Young Pinoy filmmakers
LET’S GET to know seven more new filmmakers who are screening their first full-length narrative movies at the Cinemalaya indie film fest starting July 12:
Michiko Yamamoto, a graduate of the Film Development Foundation’s Screenwriting Workshop, is best known as the writer of the much-awarded film, “Magnifico.” The inspiring drama’s screenplay won first prize in the 2001 FDFPI scriptwriting contest. She was then tapped to work for Viva and Star Cinema, as well as on some telenovelas, including the current hit, “Mga Anghel na Walang Langit.”
In her Cinemalaya film, “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros,” the purity of first love is pitted against the squalor and corruption of the big city.
Maxi, an adolescent gay, is slavishly devoted to his family of small-time criminals. He does all of the household chores, and also covers up for them so they won’t get caught.
His world revolves around them-until he meets Victor, a principled cop. Victor a better life. In the process, however, he earns the ire of Maxi’s family.
Emmanuel dela Cruz has won screenwriting and short film awards, and has worked on a number of TV shows. His film, “Sarong Banggi,” opens with a barkada of teenage boys in search of carnal pleasure.
One of them strikes up a conversation with an older woman. As the night grows deeper, so does their relationship. In the end, the teenager loses his virginity, and the mature woman rediscovers her vulnerability.
Michael Angelo P. Dagnalan has written scripts for television and directed a digital short feature. His film, “Isnats,” is about the effects of technology on Filipinos. A principal character is a snatcher and small-time pickpocket who meddles in drug-related activity, and finds himself way over his head.
Byron Bryant has worked in film and on TV. His film, “Baryoke,” shows how a sleepy village is turned upside-down by a videoke machine, which revives some women’s self-worth and enables them to overcome their repression.
Sigfried Barros-Sanchez has done extensive work in TV and film. He makes good use of this experience in his film, “Lasponggols,” which is about two lowly movie workers who trick the residents of a small town to bankroll the “big” film that they’re shooting.
Mario Cornejo and Coreen Jimenez’s film, “Big Time,” follows the misadventures of two small-time criminals who stage a simple kidnapping that escalates into three days of fun, games and death.
Support these new feature filmmakers’ first full-length films by watching them during the Cinemalaya indie film fest’s run at the CCP from July 12 to 17. Talent needs to be showcased and boosted in order to come into its own, and this is where we must all come in. [source]