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Manila Bulletin

Entertainment

'Village Keeper' to premiere at Santa Barbara Int'l Film Festival

Entertainment

'Village Keeper' to premiere at Santa Barbara Int'l Film Festival

By Jonathan Hicap

“Village Keeper,” a movie produced by Filipino-Canadian Enrique Miguel Baniqued and directed by Karen Chapman, will be premiering at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California.

The film festival opened on Feb. 4 and will run until Feb. 15.

The poster for the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (Photo from (Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

"Village Keeper" (Instagram)

Enrique Miguel Baniqued (Photo courtesy of Brian Van Wyk)

"Village Keeper" Producer Enrique Miguel Baniqued (right) and director Karen Chapman (Photo from Enrique Miguel Baniqued)

“‘Village Keeper’ follows a family confronting secrets of domestic abuse and unresolved rage. When poverty forces Jean to return with her children to her childhood housing project, buried truths and generational struggles come to light,” according to the festival.

The movie will have the following screening schedule:

Sat 2/8 - 5:00 PM - SBIFF Film Center Auditorium #1

Sun 2/9 - 8:20 PM - SBIFF Film Center Auditorium #2

In addition, the “Village Keeper” has been submitted for consideration in 16 categories, including Best Picture and Best First Feature Film, at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards. The nominees will be announced on March 26.

Last December, “Village Keeper” won Best Canadian Feature Film at the Regent Park Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. The award is given “to a Canadian filmmaker whose feature-length work is showing at this year’s festival and is selected for their outstanding work and unique vision.”

“Village Keeper” will be released in Canadian cinemas in March and April.

Related Tags

Village Keeper film Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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