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Sine Direk film series unreels April 29-June 17, 2009


The directors behind Sine Direk are (from left, standing) Soxie Topacio, Lore Reyes, Joel Lamangan, Tony Reyes as well as (from left, sitting down) Maryo J. delos Reyes, Peque Gallaga, and Mel Chionglo. Direk Tony is currently the President of the Directors Guild of the Philippines while the rest will helm the six films that will be part of Sine Direk. 

Noel Orsal

Sine Direk film series unreels April 29-June 17, 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
10:59 PM

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APT Entertainment Inc. joins forces with the Directors' Guild of the Philippines, Inc. (DGPI) to create a remarkable project that will help showcase the talent and artistry in the Philippine film industry: the Sine Direk Series.

Sine Direk is composed of six (6) feature-length films directed by some of the leading luminaries of the silver screen. It is the first time for both DGPI and APT to launch a movie series like Sine Direk.

This ambitious project was formally launched via a grand event last Friday, April 24, at the Teatrino in Greenhills, San Juan. In his introductory speech, Mike Tuviera (chief executive officer of APT Entertainment) recalled the humble beginnings of Sine Direk.

"About one year ago, we had a dream of producing six wonderful movies that people would come to enjoy and it would be our way of giving back to the industry that has been very, very good to us. DGPI approached us and humingi sila ng tulong, ‘would you like to produce six movies with respected directors?' Isa lang ang response namin: kaba, takot. How can we produce six movies at the same time? How will we market them? But ang nangibabaw sa amin was excitement," said Mike, the son of APT head Tony Tuviera.

He continued: "The primary motive of Sine Direk film series was never profit. It was never a competition, it was never for fame or glory--it was really for charity. A lot of the profits will go to the scholarship fund of the Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino or NMPP."

To date, the NMPP has already chosen the 17 students (originally 10) who would be given scholarships starting this school year.

Sine Direk actually started with a meticulous selection of scripts submitted by DGPI members. Six (6) of these scripts were selected by a screening committee composed of respected people in the movie industry. The selected scripts were greenlit for production, each helmed by esteemed directors in the industry.

The six directors and their respective films are: Joel Lamangan (Fuschia), Soxie Topacio (Ded na si Lolo), Lore Reyes (Litsonero), Peque Gallaga (Agaton and Mindy), Mel Chionglo (Bente) and Maryo J. Delos Reyes (Kamoteng Kahoy).

For years, these six directors have proven their unquestionable talents in the art of cinema. As they have contributed quality films and quality entertainment for Filipinos around the world, they are truly masters of their craft.

Fuschia is about three senior citizens (played by Gloria Romero, Eddie Garcia, and Robert Arevalo) who stay under one roof even though townsfolk consider it to be a big scandal. Mameng (Gloria) learns about a much bigger scandal in their town involving their mayor and she eventually works up the courage to expose him through her own fabulous way.

Ded na si Lolo highlights the superstitions that Filipinos hold when it comes to death. Through the eyes of a young boy (played by BJ Forbes), moviegoers will also see the economics involved in burying our beloved dead.

Paolo Contis will play the title role in Litsonero. As a chef working in Macau, Fidel (Paolo) is taunted for forgetting his roots. He defends his honor by engaging in a bet with his Tiyo Pinoy (played by Michael de Mesa). Fidel must cook the best lechon or else face the consequences.

Agaton and Mindy is a coming-of-age story about two 15-year-old dance scholars. Their love story begins when they meet in a dance class handled by Tanya Dolokhov (played by Cherie Gil), who encourages her students to tap into their wild sides for inspiration.

Is a human life just worth twenty pesos? That is what the film Bente will attempt to explore. Moviegoers will be treated to parallel stories of a hard-hitting radio commentator (played by Senator Jinggoy Estrada) and a student-activist (played by Aldred Gatchalian). Their lives will intersect as a former military man (played by Richard Gomez) hunts them both down, leading to a climax of murder and mayhem.

Based on the tragedy that took place in Bohol in 2005, Kamoteng Kahoy tells the tale of the young children who survived the widespread poisoning caused by pesticide-laced maruya (banana fritters). The film also tackles the fate of the old woman vendor (played by Gloria Romero) who is blamed for cooking the poisoned food.

Sine Direk not only aims to showcase artistic talent, it also aspires to be a fundraising effort for goodwill. The proceeds will be given to the scholarship program of the DGPI, which helps underprivileged children go through school. To this end, many if not most of the talents involved in each of the projects worked for a fraction of their usual talent fees. Some even worked for free. All efforts have been made to try to raise as much funds for this good cause.

Sine Direk is a way for both APT Entertainment and the DGPI to give back to an industry that has created and showcased our dreams and stories.


Here are the schedules of screenings for each entry:


April 29, 2009           Fuschia directed by Joel Lamangan

May 6, 2009                Ded na si Lolo directed by Soxie Topacio

May 20, 2009             Litsonero directed by Lore Reyes

May 27, 2009              Agaton and Mindy directed by Peque Gallaga

June 3, 2009               Bente directed by Mel Chionglo

June 10, 2009             Kamoteng Kahoy directed by Maryo J. delos Reyes


According to publicity head Noel Ferrer, they deliberately chose not to have a screening during the second week of May so their schedule would not clash with the Star Cinema film BFF (Best Friends Forever) starring Sharon Cuneta and Ai-Ai delas Alas. This comedy film about two close friends will open in cinemas nationwide starting May 13, 2009.


The six films of Sine Direk will be screened at the following SM cinemas: Mall of Asia, Megamall, North EDSA, Fairview, and Bacoor.


 



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