ASEAN Film Festival in Geneva Kicks Off with Pinoy Film "Boses"

The opening of the 2017 ASEAN Film Festival was recently held at the United Nations Palais des Nations building with the film "Boses" kicking off the start of the festival. This is in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Ilonggo Short Film Gets a Canadian and Korean Screening this October

Another success story for Ilonggo Cinema as Elvert Bañares' short film "Impas" will have a Philippine, Morean, Canadian and Western Visayan Premiere this month of October. [hit the jump to continue]

Heneral Luna International Screenings Announced [updated 11.5.15]

The monumental Filipino indie film "Heneral Luna" has been crossing into international screens since early this month. Check out the international screens with the links after the jump...

Lav Diaz's “Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon” to be screened at the BFI London Film Festival

The BFI (British Film Institute) London Film Festival will be held this October 8 to 19, 2014. And among the movie that will be shown in this festival is Lav Diaz’s “Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon” a.k.a: "From What is Before". This five-and-a-half hour epic is set in 1972 Philippines. Mysterious things are happening in a remote barrio. Wails are heard from the forest, cows are hacked to death, a man is found bleeding to death at the crossroad and houses are burned. Ferdinand E. Marcos announces Proclamation No. 1081 putting the entire country under Martial Law. [hit the jump to continue]

The 2014 New Filipino Cinema Film Festival in San Francisco

Now on its third year, the New Filipino Cinema film festival in San Francisco, California is set to launch this month, and yet again, showcase the Philippines' finest films, specifically, of the new age. The Festival will be from June 11, 2014 to June 15, 2014, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California, USA. [hit the jump to continue]

Syowing Overseas: "Rekorder" in Taipei, "Unfriend" in Argentina

The Philippine Inquirer reports two Pinoy films which will be screened outside the country this month...

On Taiwan June 27, 2014 to July 19, 2014, Mikhail Red’s “Rekorder” is set to be screened at the Taipei Film Festival. The film is in the “Perspectives: Films on Films” program and will be screened on July 12, 2014 at 9 PM, and July 13, 2014 at 4:40 PM at the Spot Huashan Cinema A. The director will be in attendance.

Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from June 3 to 8, at Asterisko, the First International LGBTIQ Film Festival, Joselito Altarejos’ “Unfriend” will be screened. The fest’s website describes the film as “not another story of lost love … it is the staging of an excision.” “Unfriend” will be shown on June 6 and 8 at the fest.

LGBTIQ stands for Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Intersexed-Questioning.

The Philippines on the spotlight at The Terracotta Far East Film Festival in London

The Terracotta Far East Film Festival (TFEFF) is the biggest annual event for Asian cinema in London, and its spotlight will be on the Philippines, hailing it as ‘the next big thing’. Seven Filipino feature films will be featured in the upcoming event which will be held at The Prince Charles Cinema and The Institute of Contemporary Art, London between May 23 to June 1, 2014. The films to be screened are Siege Ledesma’s “Shift,” Veronica Velasco’s “Tuhog,” Raya Martin’s “How to Disappear Completely,” Andrew Leavold’s “The Search for Weng-Weng,” Nathan Adolfson’s “A Thief, A Kid & A Killer,” Erik Matti’s “On the Job,” and also his “Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles” which is included in the horror features.
[hit the jump to check out the screening skeds]

Five Pinoy Feature Films to be screened at the 30th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

The 30th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will be held on May 1, 2014 to May 11, 2014. This annual film festival is a vehicle to promote Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema. The festival fulfills a unique mission in illuminating the visions and voices of Asian Pacific peoples and heritage. And this year, five full-length feature films from the Philippines will be featured in the festival. [hit the jump to continue]

Salvi, Sonata, Several Other Pinoy Films to have Screening in the US-Based FACINE Film Festival

The renowned Ilonggo movie SALVI: ANG PAGPADAYON is set to have a screening in the U.S. with the 20th Annual Filipino American Cine Festival, also known as the FACINE BENTE which runs from December 9 to 14, 2013. The Festival will be screening a whole lot of other quality Pinoy movies as well such as PUREZA, THE STORY OF NEGROS SUGAR, and Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes' SONATA. The venue of the event will be at the Bindlestiff Studio, 185 Sixth Street, San Francisco, California.

The Filipino Arts & Cinema, International or FACINE, a nonprofit media arts organization, is committed to develop and promote Filipino American media arts and advance the interests of cinemas from the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora.
[Check out details of the Festival at their Website. CLICK HERE]

Mikhail Red's REKORDER competes in the Tokyo International Filmfest

Earlier today, we announced that Jun Robles Lana's "Mga Kuwentong Barbero"will be joining the Tokyo International Filmfest. Now, another Pinoy movie will be competing in the Asian Future section of the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival, which will be held from October 17 to 25, 2013. This is will be Mikhail Red’s “Rekorder” which stars Ronnie Quizon, Mike Lloren, Buboy Villar, Earl Ignacio, Suzette Ranillo, Belinda Mariano, Lowell Conales, Joe Gruta, Archie Adamos, and Abe Pagtama. The film tells the story of a former 1980’s film cameraman who now currently works as a movie pirate operating in present day Manila. He routinely smuggles a digital camcorder into movie theaters in order to illegally record films. One night he records something else... And the footage goes viral. [hit the jump to read more about Mikhail Red and check out the trailer for the film]

MGA KUWENTONG BARBERO will have its World Premiere at the Tokyo International Filmfest

Director Jun Robles Lana who directed the highly-acclaimed "Bwakaw" returns with a second movie, in a trilogy of films about small town Philippines (that started with Bwakaw) entitled “Mga Kuwentong Barbero (Barber’s Tales)”. And it will have its world premiere in the competition section of the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival which will run from October 17 to 25, 2013. The script is a 1997 Palanca Prize Winner and also won 4 top prizes last March at the 2013 Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum, including the Best Project. The film will also screen in competition at the 2013 Abu Dhabi International Film Festival which will be held from October 24 to November 2, 2013. The cast of Mga Kwentong Barbero: include Eugene Domingo, Iza Calzado, Eddie Garcia, Gladys Reyes, Jess Mendoza, Sue Prado, Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino, Edgar Allan Guzman, Nicco Manalo, Daniel Fernando, and Nora Aunor. [hit the jump to read the synopsis and the trailer which I urge you to watch]

Erik Matti's ON THE JOB opens in US theaters

Erik Matti's ON THE JOB, which is perhaps the most important Filipino movie to watch this year. opens in US theaters this week. You can check out all the screening locations in the US by clicking HERE

ON THE JOB has been getting raves at the recent Cannes Film Festival and the Puchon  International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea where it won in as the Jury's Choice. The US' variety.com which is also a US magazine, also gave the film a review full of praises, calling it "A gritty, convoluted but steadily engrossing crime thriller from Filipino genre maven Erik Matti"

ON THE JOB is also the New York Times Critic's Pick of the week. NY times' critic Jeanette Catsoulis says "Matti’s pitiless view of Filipino society may be deadening, but his filming is wondrously alive" [Read the NY Times Review here] Indeed, this movie is poised to change the face of Philippine mainstream cinema. [Check out our review of ON THE JOB here] Check out the International trailer for the movie after the jump...

TRANSIT is the Philippine's entry to the Oscar Awards 2014; Singapore's is ILO-ILO, the UK's is METRO MANILA

There's a whole lot of something Filipino in the entries for this year's Best Foreign Language Film category in the upcoming 86th Academy Awards which will be held on March 2, 2014. Singapore's entry is the movie entitled "Ilo Ilo" is about the relationship between a Singapore family and their newly arrived Filipino maid in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. It is based upon the true-to-life experiences its director Anthony Chen and his family's relationship with a Pinay OFW Nanny from the City of Iloilo.  Meanwhile, the UK's entry for the festival is British filmmaker Sean Ellis"Metro Manila" which tells the tale of a poor probinsya family which moved to Metro Manila, only to be stuck on a much darker fate. This has a more bleak and darker tone, closer to crime noir drama.

And from our end, here in the Philippines, our entry is the movie entitled "Transit" which was chosen by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) to be the country’s entry in the best foreign language film category of the Academy Awards in 2014. Directed by Hannah Espia, “Transit” tells the struggles of a Filipino family working in Tel Aviv after the Israeli government passed a law ordering overseas workers’ children below 5 years old to be deported back to their countries. It debuted in the 9th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, where it bagged 10 awards, including best film and best director for Espia. [hit the jump to continue]

Pinoy Indie Film BABAGWA to compete in Canada, Hawaii, and Poland

The indie film BABAGWA was an entry in this year’s Cinemalaya New Breed section. It is all set to go international, vying for film festivals in Canada, Hawaii, and Poland. On September 28 to October 4, 2013, it will be at the Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema at the Vancouver International Film Festival. It will also be competing in the 29th Warsaw International Film Festival in October 11 to October 20, 2013. And finally, it will also be competing for the Halekulani Golden Orchid for Best Narrative award at the Hawaii fest on October 13 to October 23, 2013. BABAGWA is written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, and stars Alex Vincent Medina, Joey Paras, Alma Concepcion, Kiko Matos, Nico Antonio, Chanel Latorre, Marx Topacio, Raqs Regalado, Garry Lim, Sunshine Teodoro. BABAGWA is about an Internet scammer who falls in love with a wealthy old maid while trying to swindle her using a fake Facebook profile.

Lav Diaz's NORTE screened in Toronto, Paul Sta. Ana's OROS wins award in Iowa

After Cannes, Lav Diaz’s “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” goes to the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The fest’s website hails “Norte” as a “masterpiece because of its scope and rigor…layered and emotionally powerful (and at times horrifying)…astonishing and deeply mature.”

Meanwhile, off from Canada, we go to the US where Filipino filmmaker Paul Sta. Ana’s “Oros” won honorable mention for Best Narrative Feature at the recent Landlocked Film Festival, held in Iowa City. “Oros” was an entry in the 2012 Cinemalaya fest where it won Best Actor for lead star Kristoffer King. Now on its seventh year, the Landlocked fest celebrates independent movies from all over the world.

Source: inquirer.net

5 Filipino Films to be screened at the 36th Asian American International Film Festival

Five Filipino films will be screened at the 36th Asian American International Film Festival, to be held in New York City from July 24 to August 3.

To be screened are Loy Arcenas’ feature “REquieme!” July 26 9:00 PM, Benito Bautista’s documentary “Harana” July 31 6:30 PM, and Sheron Dayoc’s short “As He Sleeps” July 28 7:00 PM. 
The 1983 Pinoy film classic "Karnal" directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya, will also be featured (on July 28 8:00 PM), and will serve as a tribute to the filmmaker who passed away last year. The screenings will be held at the Anthology Film Archives 32 Second Ave, NY.

In 2002, Abaya received the Asian American Media Award from the fest’s organizer, Asian CineVision. Mona Lisa Yuchengco’s docu “Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Filmmaker at Voyage” will also be screened, to “celebrate female directors and honor Abaya.” It will be screened at The Philippine Consulate General, New York, July 26 7:00 PM

For more info, go to the festival's website: www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff

Pinoy Films at the PiFan Filmfest in South Korea, and the Asian Summer Filmfest in Spain

Filipino films will be screened at the 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) to be held in South Korea, from July 18 to 28.

Rico Maria Ilarde’s “Pridyider” and Richard Somes’ “Mariposa (Sa Hawla ng Gabi)” will be shown alongside Erik Matti’s full-length feature “On the Job” and Rommel Tolentino’s short “Buog” in PiFan. [for more information about the Puchon Intl. Fantastic Filmfest, go to their website: www.pifan.com]

Ilarde’s “Pridyider” is also going to Spain, for the 10th Asian Summer Film Festival. Also to be shown at the Asian Summer Film Fest are Matti’s “Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles” and Tyrone Acierto’s “The Grave Bandits.” The Asian Summer Film Festival will be held from July 9 to 14 in Barcelona, Spain.
[for more information about the Asian Summer Film Festival, go to their website: www.cinemaoriental.com]

SOURCE: Philippine Daily Inquirer

7 Filipino Projects Vie for The 6th Network of Asian Fantastic Films in South Korea

The 6th Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF), the industry program of Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), has announced the official selections for this year’s Project Spotlight: The Philippines.

Each year, Project Spotlight selects one country and focuses on the diversity of its film genre. This year, NAFF has chosen to highlight the Philippines for their unique stories and storytelling ability. With the inception in 2008, the 6th edition of Project Spotlight is expecting another energetic celebration for those attending this year’s event as they interact with the industry’s movers and shakers with the support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Seven projects have been officially selected for this year’s event, a reminder of the rapid emergence of genre films from the Philippines. These seven projects have been selected after having gone through a tough selection criterion where the selection jury looked closely at each project’s originality, commitment to its genre, and the possibility of its completion. [read the full article after the jump]

“Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” and “Mamay Umeng” to be shown in Czech Filmfest

Two Filipino films have made it to this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, set June 28 to July 6. Lav Diaz’s “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” will be featured in the fest’s Another View section. On the other hand, The movie “Mamay Umeng” directed by Dwein Baltazar, will be competing in the Forum of Independents section, wherein it will vie alongside 11 other “low-budget films, by young filmmakers with outstanding talent and original vision.”

“Mamay Umeng” previously won best film at the Jeonju fest in Korea. Also up for grabs is broadcasting rights with Czech TV worth  5,000 euros ($6,481).

source: The Philippine Inquirer

"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]