Sineng Pambansa entry ‘Eman’ remains unfinished after Derek Ramsay bows out

Director Tikoy Aguiluz promises to finish his film 'Eman' during the festival's launching ceremony on Saturday. (Teddy Pelaez/InterAksyon)

With only two days to go before the opening of the Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival All-Masters Film Festival, both the makers of “Eman” and the festival organizer, Film Development Council of the Philippines, have expressed optimism that the anticipated biopic of slain poet-warrior Eman Lacaba would be completed before the festival ends.

As revealed during the official opening night of the film festival at the SM Mall of Asia last Saturday, “Eman” was still in production after director Tikoy Aguiluz was called onstage to introduce his film.

“Matatapos din namin ito,” said producer Chantel Garcia, who accompanied Aguiluz on stage together with Miriam Lacaba, daughter of Eman.

Aguiluz himself insisted that “Eman” is an experiemental project that he could not have done if not for the festival. Unlike the other master directors who came with their respective film’s cast members during the launch, Aguiluz said his stars were still in Davao where the film was supposedly being shot. The filmmaker did not speak to reporters and immediately left after the program.

FDCP executive director Teddy Granados admitted to InterAksyon that “Eman” was still “a work-in-progress”. He hinted that the finished film may not make the opening of the festival on Wednesday but may still be screened before it ends.

“He (Aguiluz) is still working on the film but he assured us that he would be able to show it before the festival ends,” Granados said.

Because of scheduling issues, Granados also confirmed that actor Derek Ramsay will no longer play the title role as earlier announced but added the FDCP had no idea on the film’s cast.

“We really don’t have a complete picture regarding the film but we just told him, ‘Just work on it, just finish it and we won’t bother you anymore’. But you know our directors, they do work fast so we hope it can still be completed in time,” he said.

In a subsequent interview with InterAksyon on Monday, producer Garcia said, “The project is ongoing and we are working really hard to finish ‘Eman’.

“To film Eman Lacaba’s life is a dream project. It has been a personal journey for me and hopefully the younger generation of filmmakers will affirm that to pay tribute to the icon that Eman Lacaba is in Philippine history is long overdue. Though filming is also overdue, we are indebted by our intentions. The director owes it to Eman Lacaba, as a producer owes it to his director. We will finish the film and will announce as soon as everything is definite.” she concluded.

For his part, Derek lamented not being able to do “Eman”, a project that many consider to be a career-defining role for any actor.

“I feel so bad because I really like that project. That was a project I really, really looked forward to but because of my schedule, I have to put that aside,” the actor told InterAksyon during the recent story conference for his latest TV5 weekly drama series, “For Love or Money”.

Sineng Pambansa entry ‘Eman’ remains unfinished after Derek Ramsay bows out

Source: InterAksyon.com (September 09, 2013 at 07:41PM)

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