We welcome the creation of local film festivals in the country as they showcase unique Filipino traditions and ingenuity on the big screen. September is the Philippine Film Industry Month and one film festival making a comeback this week, from Sept. 4 to 10, is Sinag Maynila.
Founded by Solar Entertainment president and producer Wilson Tieng and award-winning director Brillante Mendoza, Sinag Maynila presents a variety of regional films to mainstream-friendly premieres.
The five world-premiere full length feature films are What You Did by Joan Lopez-Flores, Talahib (Legend of the Tall Grass) by Alvin Yapan, Salome by Gutierrez Mangansakan II, Maple Leaf Dreams by Benedict Mique, and Banjo by Bryan Wong.
What You Did is the debut film of Joan Lopez-Flores starring Tony Labrusca, Mary Joy Apostol, Epy Quizon, Mercedes Cabral, and Ana Abad Santos. Set during the pandemic, where the whole city was in a lockdown, two young men, both played, by Labrusca suffer the isolation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the loss of job, and coping with a childhood trauma. The claustrophobic condominium and the psychological warfare happening inside Labrusca’s mind triggers the audience to choose between reality and a make-believe world.
Yapan, who is known for Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe (The Rapture of Fe, 2009) and Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (The Dance of Two Left Feet, 2011), returns on the big screen with the teen slasher murder mystery Talahib. This is a bloody scream fest, the kind of film for the barkada to experience together. In an abandoned village, a mysterious man slashes and kills his neighbors. Two policemen are assigned to investigate. In a series of paranormal and unexplainable deaths, a group of young teens searches for the ghost killer, opening up family secrets and a painful awakening for its central characters. The film stars Joem Bascon, Gillian Vicencio, and Kristoff Garcia.
Regional filmmaker Mangansakan captures an old scholar’s (Perry Dizon) journey and personal struggles as a researcher and as a father-husband. The slow, quiet film shot in Mindanao is obsessed with a woman named Salome who was seen in a photograph of an exhibition featuring the 500th year of Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines. Is the life of Jose Andres Galicia (Dizon), an art critic and professor worth filming? Mangansakan thinks so as he gives his main character a flaw—an alcoholic who loses his memory. Supporting cast include Tommy Alejandrino, and Dolly de Leon.
The most “commercial” entry is Mique’s migrant film Maple Leaf Dreams, starring Kira Balinger and LA Santos. Canada has opened its doors to foreign students and young couple Macky and Molly take advantage of this. They pack their bags and relocate to Canada. But life seems unfair. Macky doing odd jobs leaves him depressed. Soon, the couple begin to drift apart. Will love keep them together? Mique just had a successful Netflix run, Lolo and the Kid, and we hope he continues doing films that pleases the crowd.
A new discovery is director Bryan Wong, the producer-writer-director-fighting instructor of his action-packed film Banjo. Based in Sarangani Province, Wong is bringing back the traditional action film we have seen during the Erap-FPJ-Lito Lapid days on the big screen. The screenplay of Banjo is nothing new, the cast are unknown, but Wong’s passion in the martial arts, boxing, etc. is all over his creation. The never-ending drug cartel theme creates havoc on two brothers as they go undercover. Guns, girls, and blood are the film’s sure-fire recipe to gain attention.
We have both seen Sheron Dayoc’s The Gospel of the Beast and J.E. Tiglao’s Her Locket at film festivals and market screenings abroad. These two films are also in competition in the full length category.
Dayoc has matured as a filmmaker as he directs Janssen Magpusao and Ronnie Lazaro in a coming-of-age social drama on violence. Mateo (Magpusao) accidentally kills his schoolmate and looks for Berto (Lazaro) to shield him from the authorities. A syndicate takes care of and trains Mateo. Will peace and justice prevail?
Her Locket stars producer and actress Rebecca Chuaunsu as she narrates her family’s true-to-life story on love, wealth, and relationships. Fighting dementia, Jewel Ouyang (Chuaunsu) urges her lawyer-son to file a case against her brother so she can get her rightful inheritance. A Chinese family drama that is relatable to all generations.
Both Lopez-Flores and Dayoc joined the Full Circle Lab Philippines to develop their respective films. Sinag Maynila gives them a venue to showcase what and how they have developed as filmmakers.
This year’s festival slogan is Sine Lokal, Pang-International in partnership with the City of Manila. Indeed, the variety of films in the selection touches the tastes of a wider audience. We need theatergoers in our local cinemas and Sinag Maynila offers a diversity of genres for all.