Star Powerhouse

Marietta 'Pokwang' Subong in 2 Valid IDs   The 41st Mar del Plata International Film Festival has officially unveiled its lineup, and among the international titles vying for top honors in Argentina next month is the Filipino political and social realist drama “2 Valid IDs.” Running from November 5 to 15, Latin America’s historic A-list film festival will showcase director Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan’s latest feature along with new works from global auteurs like Danny Boyle, Miwa Nishikawa, and Simon Stone. The film competes against 13 other global features in the main International Feature Film Competition. “2 Valid IDs,” written by award-winning screenwriter Abet Pagdagdagan Raz, explores the quiet indignities, structural absurdities, and human costs of navigating modern bureaucratic survival in the Philippines. Zaijian Jaranilla and Marietta 'Pokwang' Subong in a scene from 2 Valid IDs The narrative centers on Sylvia, a poor farmer trying to claim money sent by a relativ...

Filipino independent films took center stage once again as Cinemalaya films emerged as the big winners at this year’s Gawad Urian Awards, reaffirming the strength of the country’s indie filmmaking scene. Films produced by Cinemalaya’s 20th edition took home a total of 10 awards, including major citations like Best Picture.  The awards are as follows: Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Pelikula: Alipato at Muog Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Direksyon: Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico (Tumandok) Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Screenplay: Tumandok (Arden Rod Cortez and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay) Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Aktres: Arisa Nakano (Kono Basho) Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Dokumentaryo: Alipato at Muog Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktor: Felipe Ganancial (Tumandok) Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Sinematograpiya: Dan Villegas (Kono Basho) Gawad Urian Para sa Pinakamahusay na Editing: JL Burgos (Alipat...

CINEMALAYA 21 BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTRESS_HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN (PHOTO BY KIKO CABUENA) The 21st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival concluded with a powerful statement on the strength of documentary storytelling, awarding a documentary film on the plight of land rights activists in Cagayan Valley the prestigious Balanghai trophy for Best Film. Directed by Noni Abao, BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED was cited for “its powerful and deeply humane portrayal of political activists uprooted by violence yet steadfast in their pursuit of justice and belonging; for transforming the struggle for land, peace, and dignity in Cagayan Valley into a meditation on home, hope, and resilience.” Meanwhile, Carl Joseph Papa’s THE NEXT 24 HOURS won Best Film in the Short Film Category for “its hauntingly tender portrayal of trauma and survival; for rendering silence, fear, and resilience through rotoscope animation with profound sensitivity and compassion; for using art as adv...

CINEMALAYA - SHORTS A (2017) FATIMA MARIE TORRES AND THE INVASION OF SPACE SHUTTLE PINAS 25 (Carlo Francisco Manatad, 2017) - ★★★☆☆ Although the title was as subtle as Jason Mraz's Waiting for My Rocket to Come, there were still a lot of funny bits here that kept me erect, er, entertained in my seat.

SPOILER ALERT!! JUANA AND THE SACRED SHORES (Antonne Santiago, 2017) - ★★☆☆☆ Similar to Pina, this dance film was just too artsy for my basic tastes. Kwento ko na lang sa inyo mga bes. So merong long-legged Ate Dyosa na nag-trip magsayaw sa maduming batis. Biglang dumating si Gluta Koya na may dalang santol at more join sa ballet nya.

Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha (Mes de Guzman, 2017)) One long and badly-edited sitcom. It would have been more bearable if most of the jokes (in the vein of Dolphy and Babalu circa 90s) were actually funny, except that they weren't. I had more laughs watching The Lilian Velez Story.

My notes on Sa Gabing Nanahimik ang mga Kuliglig: 1. It was probably during the scene where Hector (Ricky Davao) was wailing over the corpse of his wife Dolores (Mercedes Cabral) that I realized I had watched something similar to this before. It looked very much like the same red herring thrown around in another murder-mystery set in a swampland. My suspicion was further confirmed when self-confessed killer Magda (Angel Aquino) had that fantastical dream sequence where she ended up seeing a floating dead body that actually turned out to be her. Yes, I was definitely watching a version of Sam Raimi's The Gift, except that the supernatural element was replaced by a religious theme. Nyek! 2. I shouldn't even be complaining that the movie chose to head into that direction because I initially thought I was watching Senakulo: The Movie and it would really be Easter Sunday 2018 by the time it completed the twelve stations of the cross (thankfully, it abandoned that concept wh...

The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is a film festival in the Philippines held annually during the months of July and August at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Its aim is the development and promotion of Filipino independent films.The film festival is organized by the Cinemalaya Foundation, with the support of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Econolink Investments, Inc. Each year, the Festival provides "seed investments" of Php 500,000 (USD 10,000~) to ten independent filmmakers. These ten "finalists" are culled from hundreds of submissions from all over the Philippines. Their films debut at the festival, together with in-competition short films, as well as various out-of-competition works. The festival organizing committee is headed by veteran Filipino director and actress Laurice Guillen. The committee oversees the production of the films, sometimes interfering with filmmakers' artistic decisions.The 10th edition of the fe...