Diego Luna is expected to grace 11th Cinemanila in Taguig

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Mexican actor-turned-director Diego Luna is expected to grace the opening night of the 2009 Cinemanila International Film Festival. The 11th edition of this annual film fest is scheduled to take place from October 15 to 25, 2009 in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Mexican actor Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Milk) and American screenwriter-film director Paul Schrader are expected to be the guests of honor in the 11th Cinemanila International Film Festival. This film festival will be held from October 15 to 25, 2009 in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

This was announced during the press conference of Cinemanila held last August 4 at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street. 

A marching band played songs for the benefit of the guests, composed of members of the press, staff of Taguig City Hall and celebrities. Those who attended were Anita Linda, Ana Capri, and the stars of Panahon Na, namely Luis Alandy, Lance Raymundo, Joseph Bitangcol, and Angeli Bayani. The host of the event was theater actress Kalila Aguilos.

Leading the presscon were Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz VI, founding festival director of Cinemanila; Direk Dante, chairman of this year's jury; Robert Malengreau, international desk of Cinemanila; Anima Aguiluz-Slangen, festival co-director; and Kaye Tinga, co-chair of the 2009 executive committee.  

Mrs Tinga is the wife of Taguig mayor Freddie Tinga, who has offered his city as a "long-term" home for the annual film festival.

In an interview with the press, Taguig Mayor Tinga pointed out that hosting Cinemanila is their way of making art accessible to his constituents, "The World Bank is saying [Taguig] is the most business friendly city. But together with the investment, kailangan mo ‘to. Yung isang lugar, isang lungsod, patay yan ‘pag walang kultura. Nakikita rin namin sa tao namin na hinahanap nila ito. For them to hear a new voice, to have a new experience, we want do so much for our people."

He adds: "Namumulat ang isipan at pananaw ng ating mga kababayan natin. A more knowledgeable, a more educated, a more open-minded population makes for a strong country."
 
Direk Tikoy also revealed what Cinemanila will have in store for festivalgoers. "We will have a hundred films from 35 countries. We have a section for local films called Digital Lokal. But we have new sections and the continuation of the Sine Barangay project."

The Cinemanila films will be screened at Market! Market! Even the projection room at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street will also be tapped as a screening venue. The awards night for the festival will be held at the NBC Tent, The Fort on October 23, 2009.         

Meanwhile, twenty-eight barangays of Taguig City are expected to participate in the Sine Barangay program of Cinemanila.


DIEGO LUNA. Mexican actor Diego Luna has confirmed his attendance to the opening night of the 11th Cinemanila IFF.

He is best known for his controversial role in Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) alongside fellow Mexican Gael Garcia Bernal.  Some of his other notable works include Amores Perros (2000), Nicotina (2003), Rudo Y Cursi (2008), and most recently, Milk (2008), where he starred opposite Sean Penn as his obsessed lover.  Luna is also the co-founder of Canana Films together with Gael and Pablo Cruz. 

Luna's directorial debut, Chavez, is a documentary about Mexican boxer Juan Carlos Chavez.  It was produced by Gael and Canana Films. The film will be screening at this year's Cinemanila.

PAUL SCHRADER. Renowned screenwriter and director Paul Schrader will also be coming to the Philippines to conduct a master class on screenplay writing during the Cinemanila IFF.

Schrader is best known for penning most of Martin Scorsese's most memorable films such as Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). He has collaborated with other legendary filmmakers as well including Sydney Pollack for The Yakuza (1975) and Brian de Palma for Obsession (1976).

As a director, some of Schrader's most notable works are the landmark American Gigolo (1980) and the unconventional film Patty Hearst (1988). Schrader is also responsible for Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) for which he was nominated for the Cannes Palme d'Or.  He most recently directed Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005), The Walker (2007) and Adam Resurrected (2008.)  In 2007, Schrader headed the International Jury of the Berlin International Film Festival.

SINE BARANGAY. This three-day event will bring the participating films and filmmakers from the Cinemanila to the neighborhoods of Taguig through free workshops and outdoor screenings.

Direk Tikoy says that this event is their way of bringing arts closer to the people.

"Excited kami dun sa barangay outdoor screening. We did a pilot last year pero we did it in Marikina. It was very successful, kasi ang concept nun, yung mga hindi nakakapanood ng indie films, dadalhin mo yung pelikula sa kanila. Kasi you want to develop the audience. And then when they see it, they will realize that Filipino stories are being told. Hindi lang siya pang-CCP. Pwede pala masakyan ng mga tao. So, dadalhin mo sa kanila. We will make the indie films accessible."

Sine Barangay was launched in December 2008 as a component of Cinemanila. It was initially launched in Marikina City, and included workshops of film appreciation and cinematography as taught by some of the country's leading filmmakers, including Raymond Red, Lav Diaz and Raya Martin.  The event concluded in a free outdoor screening of the 2008 Cinemanila short films. 

MACHINIMA SIDEBAR COMPETITION. For the first time in the Philippines, there will be a Machinima sidebar competition that will be opened to the public. Machinima is a process that utilizes video games to produce short films and music videos.

Festival co-director Anima explained that the term originated from gamers who have managed to create films even without a budget.

A portmanteau of "machine cinema," machinima is real time animation that relies on in-game artificial intelligence and digital puppetry. The first widely recognized machinima film, Diary of a Camper, was based on id Software's Quake. The 100-minute short showcases the video game's action and gore but in the context of a brief story. Another landmark machinima film is the Emmy Award-winning 2006 episode of South Park titled Make Love, Not Warcraft. It features manipulated footages from Blizzard Entertainment's widely popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft.

The contest is open to all individuals or groups, whether amateur, professional or independent. All entries should be in by September 21, 2009.  Entries can be submitted online at www.cinemanila.org.ph.

RETAINING ITS IDENTITY. Last year's Cinemanila was conducted at Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City. In previous years, it was conducted at Makati City.

Direk Tikoy was grateful that Mayor Tinga did not ask that the name of festival be changed.

"Hindi nila sinabing gawin itong Cine Taguig o Taguig CineManila. So, naintindihan kaagad ng aming partner na we need to maintain the identity of the festival. So, talagang, they just want to support the festival and to encourage the film culture and develop the audience," he explained.


The 11th edition of Cinemanila will be held from October 15 to 25, 2009 in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Around 100 international and local films will be screened in a span of 10 days-from the current toasts of the local indie scene to award-winners and favourites at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Sundance and Pusan.

Wouter Barendrecht, the late co-chairman of Fortissimo Films and a stalwart supporter of Asian Cinema, will be honored in this year's festival.

Cinemanila is currently accepting entry applications. Interested parties may submit their entries to any of the following categories: Main Competition (international features), Southeast Competition (features and shorts), Digital Lokal (Philippine full-length digital films), Young Cinema (Philippine short films), Documentary (international) and its newest section, Machinima (international). All other films not selected for Competition are still eligible for exhibition.

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