ToFarm Film Festival 2016 Official Entries

Follow an ailing man, a thief, a dog, a blind pregnant woman and Jesus Christ while they go through a tragi-comic journey of self-discovery as they decide to pedal their way from Manila to Bicol. Inspired by a news article featured in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (“Family pedals way back home to Leyte, “Sept. 7, 2003), the film follows Mang Pepe and his family as they travel from QUEZON City to Bicol on pedicabs (“sikad-sikad”). Mang Pepe and his wife, Remedios, their daughter Pina, their son JP with his pregnant blind wife Isabel, and their dog Kikay, live together in a shanty at a Quezon City slum. To survive daily, Mang Pepe drives his pedicab and carry various loads to the market while Aling Remedios washes laundry for her neighbors. JP and Pina both try to earn  living and Isabel, in her blindness, sees and converses with Jesus Christ. Realizing their futile life in the city, Mang Pepe convinces the family to go back to their hometown in Bicol. Without enough transport money, they decide to use pedicans so they could “pedal” their way back to the province. A series of unfortunate events occur that will either test their determination or distract them from their journey home. Pauwi Na is a tragic-comic portrait of a dysfunctional family and the disquieting blind faith they invoke as they dream of going home. But, ultimately, Pauwi Na is not a film about family but about what it means to be part of one.

Starring: Bembol Roco, Cherry Pie Picache, Meryll Soriano, Jerald Napoles, Jess Mendoza, and Chai
Fonacier

 

Directed By: Paolo Villaluna

Chito is the son of the owners of a lodge in Coron, Palawan. Because of a shortage in eggs in the town, he gets encouraged to go into growing organic chickens. He undergoes trainings and situates the farm in a property owned by his father,. Just when the business is about to take off, Chito's father suffers a stroke. Chito is unable to be beside him right away as a storm hits Coron. Some of the bookings they have at the lodge are cancelled, and 200 out of the 500 chickens they have at the farm are dead. 

As funds are scarce and hard to get by, a corporation offers to buy the farm from him, apparently because a mall is to be built nearby. Chito is also offered to run for a political position , in exchange for him divesting in some of his businesses. Then his father dies and his wife leaves for a trip to the US where she intends to get some work. Chito decides to continue with the farm and to manage the lodge at the same time, with difficulty. His perseverance pays off as the tourism business picks up and he gets regular buyers for the farm’s eggs and dressed chicken products. His mother recovers
from her heart ache and goes back to managing the farm, while his wife helps him find
new markets for their farm products.

Starring: Paolo O’Hara, Jackie Rice, Michael de Mesa, Madeleine Nicolas, Jojit Lorenzo, Leo Rialp.

Guest roles : Ana Feleo and Carlos Siguion-Reyna

Directed By: Dennis Marasigan

The film focuses on Atan, an Aeta from Baytan village in Zambales, who makes a living from traditional farming system kaingin and hunting on the foothills of Mt. Pinatubo. The narrative opens as we follow Atan’s fulfillment of his arranged marriage with a fellow Aeta, Ani. He has to accomplish a number of responsibilities which includes the offering of bandi or bride price to Ani’s parents. Atan needs to cross the mountain river going to Banwa, the town where he could earn the necessary amount for the bride price. In order to find a job, he needs to adapt himself with the modern way of life in town, including change in appearance, manner of clothing, religious practice, and even the use of different language in order to associate himself with the Unat or “straight-haired ones,” such as.

Rain, a young lass from Manila who would make his life turn. Rain has to immerse with the Aetas of Banwa for her thesis, and Atan is commissioned to accompany her in researches and interviews with the locals. Atan develops special feelings with Rain in his daily encounters with her. Slowly, the young Aeta forgets the very reason of his journey—the bandi, and the arrangement with Ani. On his effort to accommodate himself in a modern society, Atan faces cross-cultural modifications amid changes in the mountain brought about by immense modernity.

“Paglipay” is a Sambal Ayta term being used by Aetas when crossing the mountain river going to town.

Starring: Anna Luna, introducing real-life Aetas : Garry Cabalic and Joan de la Cruz.

With JC Santos, Joel Saracho, Upeng Fernandez, Manel Sevidal, Natasha Cabrera, Norman King, Gigi Locsin, Ken Ken Nuyad.

 

Directed By: Zig Dulay

An ordinary taxi ride takes Jun, a young executive, into the unusual story of Ben, a 35 year-old taxi driver in Manila on how he became a lanzones farmer in Camiguin island, Mindanao. His story starts a few years back. Ben (30) is an arrogant sales executive who works for a cellphone seller in Manila. He come home to Camiguin Island, because he thought he’s going to inherit a large farmland which he plans to turn into a vacation resort. But it turns out the farmland was not as big as he imagined. He also finds out he’s not even inheriting the farmland at all. But it was a small farm that unbelievably
yields many times more than other larger farmlands. He was asked to come to
Camiguin Island because his Lola (75) wants him to SAVE the farm because the trees have stopped bearing fruit ever since his Lolo said he passed it on to his “Apo” with Zero farming knowledge Ben’s clues to the puzzle are his blurred pieces of memory with his Lolo when he was 7 years-old and from the way of life of the locals themselves. It twists Ben’s life from the familiar world to the worried and bizarre. KAKAMPI talks about an almost extinct traditional farming practice in the Philippines but still done by very few small clandestine farms in certain parts of the country. It is shrouded by skepticism because it is unscientific but it teaches us one great thing: To treat nature and all of life
with love, humility and respect.) Inspired by a real taxi driver conversation experienced by the author while in Manila.

Starring: Neil Ryan Sese, Gloria Sevilla, Felix Roco, Suzette Ranillo, Kate Brios, Perry Dizon

 

Directed By: Victor Acedillo Jr. 

On the rice fields of Isabela, the dela Cruz family lives a simple, frugal life, devoid of electricity or any luxury, making ends meet by planting rice and gathering what the season offers. The young Balong dreams of graduating and helping his parents, as he and his siblings witness the daily struggles their
parents experience. As his mother Deling and father Jaime try to find ways to feed the family while supporting their studies, Balong and his brother Lito try to compensate by studying hard and earning honors at school. Dreaming of a better life, Balong counts the sacks of rice they have left, the money they
need, and the little moments that led to an inevitable departure that will leave them all affected.

Starring: Arnold Reyes, Sue Prado, Micko Laurente, Precious Miel Espinosa, Cataleya Surio, and Alfonso Ynigo Delen

 

Directed By: Maricel Cariaga

They have different paths to take. A man wants to escape the farm life to seek greener pastures, while a young boy considers it his paradise. In one stroke of fate, their lives cross. Will the man learn from the boy that he need not to go anywhere else? That it is his heart that needs to be cultivated just so he would go back to his roots? Will he, like the boy, love the farm and see it as the paradise that it is?

Starrring: James Blanco, David Remo, Pancho Magno, Diva Montelaba, Bonbon Lentejas, Rez Cortez, with guest role by Orlando Sol


Directed By: Jojo Nadela

ToFarm Film Festilva 2016 Screening Schedule Here

ToFarm Film Festival Runs From July 13 to 19 at SM Megamall and SM North EDSA, August 24-30, 2016 at SM Cabanatuan and SM Pampanga, September 14-20, 2016 at SM Cebu and October 12-18 2016 at SM Davao.