Number of new Filipino films in September ‘unprecedented’ – FDCP

Cris Villanueva (right) and Yan Yuzon in a scene from 'Ang Tag-araw ni Twinkle', one of the entries to the FDCP's Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival All Masters Edition.

With both the Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival All Masters Edition and the CineFilipino Film Festival scheduled this month, the number of new Fiilipino film releases in September will be “unprecedented”, the Film Development Council of the Philippines has acknowledged.

“September is a month that is targeted with having the most Filipino films released. We take into consideration the Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival, CineFilipino, and other commercial releases as well. Definitely, in terms of feature films released in commercial cinemas, September has an unprecedented number of film releases,” the FDCP — organizer of the Sineng Pambansa — said in a statement in response to an inquiry by InterAksyon.

A closer look at those films that are currently and will land in theaters this month includes films that opened in late August but are still showing. These are “Ang Huling Henya”, “On The Job”, “Ekstra” and “Instant Mommy” — the last two from the recently concluded Cinemalaya film festival.

Also currently showing in three SM Cinemas is the unheralded “Talamak”, a film starring Lovi Poe and Felix Roco and directed by Arturo San Agustin.

Aside from “Ekstra” and “Instant Mommy”, four more Cinemalaya entries that will have their official theatrical release this month are “The Diplomat Hotel” (September 4), “Transit” (September 11), “Babagwa (The Spider’s Lair)” (September 18) and the Directors Showcase Best Film, “Sana Dati” (September 25).

The Star Cinema comedy “Momzillas”, starring Eugene Domingo and Maricel Soriano, also has a September playdate.

Eleven new films will be exclusively shown on SM cinemas nationwide when the Sineng Pambansa All-Masters film festival opens this September 11. These are “Ano ang Kulay ng Mga Nakalimutang Pangarap?”, “Ang Tag-Araw ni Twinkle”, “Badil” “Bamboo Flowers”, “Eman”, “Lauriana”, “Lihis”, “Otso”, “Sonata”, “Tinik”, “Bahay ng Lagim” and “Salvi”. No foreign films will be shown in SM theaters for the one-week duration of the entire festival.

Then starting September 18, eight more new local feature films will be screened exclusively at Newport Cinemas of Resorts World Manila, Lucky Chinatown Mall and Gateway Cineplex as part of CineFilipino, organized by Studio5 and Unitel. These films are “Puti”, “Mga Alaala ng Tag-Ulan”, “The Guerilla is a Poet”, “Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita”, “The Muses”, “Ang Kuwento ni Mabuti”, “Ang Turkey Man ay Pabo Rin” and “Bingoleras”.

Nora Aunor in a scene from 'Ang Kwento ni Mabuti', one of eight entries to the CineFilipino Film Festival.

Some 30 new Filipino films will have commercial releases this month, thanks to these back-to-back festivals. Such a number — the equivalent of one new Pinoy movie a day — harks back to the peak years in the 1980s when the local movie industry averaged 400 releases a year.

Figures released by the Movie and Television Review Classification Board to InterAksyon revealed that their office reviewed a total of 214 Filipino films intended for commercial release from January to December 2012 — an average of 17 films a month.

This number does not include films shown during the Cinemalaya, Cinemanila and Cinema One Originals film festivals that were not submitted to the MTRCB for theatrical release.

Consider also that there are other new films to be seen outside the cineplexes this month. For instance, premiering on September 19 at UP Cine Adarna is “Bang Bang Alley”, a three-part crime drama anthology directed by Ely Buendia, Yan Yuzon and King Palisoc.

The film’s ensemble cast includes Joel Torre, Bela Padilla, Art Acuña, Althea Vega and current Miss World Philippines Megan Young. No commercial playdate has been announced for the film, though.

Other Cinemalaya entries that have yet to announce their regular theatrical run will also have special school screenings this month. These are “Debosyon” (UP Los Baños, September 10 and Cine Adarna, UP Diliman, September 11), “Purok 7” UP Los Baños, September 11 and Cine Adarna, UP Diliman, September 10).

“Transit” and “Sana Dati” will also have UP screenings on these dates as well as the documentary “Jazz in Love” (UP Los Baños, September 12) and Cinemalaya short films (UP Los Baños, September 11). Likewise, “Amor y Muerte” will also have a Cine Adarna screening this September 25.

The harvest of new Filipino film releases does not end there as aside from other major releases like Star Cinema’s “Kung Fu Divas” (originally scheduled for September but pushed back for an October release) there are still three more major film festivals in Cinemanila, Cinema One Originals and the Metro Manila Film Festival to look forward to in the last quarter of the year.

This year, the MTRCB has so far reviewed 109 locally produced films covering the period January 1 to September 9, 2013. Again, the MTRCB figures do not include independent films not submitted for theatrical release. These include feature film entries for film festivals like Cinemalaya, Sineng Pambansa All-Masters Edition, CineFilipino, Cinemanila and Cinema One Originals.

Number of new Filipino films in September ‘unprecedented’ – FDCP

Source: InterAksyon.com (September 09, 2013 at 02:11PM)

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