Independent film festival Sinag Maynila was born from the vision
of Solar Entertainment Corporation, CEO Wilson Tieng and renowned festival director Brillante Mendoza’s wish to have a festival that not only inspires
but educates and enlightens Filipino movie audiences. Made up of five homegrown
filmmakers handpicked and closely collaborated with by Tieng and Mendoza, the
festival produced feature films that presented social issues currently faced in
Filipino culture. After a successful run last March, the films have gone on to
garner attention both in the country and abroad thanks to their compelling
narrative.
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| (L-R) Moroccan actor Younes Megri, Festival International Du Film De Bruxelles jury president & Hollywood actor Holt McCallany, and director Brillan |
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| Balut Country premiered at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival last October which was also attended by the film’s main actor Rocco Nacino (2) |
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| Balut Country premiered at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival last October which was also attended by the film’s main actor Rocco Nacino |
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| Sinag Maynila films representatives with Direk Brillante Mendoza (top row middle), Lawrence Fajardo (top row right), and Paul Sta. Ana (top row left |
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| The team behind the film Imbisibol by Lawrence Fajardo (middle) at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (2) |
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| The team behind the film Imbisibol by Lawrence Fajardo (middle) at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival |
Winner of the Best Picture Award
at Sinag Maynila, “Imbisibol” by Lawrence Fajardo was invited for a screening
at the Stockholm International Film
Festival in Sweden last November 11. It also premiered at the 40th Toronto International Film
Festival (TIFF) at the Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto, Canada as it
vied to win in the Contemporary World Cinema Programme last September. A screening
was also held at the 28th Tokyo
International Film Festival and Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival in Japan. The film trains the spotlight on four undocumented Filipinos in Japan and their plight to escape
deportation. The cast is led by JM De Guzman, Ces Quesada, Bernardo Bernardo, Allen
Dizon and Ricky Davao. Imbisibol
will have screenings in Iloilo: Dec 1-6 Davao: Dec 15-20 and Baguio: Dec 22, 23,
26, 27, 29, 30.
Another Sinag Maynila film “Balut Country” by Paul Sta.
Ana is invited for a screening
at the All Lights IndiaInternational Film
Festival in India this November. It also premiered at the 28th Tokyo International Film
Festival last October which was also attended by the film’s main
actor Rocco Nacino. He stars as an heir to a duck farm left to him by his late
father in “Balut Country”. The movie follows his difficult decision between
selling the property for his own financial peace or keeping the land and sparing
the farm’s loyal caretakers from displacement.
“Bambanti” by Zig M. Dulay recently
won best film at festival international du film de Brussels. It has also been invited to compete in a
series of film festivals this November— Ourense
International Film Festival in Spain, the Asian Panorama film competition
of International Children’s Film Festival
in India where actor Micko Laurente won The Golden Elephant Trophy for Best
Actor, Festival Des 3 Continents at
Nantes, France, and in the Ajyal Youth
Film Festival in Doha Film Institute, Qatar. The film bagged the Best Film
award in the recent Festival
International du Film de Bruxelles. Bambanti looks at the prejudgment of the rich towards the
poor as mother and son embark to uncover the truth behind a missing watch.
Stars Alessandra de Rossi, Micko Laurente, Julio Diaz, Shamaine Buencamino, and
Lui Manansala.
Invited at the recent Minsk International Film Festival in
Belarus was “Swap” by Remton Zuasola. This film is the only
Asian film to be invited for screening at the Zabaltegi section of the 63rd San Sebastian International Film
Festival in Spain last September 18-26. Swap is also poised for another
international screening in Japan for the upcoming Tokyo Filmex. Shot continuously with no cuts, the movie narrates
the tale of a young father who is torn between solving a crime and committing
another crime in order to save the life of his kidnapped son. Dionne Monsanto,
Matt Daclan and Mon Confiado star in this action-drama.
The 2nd Sinag Maynila Film
Festival will run in May 2016. For more updates, look for Sinag Maynila on
Facebook (SinagMaynila), Twitter (@sinagmaynila), and Instagram
(@sinagmaynila).