From October 5 to 16, 2022, the 21st edition of PELÍCULA-Spanish Film Festival will return to face-to-face screenings. After two years of having a virtual festival, PELÍCULA will screen around twenty movies in three venues of Metro-Manila -–Shangri-La Plaza, Cine Adarna at UP Diliman, and Instituto Cervantes Intramuros branch.
Since its creation in 2002 by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, PELíCULA has been an annual attraction in Philippine theatres. After the Covid-19 crisis, which forced cinemas to close worldwide and caused audiences of PELíCULA to migrate online, the festival returns to the big screen, on a first-come, first-served free admission basis. Furthermore, the Festival will also host face-to-face online screenings in Malaysia and Australia.
In the Philippines, the Festival will open on October 5 with El buen patrón (Fernando León de Aranoa, 2021), a comedy starring Javier Bardem. Other comedies in the line-up include El test (Dani de la Orden, 2022), Con quién viajas (Martín Cuervo, 2021). The official entries also include documentaries such as A las mujeres de España. María Lejárraga (Laura Hojman, 2022), dramas such as Maixabel (Icíar Bollaín, 2021) or El olvido que seremos (Fernando Trueba, 2020), and thrillers like La hija (Manuel Martín Cuenca, 2021).
PELÍCULA will also feature Latin American films such as the Colombian documentary Jinetes del Paraíso (Talia Osorio Cardona, 2020), the Panamenian comedy Algo azul (Mariel García Spooner, 2021), and Competencia oficial, a Spanish-Argentinean comedy directed in 2021 by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, and featuring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Oscar Martínez.
To celebrate the 21st edition of the cinematographic showcase, there will be a special selection of clasic Spanish films. These films are Esa pareja feliz (Juan Antonio Bardem & Luis García Berlanga, 1951), Muerte de un ciclista (Juan Antonio Bardem, 1953), Mamá cumple cien años (Carlos Saura, 1979) and El sur (Víctor Erice, 1983).
PELíCULA 2022 is an initiative of Instituto Cervantes in Manila and Sydney, the Embassies of Spain in the Philippines, Malaysia and Australia, and the AECID, in collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, ICAA, the Embassy of Colombia in the Philippines, the Embassy of Panama in the Philippines, the UP Film Institute, the University of the Philippines and Intramuros Administration.
All the movies are in Spanish (or their original language) with English subtitles. For updates on the Festival, please visit the Facebook page of Instituto Cervantes: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila.
Say it with me: great skin starts with clean skin.
Without proper cleansing, your face would be left with traces of dirt, oil and makeup, leading to dull skin, clogged pores, and breakouts. Worse, it makes it harder for your skin to absorb whatever product you’ll be putting on next, whether that’s skincare or makeup. You know that feeling when your moisturizer just… sits on top of your face and your makeup just simply refuses to blend? Ugh! But don’t worry, we might have just what you need.
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Specially formulated to care as it cleans,they come with a myriad of benefits your skin (and the planet) will definitely thank you for:
It’s formulated to fit your skin type
Not all bars are created equal, and thankfully so. Skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all, so it’s important to know what type of cleanser your skin needs.
If you’re after that next level natural glow, your best bet is our fan-favorite 96.26% NaturalSunflower Face Bar.
Made with nutrient-rich moringa and infused with our bestselling Sunflower Beauty Oil (more on that later!) that helps brighten and moisturize, this hydration powerhouse is perfect for those who have normal and dry skin types looking for that extra moisture boost.
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Made for combination to oily skin, 95.76% Natural Balancing Face Bar is formulated to keep your face fresh and free from shine as it helps balance skin oils and lifts away impurities by exfoliating your skin gently. Enjoy non-drying cleansing and keep excess oil in checkfor up to 4 hours!
Both bars are pH-balanced within the recommended level of 4.5 to 5.5, so you don’t have to worry about it messing up your skin barrier and acid mantle.
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Bar soaps often get a bad rap for being overly drying to the skin, but with miracle moisturizer Sunflower Beauty Oil as our Sunflower Face Bar‘s main ingredient, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
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Bullet Train also broke the record for the biggest opening for a non-IP studio film since Tenet. With terrific audience reactions around the world and summer holidays in full swing, the film is well positioned for a long ride in cinemas into autumn.
The UK led all 57 markets with a 5-day total of $3.5M, followed by France with $3.1M. Mexico delivered $3.0M with a Wednesday start, and Australia launched with $2.2M. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia took in $1.9M, and UAE pulled in $1.3M. Germany bowed at $1.5M while Spain debuted to $1.4M. Taiwan logged $1.3M over 5 days.
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Entertainment Weekly hails Bullet Train as “a manic neon thriller stuffed with cameos and smash-cut chaos, hurtling breathlessly toward its gonzo end,” while Comingsoon.net calls it “the must-see blockbuster of the summer.”
“A stylish & blood-soaked parade of crowd-pleasing payoffs” is how Screenrant describes Bullet Train, as Mashable proclaims it “a satisfyingly eye-popping and heart-pounding wild ride.”
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Finally, The Chicago Sun Times raves “Brad Pitt brings all his star power to a high-speed action film that transcends the usual cookie cutter assassin stories” and declares “Bullet Train is one of the best action movies of the year, and it’s also one of the funniest films of 2022.”
In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world’s fastest train. The end of the line is just the beginning in this non-stop thrill-ride through modern-day Japan from David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2.
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Joining Pitt in the cast are Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.
In cinemas across the Philippines August 10, Bullet Train is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #BulletTrainMovie
Providing the family with a fast and reliable WiFi connection at home is a must in the digital age. Parents and kids alike need strong internet connectivity for most of their favorite activities online — from streaming and gaming to working and studying. Parents know too well that investing in a high-speed connection from leading internet service provider PLDT Home is key to a happier, better, more productive home.
However, due to a few factors including the design of one’s residence, some internet plans are not optimized enough. Homes built with multiple walls and floors can pose a problem when it comes to internet signals reaching all corners. Walls can block WiFi signals, big spaces at home can stretch these signals thin, and too many devices crowding a single WiFi connection can ultimately slow the internet down.
So, how do you make sure your home connection is maximized? Believe us, it doesn’t have to cost much! Here are some tips and tricks to help you get the speed you and your family need.
Take a speed test
First, check if you really are getting the speed you pay for. A simple way to check is by conducting an Ookla Speedtest which measures your upload and download speed accurately. If your connection is fast yet is not reaching all parts of the house, then you’ll need to check your router or the dual-band compatibility of your phone or laptop.
Ensure that your router is new and updated
Sometimes the main culprit for a less-than-stellar internet connection is the router itself. The router is a device that provides your home with WiFi. Keeping your router up to date ensures that your hardware is fresh and can maintain your internet connection, as older devices are more prone to breaking down. A new router will not only improve your connection, but it can also help improve the security of your connections, especially if you are thinking of building a smart home. Try calling your service provider if you’re due for a router change.
Reset your router
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective. “Did you try turning it off and on again?” applies to almost all electronics and appliances — including your router. Resetting your router can solve intermittent signals and boost your speed.
Think about where you place your router
Is your router placed optimally in your home? Router placement is key to the strength of its signal. Ensure that your router is placed in a high, open space with limited obstructions to get better speeds. Don’t place your routers on the ground as WiFi signals travel horizontally and may not reach every nook and cranny. If you have a multi-level home, try putting the router on a higher floor while ensuring that it’s not placed near dense, signal-interfering materials like brick or concrete.
Get a WiFi Mesh system
Have you done everything above but you still don’t have the speed you need? At this point, maybe it’s time to get your own WiFi Mesh system, or a set of devices that can provide uniform speeds in all corners of the home no matter how far they are from the main router.
Think of it as a relay game. The main router, which should be installed in a clear spot, connects to a series of mesh devices that in turn connect to your devices. Unlike routers, mesh devices share the same network and password, which altogether allows the transfer of files between gadgets, screen mirroring from your mobile phones and laptops to TVs, and top download and upload speeds even when other family members are online at the same time — streaming their favorite shows, working, attending classes, playing games, or doing video calls. In short, with a WiFi mesh system, every member of the family can do all things imagined and more.
PLDT Home, the country’s fastest fixed network as awarded by Ookla, offers the best WiFi Mesh devices to maximize your home broadband plan. Installing a mesh pair from PLDT Home gets rid of dead spots no matter the area of the home and enables family members to upload and download seamlessly and all at once.
If you are a new or existing PLDT Home subscriber, get a WiFi mesh add-on for as low as P99/month on top of your existing plan and immediately experience the fastest whole-home connections from PLDT Home.
Buy a WiFi mesh system from PLDT Home and get a chance to win a smart TV!
Here’s another win-win for PLDT Home subscribers: From June 1 to September 30, those who purchase PLDT Home WiFi Mesh units get a chance to win a 65″ Samsung Crystal UHD TV (AU7000). One subscriber wins the grand prize each month until the last day of the promo period.
To be eligible, subscribers must buy at least two (2) pieces of Tenda Nova MW6, TP Link Deco M4, or TP Link Deco M5. The winners’ names will be posted on PLDT Home’s website.
Do better at home and in life with PLDT Home’s WiFi Mesh system amplifying your home internet while leading you closer to the smart TV of your dreams.
Delikado by Karl Malakunas, and We Don’t Dance For Nothing by Stefanos Tai are the documentary films chosen to close the 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. The films will be screened at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) on August 13, at 3:30 pm, and 7:00 pm, respectively.
After making rounds in film festivals abroad, Delikado will have its Philippine premiere as one of the closing films of Cinemalaya 2022. Telling a narrative beyond the paradisiacal image of Palawan, Karl Malakunas delved into the plight of environmental crusaders as they faced corporations and the government to protect the ‘last ecological frontier’ of the Philippines.
Malakunas, a journalist turned filmmaker, placed the spotlight on Atty. Robert “Bobby” Chan, Nieves Rosento, and Efren “Tata” Balladeres as they risk their lives tracking down illegal loggers, to raise awareness about the pressing social and environmental issues in Palawan.
Delikado garnered awards abroad namely the Sustainable Future Award at the Sydney Film Festival 2022, and Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature from the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. According to Luciana Tellez-Chavez from Humans Right Watch, “Delikado is an important and powerful film. The tension is palpable throughout… but so is the incredible courage of the environmental defenders portrayed.”
A brief Q&A follows the screening for a conversation with Malakunas.
We Don’t Dance For Nothing by Stefanos Tai, captures the contrast of being trapped and being free through a ‘photo-montage’ as it follows the story of Filipina Domestic Workers in the midst of rallies in Hong Kong while tackling LGBTQ+ themes, issues of Workers’ Rights, and Hong Kong’s changing political landscape.
Miles Sible, a Filipina performer in Hong Kong, plays the role of H – a young domestic worker who plans to run away for the sake of love. Tai ensured genuine representation by casting Filipino performers in this documentary film.
DOXA Documentary Festival in Vancouver regarded We Don’t Dance For Nothing with the sole HonorableMention last May 2022.
The 18th Cinemalaya opened at the CCP on August 5. Awarding ceremonies are set on August 14 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).
For more information, visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites. Follow the CCP and Cinemalaya official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Six books by icons and experts on Philippine cinema will be launched during the ongoing 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
On August 8 at 4:00 pm, a back-to-back launch of Nick Deocampo’s book Alternative Cinema: The Unchronicled History of Alternative Cinema in the Philippines and Philippine Cinema 1897-2020 by Gaspar Vibal and Dennis Villegas will be held at the Cinemalaya Tent.
Alternative Cinema is a collection of ethnography and history of alternative cinema in the Philippines. It also seeks to reveal the “hidden side” of Philippine cinema. The book took 40 years to create, utilizing Deocampo’s notes, notebooks, and diaries.
Deocampo is an award-winning Filipino filmmaker, film historian, University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) professor, and advocate for film literacy. Since 1982, Deocampo has written on alternative films in the country which started while he was in Paris shortly after graduating from the UP.
Philippine Cinema 1897-2020 received the Best Book on Art in the 39th National Book Awards. The book was written by Gaspar A. Vidal of the University of the Philippines Diliman and Dennis A. Villegas of the Far Eastern University, and edited by Teddy Co.
Co is the founder of Cinema Rehiyon and was the chairman of the Cinema Committee the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
On August 9 at 4:00 pm, the launching of the books Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 1: Brutal, Moral, Karnal and Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Volume 2: Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricardo “Ricky” Lee will be held at the Third Floor CCP Hallway.
Lee, a Filipino screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright, collaborated with fellow National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Marilou Diaz-Abaya on the screenplays of Brutal, Moral, and Karnal. The first volume contains the complete scripts of the three films with precursory articles on their developments.
For the second volume Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee (Volume 2): Himala, Cain at Abel, Salome, Lee included the three screenplays of the films which were directed by Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, and Laurice Guillen respectively. Bernal and Brocka are both National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts.
The University of Santo Tomas Publishing House published the two book volumes of Lee.
On August 11 at 4:00 pm, Ang Daigdig ng mga Api: Remembering a Lost Film (a collaboration between Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. and Dik Trofeo) and Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya edited by Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. will be launched at the Cinemalaya Lounge by Latitude at the Third Floor of the CCP Main Gallery.
del Mundo is a writer who recreated the multi-award winning film Ang Daigdig ng mga Api in book form. He collaborated on the book with Dik Trofeo, the film’s assistant director, who contributed anecdotes and black-and-white pictures from behind the scenes. Dick Baldovino is another photo contributor to the book’s images.
Riding the Waves: 15 Years of Cinemalaya will have its onsite relaunch after last year’s online launch. It contains a vibrant tapestry of narratives that portray through words and images the first 15 years of the festival’s existence through the contributors’ unique vantage points.
World-renowned artists and cultural figures who contributed articles in Riding The Waves include Doreen Yu, Lito B. Zulueta, Jose Javier Reyes, Marjorie Evasco, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., Bayani San Diego, Jr., Philip Cheah, Max Tessier, Ben Suzuki, Jessica Zafra, Michael Kho Lim, and Chris B. Millado.
For more details, check out the CCP and Cinemalaya websites. Follow the CCP and Cinemalaya official social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Invitation gave Thompson the chance to work in the horror genre which was irresistible. “I grew up on horror, on thrillers. They are sacred to me,” she says. “I always wanted to make a horror movie told from a female perspective.”
Thompson made her feature writer-directorial debut with The Light of the Moon, which won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at SXSW. The film holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics calling it “harrowingly effective” (Variety), “honest and complex” (The Hollywood Reporter), and Film Inquiry stated that “for any filmmaker this would be an unmitigated triumph, but for a first-time filmmaker this is revelatory.”
The Invitation centers on Evie (Emmanuel), a struggling artist in New York. After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie takes a DNA test…and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, she’s at first seduced by the sexy aristocrat host but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history and the disturbing intentions behind their generosity.
Thompson says her favorite and most challenging scene was the rehearsal dinner, where the true motivations of the hosts are revealed. “It starts off as a beautiful, sumptuous ball, and then halfway through, the penny drops. In that sense, it was like making two scenes in one: the beauty is covering a nightmare boiling under the surface,” Thompson explains. “All of the decadent food is actually rotting and melting and dripping, the incredible chandelier is actually made of antlers and skulls. Among the characters, there’s so much to capture: Evie’s emotion, as she’s realizing the true horror of what’s happening to her, so many looks from the guests, so many nuanced beats. It was a three-day shoot to get it all – so that was the hardest scene but also the most rewarding one, because I think it’s one of the best scenes in the film.”
“It begins as a masked ball, beautiful and decadent and transformative,” says producer Emile Gladstone. “Evie walks in, beautiful, wearing her red dress and her gorgeous mask, and she is sitting next to a man who she’s recently fallen in love with. She’s never felt more at home or surrounded by family with a solid man in her life. And then, halfway through the dinner, it all turns. And what’s beautiful turns nightmarish.”
In cinemas across the Philippines August 24, The Invitation is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #InvitationMovie
Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ leading airline, unveils its special seat sale for both domestic and international destinations.
From August 8 to 10, 2022, the airline is giving everyJuan the chance to plan out their dream trip for as low as PHP8 one-way base fare. Travel period for this seat sale is from September 1, 2022, until February 28, 2023.
“We continue to see a resurgence in tourism as people have become more confident to travel amidst our new normal. As we want to keep stimulating travel, both in and out the Philippines, we are pleased to offer another hard-to-miss promo that will enable everyJuan to save up on fares as they plan trips ahead,” says Cebu Pacific Corporate Communications director Carmina Romero.
Whether passengers would like to rediscover their favorite beach destinations like Boracay, Bohol, Siargao, Palawan, and Cebu; or enjoy the must-try food culture in Pampanga and Negros, travelers can enjoy the best of the Philippines without breaking the bank.
Likewise, those who plan to finally fly abroad can finally do so as more destinations have eased travel restrictions. Whether you feel like going on a cultural immersion in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam; or on a food trip in Bangkok, Korea, and Singapore – all this is now possible and made affordable through CEB’s lowest fares.
The airline currently operates 88% of its pre-pandemic systemwide capacity. To date, CEB flies to a total of 34 domestic and 18 international destinations. It continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, while it operates with a 100% fully vaccinated crew, 95% of whom have been boosted – all to ensure every Juan flies safely and conveniently on Cebu Pacific.
At the Nope world premiere, Brandon Perea received rave reviews for his performance as one of the film’s leads, describing him as a breakthrough star and an unexpected scene stealer for his role as Angel Torres, an angsty employee of retail store Fry’s Electronics.
Nope is Jordan’s latest horror thriller that impressively debuted with $44 million on top of the box-office when it opened in the US (July). Considered to be a must-see in cinemas for its spectacle, Nope is about to open in cinemas outside of US and will take the audience in for a ride into the unknown as siblings OJ (Kaluuya) and Emerald (Palmer) inherit their father’s legendary horse ranch. As OJ and Emerald start noticing unexplained phenomena on their vast ranch, they soon start to plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera and enlist the expert help of Fry’s Electronics store employee Angel Torres (Perea). Together, the trio step right into the eye of an irreversible storm with no path guiding them back, further ratcheting the stakes to terrifying consequences.
Brandon Perea, Kaluuya, Palmer in NOPE
Perea, who’s also known for his roles in Netflix’s The OA and the movie American Insurrection is thrilled with the opportunity to play Angel Torres in Nope. His character is crucial to the film’s lore on aliens and the unexplained as an electronics retail store employee who assists OJ and Emerald with installing surveillance equipment at their ranch and gets drawn into their quest for documenting the unexplained phenomenon they’ve encountered. Beneath Angel’s bleach-blonde veneer of post-punk angst and box-store malaise lies a heartbroken young man who is still hopeful and will become an unlikely, but exceedingly valuable ally to OJ and Emerald.
“Angel’s our tech expert, and something of a comic-relief character,” Jordan Peele says. “Angel is a diehard Ancient Aliens fan. Angel also often the one pointing out how batshit crazy the whole situation is. But he also gets quite willingly tangled up in this insane mission.”
Kaluuya, Perea, Palmer in NOPE
Brandon Perea’s role was not exactly how Peele originally envisioned it when he wrote the screenplay, but the young actor clearly made an impression. “Jordan said, ‘You brought something so different to the table that I had to meet you, but you’re really different than what I wrote for the script. If I were to put you in this movie, I’ll have to rewrite my entire movie,’” Perea recalls. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds tough. I guess that’s probably not going to happen.’ And he’s like, ‘So that’s what I’m going to do — I’m going to rewrite my movie. You got the part!’ I just busted out in tears crying.”
In a bit of serendipity, playing an employee of the famed Fry’s Electronics, which closed its doors in 2021, also brought back some good memories for the actor. “I remember reading the script and seeing that Angel works at Fry’s Electronics and I wigged out because my brothers and I used to go to the Fry’s in Chicago when we were growing up,” Perea says. “It was just a crazy full-circle moment for me.”
Nope opens in Philippine cinemas on August 17 from Universal Pictures. Rated R-13 by the local censors board.
Cinemalaya 2022 will honor the legacy of the late artists Benji Garcia, Flor Salanga, Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez, Joseph Israel Laban, and Eduardo Roy Jr. at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival on August 5-14, 2022.
The works of the filmmakers – BATAD: Sa Paang Palay,JAY, Lasponggols, Cuchera,and Pamilya Ordinaryowill be screened respectively from August 9 to August 13, 2022, at 12:45 p.m. at CCP’s Tanghalang Manuel Conde (TMC) for free.
Benji Garcia was known for traversing the worlds of theater and film – production, on stage, backstage, on camera, and off camera. He completed his Communication Arts degree at Ateneo de Manila University in 1979 and then took a film course at the London International Film School in 1980.
His feature film, BATAD: Sa Paang Palaywon four Cinemalaya awards in 2006 for Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Production Design, and Special Jury Prize. It also won the Golden Screen Awards with Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Production Design, and Best Musical Score.
Flor Salanga, Best Actress in a Supporting Role Golden Screen 2009 awards and nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Gawad Urian 2009, was an audition master of Cinemalaya Film Festival from 2005 to 2019. She completed her Master’s Thesis for her MA degree in Theater Arts at the University of the Philippines.
She played the role of Luzviminda Mercado in the featured film, JAY, which was directed by the late Francis Xavier Pasion. Jay won Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Editing in Cinemalaya and the Special Mention award at Bangkok International Film Festival in 2008. It also received the Audience Award at the 2009 Black Movie Film Festival.
Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez, 2016 Best Director at the Madrid International Film Festival and 2012 FDCP Grand Festival Prize awardee, was known as a pioneer of sorts in local film festivals. He came from a family of writers – both from the father’s and mother’s side. In 1999, he got a slot in the 11th Scriptwriting Workshop given by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricardo Lee, who then became his primary mentor.
He was among the 1st batch of filmmakers in the first Cinemalaya in 2005 wherein he submitted Lasponggols, the featured film. It was his directorial film debut, a black comedy that showcases the oft-ignored people in a mainstream movie set. Lasponggols was screened at the 2005 Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland and in the 2006 New York Imaginasian Film Festival.
Joseph Israel Laban was a filmmaker, documentarist, and Creative Consultant for GMA Network’s Front Row and Reporter’s Notebook. He finished his Creative Writing degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman and studied at New York University (NYU) under a Fullbright Scholarship for his master’s in Journalism with a focus on News and Documentary.
His feature film, Cuchera won Best Film in the New Breed category in Cinemalaya 2011. It was screened in international film festivals in Toronto, Stockholm, Belgrade, and Cleveland in 2011 and 2012.
Eduardo Roy Jr. started as a soap opera writer in ABS-CBN until his persistence paid off as a director with his film, Bahay Bata being named as Best Film in the New Breed category in Cinemalaya 2011. He was a mass communication student from New Era University in Quezon City.
Eduardo’s featured film, Pamilya Ordinaryowon Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Editing, and NETPAC Award in Cinemalaya 2016. It received the Asia Pacific Screen Award, Special Mention award in New Asian Cinema at the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival, and Best Director award from the Hanoi festival. The film was then added on Netflix to its Filipino Movies & TV list in 2020 which garnered the number 1 spot for weeks.
Since 2005, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of Filipino full feature independent films and short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals. Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films.
For more information on the 18th Cinemalaya Film Festival screening schedules and other offerings, check out the CCP website www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and Cinemalaya social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.