Just like last year, organizers of the fifth edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival invited this year's finalists and select guests to dine on a yacht that toured them around Manila Bay.
Sixty-four people were onboard the M/V Spirit of Manila as
it set sail for one-and-a-half hours at lunchtime last Monday, July 20, 2009.
Cinemalaya Foundation
chairman Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco and Cinemalaya competition
director Laurice Guillen made it a point to attend the yacht cruise even though
it rained intermittently during that time. The main area of the yacht was
covered but the deck was very much open to the elements. Guests were offered traditional
Filipino fare such as adobo, pansit, fresh lumpia and pork steak. Buko juice
was served inside coconut shells while wine and beer were also readily
available.
CCP President and Cinemalaya Festival director Nestor Jardin was glad that they
were able to set sail amidst the drizzle that Monday. "I think we're going to
make this a tradition in Cinemalaya every year so that our guests get to see
another view of Manila,"
he told Dyan Zarzuela of SPOT.
He was referring to the foreign delegates from film organizations such as the
Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film
Festival (JAFF) and iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific. These included key
people in the international film circuit such as Aruna Vasudev, NETPAC
President; Budi Irawanto, JAFF festival director; and Asia Pacific Films
President Jeanette Hereniko.
Irawanto emphasized: "Philippine films can compete with Hollywood
comedies. Much better than Hollywood comedy."
ASTIG
LEADS TICKET SALES. Over lunch, public relations head Irene Rada disclosed the ticket
sales of the Cinemalaya main competition entries, with Astig leading the list.
During the premiere night of Astig
last Saturday, July 18, PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) talked with Direk
GB Sampedro regarding his directorial debut. "Hindi pa nagsi-sink in sa akin,"
he admitted.
This is the first time that GB (short for Giuseppe Bede) has helmed a
full-length film but he is currently the director of the ABS-CBN morning show Ruffa and Ai.
Astig has a lot of daring scenes (including
four love scenes, one of which is a man-to-man scene between Gardo Versoza and Arnold
Reyes). However, Direk GB stressed that all of them were done in good taste.
"Ako naman I have a feeling na yung pagka-ka-execute ko
naman sa mga eksenang sabihin na nating pang-matured audience, tama lang at
hindi ganun ka-laswa. Kailangan lang ng eksena. Hindi naman tayo um-over sa
dapat."
Some people have commented that his film seems like a tribute to Manila By Night (City After Dark) helmed by Ishmael Bernal. Did he have a conscious
effort to do this?
"Actually, may mga nagsabi sa akin nun pero to be honest with you, hindi ko
napanood. Sabi nga nila, sa tema, e, nagkikita-kita kami pero salamat naman din
at maganda naman ang reception nila."
Here is the list of Cinemalaya main competition entries (in descending order) as
of July 19, 2009 (3 PM):
1. Astig
2. Ang Panggahasa ni
Fe
3. Dinig Sana Kita
4. Last Supper No. 3
5. Mangatyanan
6. Colorum
7. Sanglaan
8. Engkwentro
9. Shorts A
10. Shorts B
11. Nerseri
12. 24K
The awarding ceremony of Cinemalaya Cinco will take place this Sunday, July 26, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Regular tickets are priced at P100 while students can buy tickets for
only P50. A day pass costs P300 (good for 5 screenings per day) while a
festival pass costs P1000 (can be used for all screenings).
For more information, please call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or
832-1125 local 1409. Tickets are also available at all Ticketworld
outlets and National bookstores at Tel No. 891-9999.
