Synopsis of the Film
A small town in the Philippines is turned upside down by the arrival of a film crew that has everyone excited. Meanwhile, 13-year-old Lukas finds his own world overturned when he is told that his father is a tikbalang (half-horse, half man). His father's disappearance leaves Lukas to try to unravel the mystery of his own heritage and his own nature. A stunning and disorienting film on the magic of life and the magic of cinema.
A young girl narrates the story of a missing actress, a missing local man and all the ensuing excitement and disruption that occur when a film crew comes to town to shoot a movie. All the inhabitants, young and old, hope to get a part in the production and spend their days rehearsing, auditioning and talking about the movie. In the midst of it all, 13-year-old Lukas is confronted by the disappearance of his father, who is rumoured to be a tikbalang – half man, half horse. Wandering through the village, Lukas wonders what his father’s condition means for him and what special powers he might have inherited. Will he be able to run faster, jump higher? Can it be that flexing his muscles will cause the light of day suddenly to dim?
Lukas the Strange is a story of an awkward teenager coming to grips with his own initiation into manhood just when there is a movie shoot in his neighbourhood. The story opens several nights before, when Lukas is told that he has a tikbalang (half-horse, half man) for a father. His father, Mang Basilio, disappears from his life the next day. Soon enough, Lukas' body reddens, and he wonders if he really is half-beast. The village is in a frenzy when the film crew arrives. Everyone tries to have a part in it. The film is told by Lukas' friend, Lorena, who is fascinated by this strange boy who thinks he is a tikbalang.
A young girl narrates the story of a missing actress, a missing local man and all the ensuing excitement and disruption that occur when a film crew comes to town to shoot a movie. All the inhabitants, young and old, hope to get a part in the production and spend their days rehearsing, auditioning and talking about the movie. In the midst of it all, 13-year-old Lukas is confronted by the disappearance of his father, who is rumoured to be a tikbalang – half man, half horse. Wandering through the village, Lukas wonders what his father’s condition means for him and what special powers he might have inherited. Will he be able to run faster, jump higher? Can it be that flexing his muscles will cause the light of day suddenly to dim?
Lukas the Strange is a story of an awkward teenager coming to grips with his own initiation into manhood just when there is a movie shoot in his neighbourhood. The story opens several nights before, when Lukas is told that he has a tikbalang (half-horse, half man) for a father. His father, Mang Basilio, disappears from his life the next day. Soon enough, Lukas' body reddens, and he wonders if he really is half-beast. The village is in a frenzy when the film crew arrives. Everyone tries to have a part in it. The film is told by Lukas' friend, Lorena, who is fascinated by this strange boy who thinks he is a tikbalang.
Shot on 35mm film and digital video. 82 mins. Color. Philippines.
World premiere in International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013, part of Spectrum features. Supported by the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Quezon City Film Development Commission.
World premiere in International Film Festival Rotterdam 2013, part of Spectrum features. Supported by the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Quezon City Film Development Commission.
Starring: Cheeno Dalog Ladera and Edilberto Marcelino
Written By: Dodo Dayao,Sherad Anthony Sanchez and John Torres
Directed By: John Torres
Synopsis of the Film
HELLO, WORLD is a coming-of-age film about two socially-awkward teenage boys and their fun misadventures toward adulthood, one summer before college.
Childhood friends JEFF and JOHANN are fresh out of high school boys who wanted to experience the most out of their lives before they enter college. Their series of silly and awkward encounters and experimentation – a crazy mix of young love, underage drinking and exploration of sexuality lead them both to a realization of their own maturity.
Long-time friends, Jeff and Johan have just graduated from high school. The former refuses to join his mom to move to the U.S. while the latter resists going to college. Filmmaker Joel Ferrer nostalgically captures the trials and joys of teenage love in an offbeat dramedy for his debut feature.
Childhood friends JEFF and JOHANN are fresh out of high school boys who wanted to experience the most out of their lives before they enter college. Their series of silly and awkward encounters and experimentation – a crazy mix of young love, underage drinking and exploration of sexuality lead them both to a realization of their own maturity.
Long-time friends, Jeff and Johan have just graduated from high school. The former refuses to join his mom to move to the U.S. while the latter resists going to college. Filmmaker Joel Ferrer nostalgically captures the trials and joys of teenage love in an offbeat dramedy for his debut feature.
Starring: Victor Medina
Written and Directed By: Joel Ferrer
Synopsis of the Film
Tina thinks she’s cursed. She always ends up falling in love with gays. After her latest embarrassment with Ricky, whom she thought would propose to her on their date but ends up introducing to his boyfriend, she vows never to fall in love again with men. Men always end up gay whenever she falls in love with them.
Tina is part of the Makati working class. She lives in Quezon City and rides a regular FX service to Makati. This is where she met Ricky. When everything went sour with them however, she forced to look for another FX service she could use on a regular basis. She calls on her reliable best friend, Nick, to help her find one. Nick is forced to go with Tina and abandon using FX service where they met Ricky. Nick and Tina have been friends since they first met at the cafeteria of the building where they both work. Tina always thought Nick to be gay and they become best friend since then. But secretly, Nick is in love with Tina. He just couldn’t tell her for fear of ruining their friendship. He is so in live with Tina that it is already enough for nick to be with her every day.
While looking for a new service nick, Tina meets Richard, an FX driver, who immediately forces Tina to abandon her new vow never to fall in love again with men. Nick just couldn’t believe Tina. She employs the help of nick to find out whether Richard is gay or not. Both nick and Tina then set up different “traps” for Richard. Can he catch a ball with single hand? How does he pick items from the floor? How does he cut his fingernails? Every manner of gesture and detail they could think of they let Richard go through with it. Tina will never allow herself again to fall in love with a gay guy.
On the other hand, nick is beginning to realize that Tina will never be his. He will always be Tina’s unofficially gay best friend. He will have to let her go. Especially when he finds out that Richard is really straight and is also beginning to fall in love with Tina. More than this. Nick also discovers that Richard is really not just an FX driver which Tina has already come to accept as long as Richard really comes to love her. As it turns out, Richard actually owns the entire FX franchise and sells cars on the side. He masquerades as an FX driver since he is also looking for the right girl who will fall in love with him, and not his flourishing business.
Nick now feels that his love for Tina is finally a lost cause. He begins to distance himself from Tina. When Richard finally reveals his true identity and declare his love for her, Tina fined that nick is no longer around to share her happiness and triumph at love. It was then that she realized that Nick has already become a huge part of her life.
Fortunately, with the help Richard, she encounters Ricky again who tells her of nick’s secret love for her. Ricky knows about this since he courted Nick in their past FX days, and Nick declined his advances by telling him unrequited loves stories about Tina,
Tina just couldn’t believe what she’s hearing. Now she has to choose between two men, between Richard and Nick. In the end however, what wins is the love that has stood the test of time. Tina chooses nick. Nick however now refuses to see her again. Richard, being a gentleman that he is, helps Tina in convincing nick to be with her again, and if need be to start all over again. They set this elaborate trap where they kidnap Nick, bring him to an abandoned house, bind him to a chair and blindfold him. And just when Nick has already given up his life for dead, Tina removes his blindfold and declares her feelings in front of him, saying that Nick already has her heart from the very start. She now wants his heart in ransom for hers since he has stolen her heart, as deftly as a thief, that she never realized it until now.
Starring: Tom Rodriguez, Rafael Rosell and Pauleen Luna
Introducing: Benedict Campo
Also Starring: Johnron Tanada, Olive Nieto and Dennis Marasigan
Written and Directed By: Alvin Yapan
Q Cinema: The 2013 Quezon City Film Festival will run from October 3-5 at Trinoma Cinemas.
No comments:
Post a Comment