Filipino Movies Join Berlin Filmfest
By ROY C. MABASA
February 6, 2012
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — Four Filipino films will participate in the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) which will be held from February 9 to 19, the Philippine Embassy in Berlin has announced.
According to the embassy, this year's films will be fielded in four competitions. "Captive" by 2009 Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brillante Mendoza will compete in the Main Competition while "Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank," starring Eugene Domingo and the movie directorial debut by Marlon N. Rivera, will compete in the Forum Section.
Rommel Tolentino's "Nono" will be the entry in the Generation Kplus Section while "Pusong Wazak!" by multi-awarded composer, writer and filmmaker Khavn de la Cruz will be the entry in the Short Film Section.
Around 22 films from all over the world are competing this year. The last time that the Philippines fielded an equally large number of films in Berlinale was in 2008.
Mendoza's "Captive" hopes to once more gain Berlinale audience’s attention to the excellence of filmmaking in the Philippines.
The embassy pointed out that for almost the past three decades, the Philippines has not had a film entry in the Main Competition section. The first and only time it did was in 1983 with the film "Himala" by award-winning director Ishmael Bernal.
However, this year, "Captive" is among the first batch of five films selected as official entries in the Main Competition. It is a fiction film which retraces real life events about a hostage drama in southern Philippines.
Director Mendoza is only Filipino to have won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for his film "Kinatay" (2009). Director Mendoza, along with his production cast and crew, will be personally present in Berlin to promote his film.
Rivera's directorial debut "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank," is an independent film about how to make independent films. This film is a hilarious take on the Filipino indie film industry, its ups and downs, and the seemingly endless challenges that indie filmmakers face.
The film already garnered the Best Director, Best Actress (for Domingo) and Best Film awards at the 7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in Manila in 2011.
For the young generation section, Tolentino's film "Nono," is the Philippines' entry this year. The film is about a young child with a speech disability due to facial deformity, and his desire to join the oratorical contest during his school's National Language Week celebration.
"Nono" has already won the Special Jury Prize in the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in Manila.
Tolentino is the first Filipino filmmaker who won the very prestigious Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France in 2009.
According to the embassy, this year's films will be fielded in four competitions. "Captive" by 2009 Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brillante Mendoza will compete in the Main Competition while "Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank," starring Eugene Domingo and the movie directorial debut by Marlon N. Rivera, will compete in the Forum Section.
Rommel Tolentino's "Nono" will be the entry in the Generation Kplus Section while "Pusong Wazak!" by multi-awarded composer, writer and filmmaker Khavn de la Cruz will be the entry in the Short Film Section.
Around 22 films from all over the world are competing this year. The last time that the Philippines fielded an equally large number of films in Berlinale was in 2008.
Mendoza's "Captive" hopes to once more gain Berlinale audience’s attention to the excellence of filmmaking in the Philippines.
The embassy pointed out that for almost the past three decades, the Philippines has not had a film entry in the Main Competition section. The first and only time it did was in 1983 with the film "Himala" by award-winning director Ishmael Bernal.
However, this year, "Captive" is among the first batch of five films selected as official entries in the Main Competition. It is a fiction film which retraces real life events about a hostage drama in southern Philippines.
Director Mendoza is only Filipino to have won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for his film "Kinatay" (2009). Director Mendoza, along with his production cast and crew, will be personally present in Berlin to promote his film.
Rivera's directorial debut "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank," is an independent film about how to make independent films. This film is a hilarious take on the Filipino indie film industry, its ups and downs, and the seemingly endless challenges that indie filmmakers face.
The film already garnered the Best Director, Best Actress (for Domingo) and Best Film awards at the 7th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in Manila in 2011.
For the young generation section, Tolentino's film "Nono," is the Philippines' entry this year. The film is about a young child with a speech disability due to facial deformity, and his desire to join the oratorical contest during his school's National Language Week celebration.
"Nono" has already won the Special Jury Prize in the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in Manila.
Tolentino is the first Filipino filmmaker who won the very prestigious Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France in 2009.
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