Rough Groove

Cinemanila at Greenbelt 1

Good news!

Five films of Cinemanila are currently screened in Greenbelt 1 in Ayala starting yesterday until tomorrow. These five films are:

Palermo Hollywood - Eduardo Pinto
Hidden Blade - Yoji Yamada
Dear Wendy - Thomas Vinterberg
The King - James Marsh
The President’s Last Bang - Sang-soo Im

When I read in the newspaper that it is there, I quickly washed up and went to the mall to catch Palermo Hollywood. This is a good develeopment considering that the venue is closer and that some great films are screened.

Disappointing Cinemanila

I was expecting the promise of almost a hundred films to be screened in the ongoing 7th Cinemanila International Film Festival but was very much disappointed. What was sure about the films are the independent Filipino digitals including the much talked about Ilusyon (Illusion). The foreign films that I’ve been raring to watch? Just a handful and, as in the case at Robinsons Place - Ermita, only one cinema was devoted to it. Add to the fact that even until now, the sixth day of the festival, no schedule have yet been released. I would have been willing to travel all the way to Manila (two rides by bus and LRT), devote my weekends there as well as pay the high ticket price of P100.00 but it just really fall short of its intentions.

What a shame. It would have been a film lover’s event but it failed, for now. However, the festival is still upto the 25th. I just hope that it will change for the better.

Cinemanila International Film Festival opens

The much awaited 7th Cinemanila International Film Festival will be opened tonight at the Manila Hotel and the opening film, Hidden Blade by Yoji Yamada will be screened at SM Manila 0930H.

The festival will run until 25 October and almost a hundred films will be screened from different countries and of course, from the country with digital shorts and full feature films. Cesar Montano’s Cebuano Panaghoy sa Suba is in competition, vying for the coveted Lino Brocka Award.

The festival award

Okay, a hundred films are too much given the time and my work schedule. Better that I was able to watch a few of the films when it had its advanced screenings before:

- the Belgian Film Week Cinemanila advance screenings
- the CinemaOne Originals
- Dekalog 5 & 6
- Panaghoy sa Suba
- La Visa Loca
- and others (City of God, Frozen Land, Daybreak)

I just hope I can complete the other 8 of Dekalog, watch Brokeback Mountain, and other great films especially those from Iran.

However, even if its the opening of the film fest, I was quite disappointed that they haven’t yet provided screening schedules! I called their office to inform them that they haven’t posted it at their website and I was told that they’ll check. Checking back, I just found this:

“For inquiries regarding the screening schedules, please call SM City Manila at 5239240, SM San Lazaro at 7862488, Robinson’s Place Movieworld at 5367811, and Isetann Cineworld at 7334228.”

Other than that, the venue is quite far from my workplace and with the traffic and all, its really an effort to watch these movies, except maybe during weekends.

Well, I will not rush. Instead of being there at the opening night at SM Manila, I’ll continue to watch the remainder of the films on offer at the Pelicula - Pelikula at Greenbelt 1 which is just a few minutes from the office and the tickets are cheap at P31 only. On schedule: Noviembre - Achero Manas and El abrazo partido - Daniel Burman.

A deluge of movies, movies and movies…

September and October will be frenzied months for film enthusiasts as a flood of film festivals, and equally great commercial films, poured in like the countless typhoons that plagues the country during this time of the year. Just yesterday, together with my friend, Ryan, we were watching 3 films in a row: 1 movie which was part of the Cine Europa film festival and two commercial ones that right after, my eyes were kind of in discomfort.

eKsperim[E]nto Film and Video Festival 2001
20 - 24 September 05 UP Film Center

Just last Saturday, eKsperim[E]nto 2005 closed with the grand prix winner of the 2005 Lucarno International Festival, Masahista - Brillante Mendoza, the Golden Leopard, a mean feat, a truimph, considering that it is the director’s debut film, and Gee Entertainment’s first too.

The 1st Asian Center Film Festival
26 September - 1 October 05 UP Asian Center

While checking out ClickTheCity, I came to know of this another film festival at the UP highlighting 10 Asian contemporary films like Malaysia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and many more.

Cine Europa 8
22 - September - 2 October 05 Shangri-la Mall

Consisting of 13 full length films and a series of shorts, I’ve already seen three: Millions - Danny Boyle (United Kingdom), Koirankynnen leikkaaja (Dog Nail Clipper) - Markku Pölönen (Finland) and one short, Flatlife - Jonas Geinaert. Its free and utilizing the mall’s state of the art cinema - a treat. Just come early as free tickets are given two hours before the movie. I’m still contemplating if I’ll be seeing tonight’s last show at 2200H.

Pelikula IV: Spanish and Latin American Film Festival
28 September - 16 October 05 Greenbelt

Another awaited film festival showcasing 26 films. I’m especially interested with Pedro Alomodovar’s Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother) that I missed when I was in Singapore a few years ago. Another one is Alejandro Amenabar’s Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside), the Oscar and Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Film.

Cinemalaya
28 September - 4 October 05 Promenade Greenhills

This will be the third time chance to watch Digital Filipino Independent Films that were shown in July at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and includes 5 of the total entries.

7th Cinemanila International Film Festival
12 - 25 October 05

And the grandest, most awaited film event of the year, the Cinemanila International Film Festival.

These are more than enough to keep me busy. Really, when it rains, it pours!

August Film Festivals

I love films. I love movies. That’s why living in Makati, in Metro Manila offers endless possibilities of watching works from the the usual Hollywood fare to new exciting Filipino works as well as others from different countries during film festivals. I fondly remember a few years back while still a college student, I spent 12 hours straight (1100H - 2300H) watching a film festival in SM Megamall with varied films from Italy, Japan, Hongkong and Cambodia to mention a few.

Just this August, silverscreen events were so varied and choices are many that it was difficult to choose where to go:

Moonrise Film Festival
Just closed the other day at the new Gateway Mall in Araneta Center, Cubao, which, unfortunately, due to tight schedules, I wasn’t able to go. Launched by the the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education and Apocalypse Point Productions and projected to be an annual event, it aims to spur environmental awareness in film and media. 16 environmental films are in competition for the Charlie, the trophy designed by famed sculptor Sabana Lluch Dalena.

Cinemanila Advance Screenings
Already for a few weeks now happening weekly in different venues (SM Manila for the first week, SM Megamall, 2nd and now, Greenbelt 1, 3rd) I’ve already watched a total of 7 films since I came to know of the weekly offerings. I’m thankful for these advance screenings so that when the actual international film fest that is the Cinemanila will open sometime this October, I need not sit it out for hours on end just to watch these films!

The German Silent Film Festival
Offered by the Goethe Institut and happening every Thursday night, 2000H, for the month of August at SM Megamall (free entrance) with live background music acts. However, I was not able to attend this one.

UP Film Institute shows at Cine Adarna
Just last Saturday, Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Olivares was screened but, again, unfortunately, I was not able to watch it

Instituto Cervantes and Alliance Francaise
These foreign cultural institutions are frequently screening films from their countries and I do hope to catch some of them next time.

Upcoming movies
This time, there are several upcoming movie titles that will be screened within the year ranging from animation like Ice Age 2, Valiant (currently showing) to fantasy (Chronicles of Narnia – the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), and other films (Pink Panther, The Truth About Love) etc.

Whew! These are more than enough to keep me busy!