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| mga haligi ng industriya: the doyenne of film festivals joey reyes and the ravishing madonna tarrayo announcing the finalists |
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| joey and madonna with directors of the full length film finalists |
CINEFILINO FILMFEST, organized by Cignal TV and Unitel Productions, Inc., has “Buhay ang Kuwento” as its theme for their latest festival. It can mean that The Story is Life”— life itself is a collection of stories which gives emphasis on the universality of human experiences as told in film; or that The Story is Alive— writers, directors, cinematographers, actors, and producers keep these stories alive by producing films and creating shared cinematic experiences in the big screen.
In the Feature Length film category, here are the eight finalists selected from over 100 entries, each gettting a P2 million grant: 1. Jopy Arnaldo, “27 EXPOSURES” – About a boy who uses a disposable camera to help him move on from a love lost. 2. Charlson Ong and Angelo R. Lacuesta, “Cargo” – A Tausug fast-boat pilot finds himself involved in a murder, and must choose between escape and surrender.
3. Sue Aspiras, “Homecoming” – A young diwata gets a dazzling homecoming. 4. Christopher Gozum, “Ilikdem Mo So Matam” – A Filipina filmmaker in Seoul, South Korea gets entangled in a forbidden relationship between two other OFWs.
5. Steven Paul Evangelio, “Maya-maya Paparito Na” – A family’s Christmas reunion is ruined by a devastating storm, leaving them with no way out. 6. JP Habac, “Olsen’s Day” – A father and son story based on Habac’s own experiences with his dad.
7. Rob Jara, “Ouroboros” – A coming-of-age vengeance drama about a young man who waits 20 years to avenge his father’s death in the hands of his own mentor. 8. Dolly Dulu, “The Boy Foretold by the Stars” – A gay high school student, driven by a fortuneteller’s predictions, attempts to prove to a boy that they are destined to be together. Only Habac has directed before. All the others are first timers.
In the Shorts category, the nine finalists are: Dolly Dulu’s “7-Year Itch”; Dexter Paul de Jesus’ “Alex & Aki”; Claudia Fernando’s “Alamat ng Sari-Saring Sari Store”; Zsarina P. Lacumba’s “Ang’gulo (Unclear)”; Eluigi Macalintal and James Garcia’s “Delta”; Lorys Plaza and James Hermoso’s “Kita (nang) Duha”; Noel Tonga, Jr’s “Memento Mori”; Ronald Dulatre and Elaiza Rivera’s “Tayo (Stand Up)”; and Reeden Fajardo’s “Quing Lalam Ning Aldo (Under the Sun)”.
In the Series category, the 10 semi-finalists are: Jeremy Luke Bolatag’s “B124”; Christian Mark Vidallo’s “Balete: The Animated Series”; Rob Jara’s “Delikado”; Kris Ulrich and Maze Mirada’s “Life After College”; Ronald Van Angelo A. Dulatre’s “Manila Encounters;
Dustin Celestino’s “Philippine Gothic: Habang Buhay”; Ronald Batallones’ “Raket”; Efren P. Malabanan’s “Sa Pusod ng Dagat”; Carlo Obispo’s “The Junkyard Hippies”; and Jelani Maniago’s “Tindero.” Only five of these finalists will be chosen for greenlight of their production.
These finalists will be pitching their stories to a selection panel comprising established industry personalities, namely: SM Lifestyle Entertainment SAVP of Ad and Corporate Sales Isabelle Santillan; filmmaker and producer Perci Intalan;
Viva Communications Producer and AVP for TV Production Tess Fuentes; and screenwriter and filmmaker Wanggo Gallaga. The selection panel will choose five of the ten finalists to greenlight for production.
“We’re looking forward to all the works of art our finalists are bringing to this year’s CineFilipino Film Festival,” says the brilliant Competition Head Jose Javier Reyes. “We believe we’ve chosen the best of both professional and aspiring Filipino filmmakers—in the end, it’s not just about good stories, but also about storytellers.”
“We may find the next great Filipino filmmaker, as well as the next great Filipino film, in the festival”, add the alluring and ravishing Festival Director Madonna Tarrayo. “CineFilipino supports the celebration of 100 years of Philippine cinema, and we’re always on the lookout for exceptional talent that can help drive the art and the industry in the present and future.”
For more details, visit the official website www.cinefilipino.com and follow CineFilipino on Facebook (@CineFilipino), Instagram (@CineFilipinoOfficial), and Twitter (@CineFilipinoPH).
