"Bwakaw" and "Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay" to be screened at the Taipei Film Festival

Never minding the current tension between the two countries, Taipei will be screening two Filipino movies in their Taipei Film Festival in Taiwan from June 28 to July 2. The two movies which will be featured will be Jun Robles Lana’s “Bwakaw” which is included in the Window on Asian Cinema section, while Antoinette Jadaone’s “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay” is featured in the Viva La Cinema program. [Details, Synopses, and Screening Schedules after the jump]

The Taipei Film Festival is a film festival promoted by the city of Taipei, Taiwan, and is the only festival in Taiwan that offers a New Talent Competition for aspiring directors from around the world and a Taipei Award competition for Taiwanese filmmakers. That is why it is considered as an important cultural event for Taiwan. It will be holding screenings of about 160 films from over 40 countries this year.

BWAKAW
Screening Schedule:

July 14, 2013    
19:20 @ the SPOT HUASHAN Cinema A One            
July 16, 2013
21:20 @ the Shin Kong Cineplex 2

BWAKAW is a drama-comedy about growing old, and everyone's fear of growing old alone. Rene is a gay man who came out of the closet at age 70. Ailing in his twilight years, he thinks it is now too late for love, even companionship, and that all there is to look forward to is Death. He has made a will, bequeathing his few possessions to his even fewer friends. Everything is packed and labeled, ready for distribution. He has even paid for a coffin, taking advantage of a funeral home's Summer Sale. Nowadays the only companion Rene has is Bwakaw, a stray dog that hangs around his house and follows him wherever he goes.

BWAKAW, which is directed by Jun Robles Lana, won three awards at the 19th Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema held in France— the Grand Prix de Jury International, High School award and Emile Guimet prize. It also won several awards from various bodies such as the Tokyo International Film Festival , Fribourg International Film Festival, and the Hawaii International Film Festival. 

Eddie Garcia bagged the People’s Choice Favorite Actor award and the Best Actor trophy for this movie at the 7th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. He also won best actor at the 55th Asia Pacific Film Festival held at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Macau.


SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM LILIA CUNTAPAY
Screening Schedule:
June 29, 2013
18:10 @ the Shin Kong Cineplex 1
July 08, 2013
21:50 2 the Shin Kong Cineplex 1

This is 2011 Philippine mockumentary independent feature film starring Lilia Cuntapay, that follows a veteran bit player (Cuntapay) through the days leading up to a fictionalized awards night where she is nominated as a Best Supporting Actress for the very first time in her 30-year career.

Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, it won six awards in the 2011 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival, including a Best Actress award for Cuntapay. It also became a success in International Film Festivals where it won prizes in the Busan International Film Festival, Udine Far East Film Festival, and the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival.