...the festival entries

Two Pinoy indie films to compete at HKIFF

By JULIEN MERCED C. MATABUENA

March 2, 2011

 

A scene from 'Senior Year,' one of the 35th HKIFF Asian Digital Competition Filipino finalists

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino independent films “Balangay” and “Senior Year” will vie for awards in the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)'s Asian Digital Competition category.

According to HKIFF’s website, Asian Digital Competition aims to “encourage young filmmakers in Asia to explore the potentials of the digital film - a technology that is particularly affordable and amenable to intimate, personal expressions.”

Out of the eight finalists in said category, two winners will be chosen for the Golden Digital Award and the Silver Digital Award.

“Balangay’ is a collaboration between Filipino director Sherad Anthony Sanchez and Swedish Robin Färdig. It tells the story of nomadic locals called lumads who live in an abandoned airport in Mindanao. Last year the movie won the Lino Grand Jury Prize at the 12th Cinemanila International Film Festival.

On the other hand, Jerrold Tarog’s “Senior Year” is a coming-of-age movie about a group of high school seniors trying to overcome personal hurdles a few months before their graduation. The film, also a finalist at the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival’s “Tribute to Indie Films,” will be having a regular run in SM theaters this month.

The Pinoy films will be up against South Korea’s “Dance Town,” Japan’s “Good Morning to the World” and “Fit,” China’s “Old Dog” and “The Sun Beaten Path” and Thailand’s “Eternity.”

In related news, award-winning director Brillante Mendoza is set to premiere his new film “Purple” at the HKIFF as part of the Brand Hong Kong omnibus film series, “Quattro Hong Kong 2." The” Kinatay” director, along with other acclaimed Southeast Asian directors Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand), Ho Yuhang and Wai Ying-hung (Malaysia), and Stanley Kwan (Hong Kong), was invited by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to create a short film set in Hong Kong.

The 35th Hong Kong Film Festival will run from Mar. 20 to Apr. 5, with the awards ceremony to be held on Mar. 30 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.