film “Askal” in 2010 through a grant from the National Commission for Culture and Arts. He then went on to direct commercial advertisements and online content with PaperbugTV. He has also worked on various projects as a screenwriter for Star Cinema. He is currently a graphic designer for a gaming company and working on literary fiction. Whether writing stories or directing films, all his endeavors are geared toward his love for storytelling.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Niño Mendoza, Arrian Labios, Oscar Ante PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION DESIGNER/ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Marc Misa; SCREENWRITER – LC De Leon; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY –Edsel Abesames; MUSIC SCORER – LC De Leon; EDITOR – Edsel Abesames; SOUND DESIGNER – LC De Leon, Joel Mondoneo
07:45 MINUTES Suspense, Drama
KAWATAN SA SALOG (A TOY IN THE RIVER) BY ALPHIE VELASCO
LOGLINE: A mischievous child learns the value of time and life as he finds his way back home to his father.
SYNOPSIS: Santi, an ill-behaved child, steals a dinosaur toy which makes his father mad. After he runs away from home, Santi accidentally drowns in the river but wakes up on a mysterious island where odd traditions are meant to be followed. He is then sentenced to clean the shore full of trash as punishment for stealing the revenant’s sacred boat. Luckily, an old woman helps him and they form a strong bond. But after helping the old woman achieve her peace, the revenant finally allows him to leave their sanctuary. He returns home but his father is nowhere to be found. Instead, he finds the dinosaur toy floating on the river.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: Currently residing in Imus, Cavite, Alphie Velasco is a film student from Asia Pacific Film Institute. His fascination with films began when he was working as an auditor in a BPO company. He enjoys mystery and cult stories, especially character-driven films, such as Nymphomaniac, Mulholland Drive, 8 1/2, Watchmen, Grindhouse, etc. His favorite film directors are Lars Von Trier, Gaspar Noe , Quentin Tarantino, Darren Aronofsky and Roman Polanski. He loves reading manga and watching Japanese animations, especially the works of Satoshi Kon and Junji Ito. His music taste varies from psychedelic to progressive metal.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Kyle Kaizer Almenanza, Marc Felix, Lui Manansala PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ SCREENWRITER – Alphie Velasco; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY –Dayne Garcia; MUSIC SCORER –Ivan Cortez; EDITOR –Juan Bonifacio Corpuz; SOUND DESIGNER –Kat Salinas; PRODUCTION DESIGNERS –Vanerie Lumaque, Cathrene Anne Joseph; PRODUCER – Nestor Velasco; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Flor Velasco
18:36 MINUTES Mystery, Drama
Bicolano language
KIDS ON FIRE BY KYLE NIEVA
LOGLINE: A prepubescent boy discovers the power of his sexuality during a religious camp.
SYNOPSIS: J.C., a prepubescent boy, slowly learns of his special role in the impending apocalypse during a religious camp. As he participates in the camp activities, he gets confused between constantly emerging sexual fantasies and his divine calling.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: A Filipino producer and director, KYLE NIEVA co-founded the Manila-based creative agency and production company Screen Asia. At 18, he began exhibiting his directorial work in various institutions including the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. The films he directed and produced have since been selected for various international film festivals such as Berlinale, San Sebastian, Busan, and Vancouver. His recent work as producer, “Filipiñana,” won the Silver Bear at the 70th Berlinale and was nominated for Best British Short at the British Independent Film Awards and at the London Critics Film Awards. His latest film as director, “Kids On Fire,” premiered at the 25th Busan International Film Festival and at the 47th Film Fest Gent. He is an alumnus of Tribeca Film Institute’s Talent Lab and the 73rd Festival del Film Locarno’s Open Doors Lab. Aside from directing and producing, he has been involved in marketing, distribution, and festival programming of shorts and features in the Philippines.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Mystica, Alexis Negrite, Ces Aldaba PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER – Kyle Nieva; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Tey Clamor; MUSIC SCORER – Len Calvo; EDITOR – Carlo Francisco Manatad, Kyle Nieva; SOUND DESIGNER –Kat Salinas; PRODUCTION DESIGNER –Alvin Francisco; PRODUCERS – Carlo Francisco Manatad, Kyle Nieva, Gian Carlo Librojo, Krizzia Nieva; EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS – Anna Weeks, Maan Villareal
19:00 MINUTES Dark Comedy
LOOKING FOR RAFFLESIAS AND OTHER FLEETING THINGS BY JAMES FAJARDO
LOGLINE: A tikbalang transforms into a teenage boy to disprove the rumor that horse demons are killing civilians in the mountain.
SYNOPSIS: A community fears the tikbalang (horse demon) which is mistakenly blamed for various killings in the forest. Gubat, a tikbalang, transforms into a teenage boy and searches for the truth. In the mountain, he meets Darren, an American botanist who is looking for rafflesias. His interactions with the American unravel his inner desires that he has never faced before. This pushes him to reveal his identity and puts his life at risk.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: JAMES ALLEN FAJARDO graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in film in 2020. He has taken courses on Gender and Media Studies at Utrecht University in the Netherlands for his exchange program in 2019. His previous works include: “A Letter to the Person I Have Met on Tinder” and “The Boy Who Bleeds in the Middle of the Sea,” which were awarded and selected in different international and local film festivals. He won the Gold Prize at the Viddsee Juree Awards Philippines 2020. He is currently working as a freelance multimedia artist for different international brands while pursuing his passion in filmmaking.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Reynald Raissel Santos, Kevin Andrews, Ash Nicanor PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/SCREEWRITER/ EDITOR – James Fajardo; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Rocky Morilla; MUSIC SCORER – Janell Pangilinan; SOUND DESIGNER – Janell Pangilinan; PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Angel Tomas; PRODUCER – Christine Daisy Dela Paz; EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS – Arsenio “Nick” J. Lizaso, Al Ryan S. Alejandre and Marichu G. Tellano
20:00 MINUTES Coming-of-age, Drama
MASKI PAPANO (I MASK GO ON) BY CHE TAGYAMON AND GLENN BARIT
LOGLINE: A disposed facemask turns into a humanoid and starts an adventure looking for its previous owner.
SYNOPSIS: After getting disposed of, a facemask starts to turn into a humanoid figure. It searches for its previous owner, but finds him already with a new and better face mask. It gets heartbroken then wanders around different places in Manila, and eventually finds another similar looking facemask figure.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: CHE TAGYAMON is a director, editor, and animator from Manila, Philippines. She is an alumna of the Berlinale Talents 2019, SGIFF Southeast Asian Film Lab 2018, Busan Film Commission’s FLY Film Lab 2019, Docs by The Sea 2020 and ASEAN ROK’s FLY where she was given the Best Fellow Award 2017.In 2019, she was among the grantees of the first edition of Southeast Asian Short Film Grant by the Singapore International Film Festival. Her previous works often address the subjects of diaspora, class, and memory in relation to women’s psyche.
GLENN BARIT is a Filipino director, sound designer and musical scorer. He uses elements of play in his works to ease the burden of filmmaking as well as to bring into light different societal issues. His short film “Aliens Ata” won the NETPAC Jury Prize in Cinemalaya 2017. It has also been part of Kaohsiung Film Festival 2017 and SeaShorts 2019 among others. His short, “Nangungupahan” also premiered in Cinemalaya 2018. “Cleaners,” his debut feature film, premiered in the QCinema IFF 2019 where it won Best Film, Best Screenplay and Audience Choice Award in the Asian Next Wave section. It is a coming-of-age film about high school students and the pressures they are boxed in. It has since premiered in Busan IFF, Taipei Golden Horse IFF, Torino Film Festival among others.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Maski Papet PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTORS/ EDITORS/ PRODUCTION DESIGNERS – Che Tagyamon, Glenn Barit; SCREENWRITER – Che Tagyamon; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Glenn Barit; SOUND DESIGNER – John Michael Perez; PRODUCERS – Che Tagyamon, Jo Torlao; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Havas Ortega Group
05:00 MINUTES Comedy
NAMNAMA EN LOLANG (GRANDMOTHER’S HOPE) BY JONNIE LYN P. DASALLA
LOGLINE: A grandmother and her baby grandson find solace ineach other and face the harsh reality of the pandemic together.
SYNOPSIS: Entirely shot using a mobile phone, the film depicts life during the quarantine. It focuses on the story of Lolang Keyag who lives in isolation with her baby grandson Eli, as she was left to take care of him during the lockdown period. Despite the difficulties faced in this trying time, she tries her best to be hopeful for her grandson.
FILMMAKER PROFILE:JONNIE LYN DASALLA is a budding filmmaker from Baguio City, Benguet. She is currently taking her master’s degree in Media Studies (Film) at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She is working full time as a digital media editor at GMA Network Inc.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Concepcion P. Dasalla and Jaeceelizeon Alhexys P. Dasalla PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ SCREENWRITER/ PRODUCER – Jonnie Lyn P. Dasalla; PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS – Jimbo P. Dasalla, Kathlyn P. Dasalla, Irish Lyn P. Dasalla; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Concepcion P. Dasalla
05:00 MINUTES Drama
Kankana-ey language
OUT OF BODY BY ENRICO PO
LOGLINE: A young model is coerced into a macabre commercial shoot.
SYNOPSIS: Elle, a young model new to the industry, arrives to the set of her first commercial job to discover that the initial idea was scrapped. A mysterious new concept has been developed, but the crew and director keep forgetting to let her know what it is. However, after an afternoon of tight costume fittings, rough prop work, and meetings with creepy producers, Elle begins to suspect something else might be afoot.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: ENRICO PO is a young Filipino filmmaker based in Manila. A film buff since childhood, he graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Film & TV. Since returning to the Philippines, he has worked on various documentary, narrative, and commercial projects.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Kelley Day, Nelsito Gomez, Joel Saracho, Dylan Talon, Leo Rialp, Tarek El Tayech PRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/ SCREENWRITER/ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Enrico Po; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Tey Clamor; MUSIC SCORER – Kristofer Crouch; EDITOR – Benjamin Tolentino; SOUND DESIGNER – Mikko Quizon; PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Katrish Aristoki; PRODUCER – Alemberg Ang
14:53 MINUTES Suspense
THE DUST IN YOUR PLACE BY DAVID OLSON
LOGLINE: Career and friendship are on the line when a comic strip artist tells her writer the truths about his relationships.
SYNOPSIS: After witnessing an awkward fight between her writer and his girlfriend, a comic strip illustrator decides to tell him what is plaguing his relationships with other girls. The conversation explodes into a discussion on relationships, social norms, their history, and their possible future, and it becomes increasingly clearer that the trajectory of their career and friendship are on the line.
FILMMAKER PROFILE: DAVID OLSON has been working in the industry for 10 years as a director, cinematographer, editor, and producer. He has worked on films, TV, documentaries, music videos, commercials, and video advertisements. In 2011, he edited his first short film. Since then, it has been a never-ending educational experience for him, experiencing filmmaking from many viewing angles: From cameras and concepts to keyframes, call sheets, and coffee-making.
MAJOR CREDITS: CAST: Boo Gabunada, Chaye MoggPRODUCTION STAFF: DIRECTOR/SOUND DESIGNER – David Olson; SCREENWRITER – Joem Antonio; DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – JC Gellidon; MUSIC SCORER – Miguel Abella; EDITORS – David Olson, Sebastian Olvidelo; PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Katrish Aristoki; PRODUCERS – Joaquin Coromina, Andrew Ramsay; EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS – Warren Carmen, Michael Stamati
The 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is co-presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc., in partnership with streaming partners KTX.ph and Kumu, corporate partners Huachen Bayfront Hotel, McDonald’s Philippines, Optima Digital, B+C Design Inc., and media partners Rank Magazine, Adobo Magazine, Our Awesome Planet, Inquirer.net, ArtPlus Magazine, ClickTheCity, Business World Online, WeThePvblic, Philippine Primer, and the Manila Broadcasting Company.
For more updates, please visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites. Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya social media accounts.
CINEMALAYA @ CCP: August means Cinemalaya film festival for Filipino indie lovers. PHOTO BY RODEL VALIENTE
While majority of Filipinos are gripped with the thrills of the country winning gold, silver, and bronze medals in the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a group of Filipino cineastes are equally excited, waiting for the 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival to open today (Aug. 6).
Chris B. Millado, Cultural Center of the Philippines vice president and Cinemalaya festival director announced the 13 short films competing for the prestigious Balanghai trophies.
In an online media call, Millado said the films in competition for the 17th edition of Cinemalaya, which streams on KTX.ph from Aug. 6 to Sept. 5 are:
1/ An Sadit na Planeta (The Little Planet) by Arjanmar H. Rebeta;
2/ Ang Mga Nawalang Pag-asa at Panlasa (The Lost Hopes and Flavors) by by Kevin Jay Ayson;
3/ Ang Pagdadalaga ni Lola Mayumi by Shiri De Leon;
4/ Ate O.G. by Kevin Mayuga;
5/ Beauty Queen by Myra Aquino;
6/ Crossing by Marc Misa;
7/ Kawatan sa Salog (A Toy in the River) by Alphie Velasco;
8/ Kids on Fire by Kyle Nieva;
9/ Looking for Rafflesias and Other Fleeting Things by James Fajardo;
10/ Maski Papano (I Mask Go On) by Che Tagyamon and Glenn Barit;
“An Sadit na Planeta” follows the adventure of a young man as he explores a little planet. “Ang Mga Nawalang Pag-As at Panlasa,” meanwhile, is a documentary on the quest of finding “pagkaing iloco” in the midst of a pandemic.
“In Ang Pagdadalaga Ni Lola Mayumi,” a virginal old woman hires a callboy to change her perspective about men. “Ate O.G.” is about a struggling aging house helper who finds herself going through an unexpected and uplifting experience.
A young woman struggles to find herself after losing her father during World War II in “Beauty Queen.” On the other hand, a desperate robber is forced to choose whether he should become a hero to his victims or fall victim to a robbery himself in “Crossing”.
“Kawatan sa Ilog” is about a mischievous child who learns the value of time and life as he finds his way back home to his father. “Kids on Fire” is the story of a prepubescent boy who discovers the power of his sexuality during a religious camp.
“Looking For Rafflesias And Other Fleeting Things” narrates how a “tikbalang” transforms into a teenage boy to disprove the rumor that horse demons are killing civilians in the mountain.
A disposed facemask turns into a humanoid and starts an adventure looking for its previous owner in “Maski Papano,” while a grandmother and her baby grandson find solace in each other and face the harsh reality of the pandemic together in “Namnama En Lolang.”
“Out Of Body” takes the audience in a macabre commercial shoot with a young model. Meanwhile, career and friendship are on the line when a comic strip artist tells her writer the truths about his relationships in “The Dust In Your Place.”
“On its 17th year, the film festival re-thinks its direction and strategy to remain significant in the contemporary time, while continuing to fulfill its mission of discovering, encouraging, supporting, training and recognizing gifted Filipino independent filmmakers,” the Cinemalaya organizers said.
While Cinemalaya has remained the vanguard of the Philippine independent filmmaking since its inception in 2005, the selection committee has observed that submissions for the main competition have become predictable and followed recurrent themes such as gender, poverty, and social inequalities, they said.
“To unearth new cinematic voices and develop a growing audience for independent cinema for its 2023 edition, the Cinemalaya introduces new direction and further expands its cinematic boundaries through the Cinemalaya Film Lab, a three-month-long film-laboratory mentorship program happening on September to November 2021,” organizer said in a statement.
If allowed under community lockdown health and security protocols, the CCP plans to open its ground with a hybrid drive-in cinema, dubbed Cinema Under the Stars, where film habitués can watch a film in the hybrid drive-in cinema at Liwasang Ullalim.
The first audience-centered on-site event since the lockdown, the hybrid outdoor cinema welcomes everyone, whether they are riding their cars or bikes, or even just walking and jogging.
2021 CINEMALAYA: The Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Lobby is all dressed up, despite the COVID19 pandemic, for the Aug. 6, 2021 opening of Cinemalaya, the country’s biggest indie film festival. PHOTO BY RODEL VALIENTE
Other Cinemalaya offerings
Meanwhile, the Cinemalaya mainstays remain. Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, the longest-running independent film and video competition in Asia, will also continue its run this year.
Visions of Asia, one of the major components of the film festival, will screen award-winning indie films from Asia; while IndieNation showcases notable and critically acclaimed feature length and short films produced in the past year that will have a continued run at Cinemalaya.
Don’t miss out on other components such as the Cinemalaya Retrospectives, featuring past Cinemalaya films, and Cinemalaya Campus, among others. The film festival will also pay tribute to individuals who have made great contributions to the Philippine film industry, including director Mel Chionglo, former head of the Cinemalaya competition and monitoring committee with the screenings of three of his best films.
Catch the Premieres, featuring full-length and short films which have been produced in the past year and will be screened for the first time in the Philippines, as well as the book launching of the “Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya,” a complete guide to the colorful history of the country’s biggest independent film festival.
The 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is co-presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc., in partnership with streaming partners KTX.ph and Kumu, corporate partners Huachen Bayfront Hotel, McDonald’s Philippines, Optima Digital, B+C Design Inc., and media partners Rank Magazine, Adobo Magazine, Our Awesome Planet, Inquirer.net, ArtPlus Magazine, ClickTheCity, Business World Online, WeThePvblic, Philippine Primer, and the Manila Broadcasting Company.
For more updates, please visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites. Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya social media accounts. ##
Director-composer Jerrold Tarog (Photo from his Facebook account.)
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) shares healing and hope this month of love with the world premiere of award-winning filmmaker Jerrold Tarog’s new film “Ang Kabaligtaran ng Gunaw” (The Opposite of the End), back-to-back with the launch of “Hilom: Sayaw Dalangin ng Pag-asa at Pagkakaisa,” on Feb. 14, at 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, to be broadcast via CNN Philippines channels.
Director Tarog transformed the original poem by playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc with the same title into a cinematic experience, showcasing the original concept and choreography by Ronelson Yadao.
Tarog also composed the music for the dance film.
The film features dancer Eloisa Jessa Tangalin, as well as other faculty members of CCP Dance Workshop, including Sarah Anne Alejandro, Monica Amanda Gana, Stephanie Kerilen Santiago, Karla Marie Santos, Victor Maguad, Lester John Reguindin, Earl John Arisola, Al Frederick Abraham, Louise John Ababob, Danilo Dayo Jr., Bonifacio Guerrero Jr., and Justine Joseph Orande.
Adapted to screenplay by Tarog and Deldoc, the eight-minute short feature film brings together the different art forms, from literature, dance, music, theatre, and film, to create a unique collaboration which hopefully reminds all artists and the public on the importance of artistic expression and undaunted creativity that is much needed in the process of healing and overcoming the pandemic, the CCP said.
Gunaw is also a promise that once time permits, CCP will open its doors again and welcome artists back, it said.
“There are stories to be told, songs to be sang, and ideas to be expressed. As artists always say, the show must and will go on,” the CCP announcement said.
For 51 years now, the CCP is a place where creativity thrives, and a home to various productions, festivals, and artists.
In 2020, CCP shuttered its doors due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The arts sector is one of the most affected industries by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of artists and cultural workers were displaced.
“The question lingers: will the arts survive? And Tarog responds through the short feature film,” the CCP said.
Playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc (Photo from his Facebook account.)
Hilom: healing
Meanwhile, Hilom features folkloric dances associated with Filipino rituals and dance traditions to show how relevant dance is to the lives of the people, especially during difficult and challenging times.
Hilom engages various folkloric dance groups and communities in working together to produce dance performances that would highlight the affinity of the Filipinos to connect to the spiritual world for prayer, supplications, thanksgiving, and worship.
Featured dance groups and artists are: Abigail Calma (as Inang Bayan) from Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group; the Kaloob Phil Music and Dance Ministry (with Ed Lapiz as artistic director); Lyceum of the Philippines University of Batangas – Lahing Batangan Dance Troupe (Rodel M. Fronda, artistic director); Leyte Dance Theatre of Jess De Paz Foundation Inc. (Lowe S. Taňa, artistic director); University of Cebu Dance Company (Victor Lim Hao Cuenco, artistic director); Melengas Dance Ensemble (Odysso D. Oyales, artistic director); and Koronadal Hinugyaw Cultural Dance Troupe (Benhur Zerrudo Abulencia, artistic director).
Directed by Stephen Ramos Biadoma, the dance video production follows the story and concept by the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, with music by Teresa Barrozo, edited by Gem Aňonuevo, cinematography by Brandon Relucio, and costumes by Carlo Viray Valderama.
“Hilom is a dance film that forwards the Filipino spirit to the forefront of our fight against the global health crisis. Our differences in culture, language, or ethnicity do not hinder, us but rather enrich and unify our call and prayer for healing,” Director Biadoma said.
“We shall move as one nation, one community, one Filipino toward the hope for recovery,” Biadoma said.
After the twin bill production premiered on CNN Philippines, the CCP plans to have a hybrid outdoor screening to be knowns as “Cinema Under the Stars” at the CCP grounds. The planned screening will follow strict health protocols.
An online premiere is also being planned through the CCP social media accounts (official Facebook page and YouTube channel).
For more information and updates, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph), and follow the official CCP Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram accounts and YouTube Channel.
FRUITCAKE HEAVEN in a box at PHP 550.00, 7.5 inches x 3 inches x 2.5 inches
Good and great fruitcakes are difficult to find during ordinary times.
The quest for the good and great fruitcakes is even harder in the middle of the raging Covid-19 pandemic, which has disrupted the raw materials’ supply chain.
I found the home-based Fruitcake Heaven brand via a Facebook post by a friend, an ace photographer and also a fruitcake fan.
Fruitcake Heaven’s fruitcakes come in two sizes: in a box with the cake measuring 7.5 inches x 3 inches x 2.5 inches, at PHP 550.00; and in a tin can measuring 6 inches in diameter by 2 inches in depth, at PHP 600.00.
I tasted both varieties, which were topped with lots of nuts such as almond, walnut, pecan, cashew, plus candied cherry.
The dense cakes were moist with brandy, at the least the ones I tasted, and not so sweet. The low level of sweetness is a big plus for me. It enabled me to enjoy the different flavors of nuts and the sudden zing of biting into a candied cherry.
Instead of the traditional fruitcakes where batter and nuts and fruits were thoroughly mixed, Fruitcake Heaven’s fruitcakes are topped with an oozing amount of nuts and candied cherries, with a sprinkling of raisins embedded in the batter.
For their prices, these fruitcakes baked in the kitchen of a house in the general area of Retiro district in Quezon City are value-for-money.
If interested to try out these fruitcakes, you can order via Fruitcake Heaven Facebook page. ##
FRUITCAKE HEAVEN fruitcake in a tin can measuring 6 inches in diameter x 2 inches in depth, at PHP 600.00
The few serious Filipino scholars of Japan, those who started studying Japan in the 1970-1980s when it was not yet in vogue to do so, are dwindling.
They are approaching “decommissioning” (otherwise known as retirement), dying, or dead.
And by serious, I mean those who have devoted at least two decades of their lives focusing on Japan deeply, quietly, and earnestly. There are those who present themselves as “Japan hands” after completing their two- or three-year graduate degrees in a Japanese academic institution.
It takes a lifetime to understand Japan and its people.
Director Lawrence Fajardo’s recent shift to craft films about Filipinos in Japan (Imbisibol, 2015; Kintsugi, 2020) is a great development in view of the vanishing species of serious Filipino scholars on Japan.
Fajardo, hopefully, considers directing more films about Japan, its society, and how contemporary Japan “behaves and relates” with the outside world. It is about time that the Philippine film sector produces a writer-director who can be at par with the achievements of Professors Lydia N. Yu-Jose (political science and Japanese Studies) and Rico T. Jose (Philippine-Japan war history), the towering wife-husband pillars of Japanese Studies in the Philippines.
The low-key Fajardo, 44, one of the more intelligent writer-directors of his generation, is known for making films with cogent social commentary. Among his most notable films are: Kultado (2005); Raket ni Nanay (2006); Amok (2011); and Imbisibol 2015).
More than a love story
In the 91-minute drama “Kintsugi” (Broken), Fajardo’s full-length entry to the ongoing Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020, the director uses the elements of a love story as a vehicle to take the viewers to a journey of scrutinizing the nuances and complexities of familial and social relations in a community in Arita town, famous for its porcelain industry, in Saga Prefecture.
Kintsugi is Fajardo’s maiden jab in the love story genre and his second film about Filipinos in Japan, after Imbisibol in 2015.
Initially, Fajardo frames Kintsugi as boy Dante, an overseas Filipino worker (played by JC Santos) meets girl Harue, only daughter of a porcelain factory owner (Hiro Nishuichi). The fell in love as Harue tries to recover from a break-up with his unfaithful partner, while Dante is burdened by constantly remitting money to the Philippines to support his wife who has been in a hospital for four years.
As their relationship bloomed, Dante continues to hide from Harue his wife’s condition. One day, he flies back to the Philippines, without saying goodbye to his boss and Harue.
The two lonely people did not end up happily. Harue’s father tells her that Dante has a wife back in the Philippines. But the disclosure was incomplete. Harue’s father failed to inform her that Dante’s wife is dead.
Harue is once again broken by a two-timing lover.
Metaphor
From this point, the film goes in another trajectory: Harue becomes a metaphor for a broken precious porcelain ware that must be repaired through kintsugi. She needs to piece back together shards of herself.
The Japanese art of kintsugi (kin = gold and tsugi = “to repair” or “to join together”) involves the use of lacquer resin to join the broken pieces together and to fill in the cracks. Then, liquid or powdered gold is applied over the repaired fissures to highlight them beautifully.
Some say kintsugi is a Japanese metaphor for accepting one’s flaws and personal imperfections.
There are those who hold the view that kintsugi as an art form evolved from the Japanese concept of “mottainai”, regretting that something is wasted and “mushin” to embrace the inevitability of change as individuals go through life.
Kintsugi boasts of understatedly elegant photography and splendid color grading.
The film is the second collaboration between Fajardo as director and Herlyn Gail Alegre as scriptwriter. ##
The CCP Arthouse Cinema Online honors Filipino teachers through Jerrold Tarog’s “Faculty”, a short feature film about two teachers in a private college whose views on how to educate their students clash.
With the opening of classes early this October, teachers are being burdened with unprecedented responsibilities as an aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic.
Poor Internet connectivity, lack of access to appropriate technology and gadgets for online education, and inadequate government support are among the long list of obstacles educators must hurdle daily.
Faculty (2010) is a 7:35-minute drama, which is a prequel to the full feature film “Senior Year.” It stars Che Ramos and Bea Garcia, and written by Tarog.
Meanwhile, the CCP celebrates the National Indigenous People’s Month this October with the special screening of “K’na, The Dreamweaver” and “Tembong (Connecting)” on October 9 to 11, 2020. Faculty will also be shown during this period.
Directed by Ida Anita del Mundo, the 85-minute film tells about Kana, a young T’boli woman who becomes a dreamweaver and has a chance to unite her village’s warring tribe. But will she give up on love to do so?
The film won Best Production Design and received the Special Jury Prize at the 2014 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
“Tembong” (Connecting) is a story of a T’boli man who collects a series of patterns when an abaca goddess visits him in his dreams. Grieving due to the death of his mother, he takes a journey of unearthing his history, prompting him to disregard the consequences of his actions. He defies a sanctified practice.
Directed by Shaira Advincula, the 15-minute film won the Special Jury Prize in the Short Feature Category of the 2019 Cinemalaya.
The featured Cinemalaya films, which tackle the plight of indigenous Filipinos from South Cotabato and that of Filipino educators, will be screened for 48 hours on Vimeo on Demand for free.
For existing CCP Film Society members, don’t forget to check on your emails to know how to exclusively access these films.
Be a member of the CCP Film Society Club to get regular updates and screening schedules of the CCP Arthouse Cinema, as well as invitations to film-related events.
For more details on the membership and film screenings, follow the CCP and CCP Media Arts Division Facebook pages. Or visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). ##
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