Sunday 10 March 2019

Sinag Maynila Film Festival 2019 Official Entries



Sinag Maynila celebrates five years of “sine lokal, pang-internasyonal”. Sinag Maynila, the independent film festival established by Solar Entertainment mogul Mr. Wilson Tieng and Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brillante Mendoza, is celebrating its fifth year this 2019!

What began as a foray to help local indie filmmakers has now grown into one of the country’s major filmfests. Sinag Maynila now features three competition sections, noteworthy international exhibition films and a variety of cinema-related activities. True to its mission of bringing “sine lokal, pang-international,” Sinag Maynila has become an important pathway for Filipino film artists to communicate their stories, and an irresistible opportunity for enthusiasts to watch
unique and exciting films.

Heading the list of Sinag Maynila competition films are five full-length features:

 

Akin ang Korona
Directed by: Zig Dulay

A comedy about a small local gay beauty pageant show that becomes the center of attention when the organizers and the participants take things too far.




Jesusa
Starring: Sylvia Sanchez
Directed by: Ronald Carballo

 The film is about a woman named Jesusa and how she sinks into the mire. It is set in a rundown community where she leads a normal life until circumstances drag her to be swallowed by the low lives of her neighbor.








Jino To Marie
Starring: Oliver Aquino, Angela Cortez
Directed By: Joselito Altarejos

Two sex workers, a seventeen-year old boy, Gino, and a young mother, Marie, are hired to do a pornographic film. The day before All Saints' Day, the two travel to a far-flung travel for the shooting during which they are made to do acts that were not previously agreed upon. Feeling trapped and isolated, the two will be pushed to the edge of their dignity. 



Pailalim
Starring: Joem Bascom. Mara Lopez
Directed By: Daniel Palacio

Bangis, a gravedigger living inside a cemetery mausoleum, is pushed to the limit when his daughter becomes critically ill. With no other means to bring her to a hospital for proper medication, he's left with one option: to steal a newly buried corpse for money, and hope everything is not too late for his beloved daughter.





Persons of Interest
Starring: Allen Dizon, Dimples Romana, Liza Lorena
Directed By: Ralston Jover

A man with two personalities: one is a blind cook accused of mass poisoning that killed his older lover, and the other is the imaginary friend of his six-year-old son who is smart and jolly—his exact opposite.

 
Competing in the short film category are



  
BISPERAS (EVE)
Director: Ralph Quincena
A family’s New Year’s Eve celebration is disrupted by an untimely, tragic incident.


DANA JUNG
Director: John Rogers
A part-animated short that tells the story of a father who tries to comically explain to his 6 year-old daughter that she has brain cancer.


DUDE PARE BRO
Director: Lora Cerdan
A sidesplitting comedy about a struggling architecture student who gets more than what he bargains for after seeking help from his class’ resident pothead.


KILOS
Director: Marjon Santos
A gripping story about a lowly fisherman who finds a mysterious package in the middle of the ocean.


KISS
Director: Harlene Bautista
A straightforward tale about random encounters creating a lasting impact.


MARIAN
Director: Brian Patrick Lim
There’s a haunting in the house---but things are not what they seem. Marian soon finds out that the horror in the household is much more familiar than she thinks.


MEMORIES OF THE RISING SUN
Director: Lawrence Fajardo
A Japanese soldier is torn between his loyalty to his homeland and his love for the Filipino family that that took care of him.


NAGMAMAHAL, SAL (LOVE, SAL)
Director: Jeff Subrabas
A short film which chronicles a marriage that stands the test of time amidst differences and challenges.
 

NGITI NI NAZARENO (THE SMILE OF NAZARENO)
Director: Louie Ignacio
A boy named Nazareno receives a peculiar gift on his birthday---which happens to fall on a special day.


PANAGHOY (LAMENTATION)
Director: Alvin Baloloy
A short film that follows the horrifying, dramatic shift of a mother and daughter relationship.



Meanwhile, those competing in the documentary category are




ANDAP (FLICKER)
Directors: Calista Allyson Geronimo & Roma Mangahas
A visceral account on the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimers disease.

AT HOME
Director: Arjanmar H. Rebeta
A differently-abled Filipino actor travels to Australia to accept an award. In the midst of his journey, he
compares the PWD accessibility of the Land Down Under to that of the place he calls home.


ENTABLADO (THE STAGE)
Directors: Lie Rain Clemente & Nori Jane Isturis
Take a trip down memory lane, as we look back on the cultural impact of the iconic Metropolitan Theater and the esteemed people who once graced its stage.


HOPE SPOTS
Director: Joseph Dominic Cruz
Dive into the Pinoy Wrestling community and its increasingly strong following.


HYATT: MGA KUWENTO, LIHIM AT KATOTOHANAN (HYATT: STORIES, SECRETS, AND THE TRUTH)
Director: Jayvee V. Bucsit
A heart-wrenching retrospective on the collapse of a legendary Baguio structure, as told by witnesses and survivors.


TATA PILO
Director: Dexter Macaraeg
A feature on Teofilo ‘Tata Pilo’ Garcia, an expert artisan renowned and recognized for his dedication to the art of tabungaw hat weaving.

Sinag Maynila 5 opens on Wednesday April 3, 2019, with “Lakbayan” a three-part omnibus film by Brillante Mendoza, Lav Diaz and National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik — all of whom are awardees at the Berlin International Film Festival and have made their marks in several international filmfests.


The Sinag Maynila Festival proper starts on Thursday, April 4 in select cinemas.
There will be a forum on Saturday, April 6 with speakers Ms. Joanne Goh, Chairman of the Malaysia International Film Festival, and Young-woo Kim, Programmer for the Busan International Film Festival.


Winners of the Sinag Maynila 2019 competition will be announced at the Gabi ng Parangal to be held on Sunday, April 7. During the week, FDCP will be hosting a Fellowship Night for all the filmmakers and Sinag Maynila guests.


There will also be an environmental film screening and forum with resource speaker Fiona Faulkner, Environmental and Community Development Officer of The Plastic Solution.


This year, there will be a Film Editing workshop to be conducted by Mr. John Anthony Wong, Managing Director of Edge Manila Creatives.


Finally, Sinag Maynila closes with the film “Journey”, an Asian Three-Fold Mirror project by the Japan Foundation.


Sinag Maynila 5 is presented by McDonald’s and co-presented by Nissa, in partnership with the Film Development Council of The Philippines (FDCP), and in celebration of 100 years of Philippine cinema.


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