Ten full-length entries to compete in 2008 CinemalayaTen full-length entries to compete in 2008 Cinemalaya. The ten finalists for the 2008 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent FilmFestival (full-length feature category) have been chosen recently bythe Cultural Center of the Philippines.
They are: 100 by ChrisMartinez, 1434456 by Emmanuel Dela Cruz,
Concerto by Paul Alexander Morales, Antiparang Basag by Edith Asuncion, Baby Angelo byJoel Ruiz and Abi Aquino, Brutus by Tara illenberger, My Fake AmericanAccent by Onnah Valera, Huling Pasada by Paul Sta. Ana, Jay by FrancisXavier E. Pasion and Ranchero by Michael Christian Cardoz.
100 is about a stern, uptight and exacting woman with a terminalillness who tries to accomplish a list of 100 things to do before shedies. Her tasks vary from the simple to the complicated, from thepractical to the mundane, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Inthe process, she accepts the truth that even if death is somethingpersonal, dying never is.
1434456 is the story of Ranjeet Singh, also fondly called "JimmyPaybsiks," a 49-year old Punjabi widower. He faces the challenge offinding a more permanent sense of home and country for his childrenwho find themselves growing up more and more assimilated in theFilipino way of life. Set in contemporary Manila, 1434456 examines thecolorful stories and inevitable struggles of a migrant sector rarelygiven a second look or even a thoughtful pause in our societythat ofour Indian neighbors.
Concerto is about how, in the last part of World War II, a special piano concert is held in the forests of Davao. In these boondocks, a displaced Filipino family becomes acquainted with a group of Japanese officers, similarly camped nearby. Based on true stories from the director's family,
Concerto celebrates a family whose reverence for life, expressed through their love of music and friendship, can survive even war, and shows how beauty and compassion can grow in even the harshest of conditions.
Antiparang Basag tells of one woman's encounter with four octogenarians, escaped from a nursing home, and the few hours she spends helping them pursue their quest to fulfill their simple wishesin life. The funny and heartwarming situations carry her to see thedifferent hues of life and death and the value of every moment.
Baby Angelo centers on an investigation that ensues when an abortedfetus is found in the dumpster of a run-down apartment complex. Thelives of the tenantsa reclusive old man with curious ramblings, alandlord with overzealous thirst for justice and a young couple whosepast threatens to unravel their marriageare suddenly exposed in thehunt for the perpetrator of the baby's death.
Brutus tells the tale of two Mangyan children, hired by illegalloggers to smuggle wood from the mountains of Mindoro, as they embarkon a dangerous journey to deliver the goods to the lowlands. In theprocess, they discover a world run by the greed of men, a worldgoverned by ideologies that bring about the armed conflict thatplagues the Mindoro highlands, the home of their own people.
My Fake American Accent is a slice-of-life workplace comedy followingthe lives of technical support call center agents in the span of sixmonths. Speaking with a fake American accent is a prerequisite for thejob. This ensemble comedy is an inside look into the maddening,sleep-deprived, caffeine-fuelled lives of those who ply their trade inthe call center industry.
Huling Pasada follows the creative process of Ruby, a prolific writer,abandoned wife and protective mother. She writes about Mario, a taxidriver and father figure to a street child. As she tries to resolveMario's story, she seeks refuge in her own creative output and theline between reality and fiction is blurred. Mario's past becomesentangled with her own inevitable future.
Jay is the name of the two protagonists in the film, one is living,the other dead. The living Jay is producing a documentary of the deadJay, a gay teacher who was brutally killed. As Jay recreates andexamines the life of his subject, his own life is affected when heunravels his subject's hidden life and secret love.Ranchero is the story of convicts who serve a special role inside thejail-they prepare the meals everyday. But in a jail where some inmatessee no reason to continue living, what is the role of food? Is thefood's role to extend life or to prolong the pain of those who don'twant to live?
The full-length feature film category finalists were selected from atotal of 194 entries submitted for the 2008 Cinemalaya. As finalists,they will receive an initial seed investment of P500,000 fromEconolink Investments Inc. The final winning entry will be given anadditional grant of P200,000 plus the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophyduring the awarding ceremony on July 20, 2008 at the Cultural Centerof the Philippines. All the films will be screened during the 2008Cinemalaya Film Festival on July 11 to 20, 2008 at the CCP.Now on its fourth year, Cinemalaya is presented by the CinemalayaFoundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines, University of thePhilippines Film Institute and Econolink Investments Inc. Cinemalayais an all-digital film competition aimed at discovering new Filipinofilmmakers.For more information, please call the CCP Film Division at tel. no.8321125 loc. 1705.
