CINEMALAYA

2012 FILM GUIDE

(Source: PEP.ph) NEW BREED CATEGORY th Here are the 10 films competing in the New Breed section of the 8 Cinemalaya: Ang Katiwala (The Caretaker) Stars: Dennis Trillo, Althea Vega, Ronnie Lazaro Writer-Director: Aloy Adlawan Ruben (Dennis Trillo) loses his job as a carpenter in a small town in Quezon where he lives with his wife Edna (Althea Vega) and their 10-year old son, Budoy (Miggs Cuaderno). Desperate to make ends meet, he accepts a job as a caretaker of an abandoned property inQuezon City. Ruben soon finds out that the previous owner of the house is an important figure in the countrys history. When he is interviewed by a TV reporter about this historical figure, Ruben feels embarrassed that he knows nothing about him. Ruben soon starts reading up to get to know more about the life of this person, his accomplishments and what he has done for the people. Rubens fascination about the persons life and his inevitable hero-worship irks the only friend he has in the sprawling compound, the night-shift security guard, Gimo (Ronnie Lazaro), who jokes that Ruben is slowly being possessed by the soul of his new hero. Ang Nawawala (What Isnt There) Stars: Dawn Zulueta, Dominic Roco, Felix Roco, Buboy Garovillo Director: Marietta Marie Jamora Writers: Marie Jamora and Ramon De Veyra Twenty-year old Gibson Bonifacio (Dominic Roco) returns to Manila for the holidays, his first visit home in three years. He's been studying abroad, and his homecoming is a mix of anxiety and excitement. While the holidays are always festive in the Philippines (home of the world's longest Christmas season), for his family, it is always tinged with sadness, marking as it does yet another anniversary of the accidental death of his identical twin brother Jamie (Felix Roco). The event after which, Gibson stopped speaking entirely. This year, a full decade has passed, and yet there are still everyday reminders of their loss, since a carbon copy of the son that has died is the son who survives. Gibson comes home to a fractured family, tensions roiling under the surface covered by the tablecloth-gleam of Christmas cheer. Amidst the subculture of Manilas overlooked upper middle class youth, Gibson searches for genuine connection. As his childhood best friend reaches out to him, and, as he finds a possible romance in a young woman, Gibson reconsiders and redefines his relationship with his family, with himself, even with his dead brother: the only person he talks to. Aparisyon Stars: Jodi Sta. Maria, Mylene Dizon, Raquel Villavicencio, Fides Cuyugan-Asensio Director: Vincent Sandoval Writers: Vincent Sandoval, Jerry Gracio, and Raquel Villavicencio Aparisyon is a film about contemplative nuns who must grapple with an act of violence in the months leading to the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Sister Lourdes (Jodi Sta. Maria) is a new member of the Adoration Monastery, which is under the leadership of Mother

Superior Ruth (Fides Cuyugan-Asensio). Sister Lourdes becomes close to Sister Remy (Mylene Dizon) whohas to deal with the fact that her activist brother has been snatched away. Raquel Villavicencio is also cast as Sister Vera, who is Mother Ruths aide and confidante. According to Direk Vince, Aparisyon focuses on the lives of these cloistered nuns, who are walled in by the monastery and insulated from the rest of the world. But the world outside makes itself felt indelibly and even brutally. Diablo Stars: Ama Quiambao, Carlo Aquino, Arnold Reyes, Althea Vega, Roeder Camaag Writer-Director: Mes de Guzman Diablo revolves around Lusing (played by Ama Quiambao), mother to five grown up sons who have distinct characters and professions of their own. The first born is Ronaldo (Jose Escobedo), an elementary school teacher assigned in a remote village. He is followed by Fernando (Fredie dela Cruz), an army lieutenant, while the third child, Alberto (Roeder Camaag), lives in the city trying to manage a fledging business. He is succeeded by Ruben (Arnold Reyes), a farmer who tills the two-hectare rice field owned by the family, part of the few properties left by Lusings late husband. Her youngest is Oscar (Carlo Aquino), a deep thinker who chose to be a nomadic hermit. Oscar is in pursuit of enlightenment. He travels to search for the illuminating radiance he witnessed as a child while flying a kite in their rice field. He wears a white missionary gown and goes around the village and up the hills carrying a lamp. Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino Stars: JM de Guzman, LJ Reyes, Joross Gamboa, Arnold Reyes Director: Lemuel Lorca Writer: Jerry Gracio based on a short story by Eros Atalia Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino is a unique love story set in the "tahungan" (tahong) in Kalye Marino in Sangley Point, Cavite City from its glorious past during the American regime to its current condition today. Mga Dayo (Resident Aliens) Stars: Sue Prado, Janela Carera, Olga Natividad Writer-Director: Julius Sotomayor Cena Mga Dayo (Resident Aliens) is the first Cinemalaya entry to be shot entirely out of the Philippines. In this film, a photographer named Alex (Sue Prado) is getting into a fixed marriage to obtain a permanent resident card while a journalist named Miriam (Janela Carera) is waiting for her green card. Another major character, a housekeeper named Ella (Olga Natividad), is torn between keeping her 88-year-old mother's residency on Guam or sending her back home to the Philippines. Set against a classic migration story of Thanksgiving, Mga Dayo hopes to represent a few of millions of Filipino immigrant experiences in America. Oros Stars: Kristoffer King, Kristoffer Martin, Tanya Gomez Director: Paul Sta. Ana Writers: Paul Sta. Ana and Obet Villela In Manila, Philippines, an unidentified cadaver or a spot is found. In order to generate income from an unidentified body, the funeral parlor owner sells the body to Makoy (Kristoffer King), a kasero in a saklaan, who takes interest in the spot. Makoy and his reluctant younger brother, Abet (Kristoffer Martin) then stage a three-week long fake wake

which holds the illegal saklaan. The sakla personnel deals with everyone involved, including Linda (Tanya Gomez), the homeowner, as they agree upon a fictional story that will legitimize the wake. As the fake wake commences, gamblers earn their keeps through various games of chance (tong-its, bingo and sakla). Prolonging the wake provides a venue to generate income: impoverished families are able to generate income from the illegal operation. Oros is a story about people who find the means to live by exploiting the dead. REquieme! Stars: Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Rez Cortez Director: Loy Arcenas Writers: Loy Arcenas and Rody Vera, based on a short story by Gina Apostol Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino topbills Loy Arcenas REquieme! This is a black comedy about a transvestite, three deaths, two wakes, a funeral and a provincial town of gossipers eager to claim relations with a notorious murderer. Rex Cortez is cast as Budoy, the husband of Shamaines character. Shamaine, who bagged the Best Supporting Actress trophy last year for the Cinemalaya entry Nio, is reunited with Direk Loy for this project. She is now cast as Swanie, a woman who wants to claim the body of Adolf Payapa. This man supposedly killed an international fashion designer named Vidal Valere in the United States. Sta. Nia Stars: Coco Martin, Angel Aquino, Alessandra de Rossi, Anita Linda Director: Emmanuel Manny Palo Writers: Emmanuel Manny Palo and Liza Magtoto Sta. Nia is a fictional story of a girl whose body was preserved in lahar, prompting people to believe that she can produce miracles. Writer-director Emmanuel Manny Palo explained, Namatay yung bata before matabunan ng lahar ang Bacolor in 1995. During the evacuation, yung mag-asawa iniwan nila yung bangkay kasi they cannot bring it to the relocation area. Matatabunan yung bahay nila ng lahar. Gusto nila na ilibing properly yung bata. After 10 years, mahuhukay siya and yung katawan ng batawas still intact. The Animals Stars: Albie Casio, Patrick Sugui, Dawn Balagot, John Wayne Sace Writer-Director: Gino Santos Set in an affluent, upper middle class village in the suburbs, The Animals chronicles a day in the life of Jake (Albie Casio), Trina (Dawn Balagot), and Alex (Patrick Sugui, former Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash Of 2010 housemate), who go through the musings that every kid in high school has to deal with. All Jake wants to do is have a good time, Alex just wants to fit in, and Trina simply wants more. A very vivid picture is painted of life in high school after the final bell rings, as well as a different side of the Philippines, and what is happening to its privileged children. DIRECTORS SHOWCASE CATEGORY. Here are the entries competing in the Directors Showcase category included in Cinemalaya Goes UP 8: Kalayaan (Wildlife)

 Stars: Thai actor Ananda Everingham, Japanese actress Kiki Sugino, Zanjoe Marudo, Luis Alandy Director: Adolfo Alix Jr. Writer-director Adolfo Alix Jr. was inspired to do the film Kalayaan when he chanced upon an article discussing how different countries are claiming the Spratly islands. He also read about the military installations put up by the Philippines in the islands being claimed by other countries such as China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. He tapped Thai actor Ananda Everingham to play the lead role of a soldier named Julian Macaraeg. Ananda, who is best known for the 2004 horror film Shutter, brings life to a man who must cope with loneliness as he is stationed in the remote island. Kamera Obskura Stars: Pen Medina, Joel Torre Writer-Director: Raymond Red Kamera Obskura can be described as a fictitious Filipino black-and-white silent expressionist film supposedly found recently by our film archivists and historians. In this experimental film-within-a-film, Pen Medina portrays a prisoner locked away in a dark chamber for over two decades. He only sees the reality of the world outside through a small hole in his cell, which projects an image of the city on his wall. He watches people passing by, projected like an inverted movie. As he yearns to rejoin society, he eventually chips away on the hole until it is big enough for him to escape through. Posas Stars: Nico Antonio, Bangs Garcia, Art Acua, Jake Macapagal, Nor Domingo Director: Lawrence Fajardo Writer: Zig Carlo Dulay To prepare for his role in Posas, singer-actor Nico Antonio actually took instructions from a real-life snatcher on how to steal a cellphone. His character Jestoni Jess Biag is a notorious snatcher victimizing people in bustling streets aroundQuiapoChurch. As a routine, he steals wallets, gadgets and jewelries, which he will trade for a meager amount of peso - enough for him to survive and to support his family. The film shows how Jess is captured by the police for snatching a cellphone of a call center agent, Ma. Grace Rosuello (Bangs Garcia). Its his first time to undergo investigation. And as he goes in the process from Barangay Hall Clinic, Police Station to the Fiscals Office, viewers will witness how human rights violation bluntly executes, and how culture of corruption deviously perpetuates in this chain of institutions.

FILMS FROM SINENG PAMBANSA Mga Kidnaper ni Ronnie Lazaro - Grand Festival Prize, 1st Sineng Pambansa
Stars: NONIE BUECAMINO, EPY QUIZON, DWIGHT GASTON, SOLIMAN CRUZ, RAUL MORIT Director:SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ Writer:SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ BEBOT, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) has been down and out of luck after the Middle East crisis, that left him jobless and his family leaving him in the process. He hatches a plan with his loser friends from Quiapo --- PIPOY, a call center agent; BOY GEORGE, a camera repairman; ABDUL, a Muslim pirated DVD seller; HESUS, a prophet of doom; and HECTOR, a former stuntman who has grown fat because of the demise of action films --- to make an independent

film of their own starring what to them is the most famous Filipino indie film actor nowadays especially with the sudden boom of indie films --- RONNIE LAZARO. However, things became complicated when RONNIE LAZARO decides to beg off from acting on their supposed indie film. They suddenly found themselves accidentally kidnapping RONNIE and holing him up at BEBOTs old dilapidated place in Quiapo. What will happen now that they have the most famous indie actor in the Philippines? Will they be able to finish their film on time? Or will the kidnapping test their bond of friendship?

In Bangka Ha Ut Sin Duwa Sapah Best Actress( Sue Prado), 1st Sineng Pambansa
Stars: Sue Prado, Pipo Alfad III, Jermaine Patrick Ulgasan, Yna Tan, Khalid Bombi Plata, Salid Moro Gandawali,Lowell, Kip Conales, Yutaka Yamakawa, Saffiyah B. Bunyi, Famy Alfad, Bushra A. Sahidani, Ma. Anelia Ulgasan, Almabeth T. Camacan, Tannierose Diansuy Director: SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ Writer: SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ "IN BANGKA HA UT SIN DUWAH SAPAH" or "THE BOAT BETWEEN TWO RIVERS," a story inspired by an episode of Wish Ko Lang entitled "Nanay Langoy" which is about a mother, MARYAM (Sue Prado) who swims from one end of the river to the other using a makeshift bangka made out of banana stalks just to put her two kids, ABDEL (Jermaine Patrick Ulgasan) and AMIR (Malik Bunyi) to school. Problem arises when at the other side of the river, government military forces are holding camp while on the other side of the river are where the extremist Muslim rebels are holed up. What happens when these two forces clash? Will the mother still be able to give her kids a good education?

MNL 143
Stars: Allan Paule, Joy Viado, Gardo Versoza, Lou Veloso, Ramon Bautista Director: Emerson Reyes Writer: Emerson Reyes On a commuter's trip from Manila's business district to the suburbs, the director finds a myriad of possibilities, ranging from miniature ironic situations to a love story that is finally finding its unexpected closing. An emotional rollercoaster ride of despair, dreams and desire, MNL 143 is also a black comedy about limited private spaces in conflict with sprawling public realms.