Maybe you have not watched Mumbaki (1996), a movie that starred Raymart Santiago as a doctor who returns to his hometown in Ifugao to bury his father, a chieftain killed in a conflict with a rival community.

Perhaps you have not heard of Abong: Small Home (2003), either, a movie by Japanese director Imaizumi Koji and Baguio screenwriter Cristina Segnaken.

Mumbaki was released as a mainstream movie so it is more likely to be known. Abong was only shown in Baguio and other localities in the Philippine Cordillera since it was too small a project compared. OK, it got as far as New York and Bangkok, but you got the point. It was too indie.

Ay Ayeng, on the other hand is something in between: an indie movie premiered in Hawaii and also shown in Berlin, but didn’t get much exposure when it was shown in Manila. Nevertheless, it is in the running for several awards in the 57th Annual FAMAS Awards, namely Best Director (Ed Palmos), Best Actress (Heart Evangelista), Best Supporting Actress (Isabel Lopez), Best Child Actress (Jessica Mae Flores) and Best Child Actor (Alvin Christian Flores).

According to Eduardo Palmos, the director of the movie, the story of “Ay Ayeng” was inspired by the life of Macli-ing Dulag, a tribal leader during the Marcos dictatorship who fought against the destruction of Chico Dam.

Update:

Heart Evangelista grabbed the Best Actress trophy at the 57th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Gabi ng Parangal on Oct. 18. She played the role of a teacher in Mountain Province.

Other contenders for the award were Sharon Cuneta for “Caregiver”, Anne Curtis for “Baler”, Dawn Zulueta for “Magkaibigan”, Judy Ann Santos for “Ploning” and Melissa Mendez for “Kalakal”.

By the way, ever heard of Igorota (1968)?

Now it’s Inquirer’s time to goof:

While he was comfortable talking about politics, Aquino wants to keep his love life private.

He said he already asked his youngest sister and popular TV host Kris not discuss his love life in public.

“I talked to my sister and I did ask her that’s the part of my life that I want to be private as it can’t develop in the public like in a fishball . I think she understood it…She texted me and apologized,” said the senator. [Maila Ager, Inquirer]

PEP, an entertainment site, entertains us all by turning it into a “brewing controversy.” Erwin Santiago reads a blog entry (over at Chuvaness) and since he probably has nothing much to write about, composed the link/flame bait.

The Philippine Star writes it correctly:

Noynoy said he had talked with Kris and “I did ask her that that is the part of my life that I want to be private.”

“(It cannot develop) you know in a fish bowl and I think she understood it and she agreed. She texted me and she (Kris) apologized… I’m used to it (his sisters being focused on him) and I’ve talked to Shalani,” Noynoy said. [Aurea Calica, Philippine Star]

Someone commented that Chuvaness is connected to the Erap camp.

This is what happens when you have nothing bad to say about a candidate. He has vanishing hair, unpressed pants and unimpressive rhetoric. Nothing heavy. So when a goofy news writer hovering about him makes a mistake, he absorbs the error.

Kinatay is a movie about 24 hours of a policeman’s life. He gets married in the morning then gets to help the older policemen in raping and hacking a prostitute to pieces then spreading the body parts around Manila.

His last year’s movie was Serbis, a movie about a porn theater in where else but Manila.

Previous Cannes entries from the Philippines
1978 Insiang (Lino Brocka)
1980 Jaguar (Lino Brocka)
1981 Bona (Lino Brocka)
1984 Bayan Ko: Kapit Sa Patalim (Lino Brocka)

Mendoza also directed

• Tirador (2007),
• Foster Child (2007),
• Manoro and Kaleldo (2006), and
• Masahista (2005).

Cannes 2009

Palme d’Or (Golden Palm Award): Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon) by Michael Haneke (Austria)
Grand Prix: Un Prophete (A Prophet) by Jacques Audiard (France)
Jury Prize: Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold; Bak-Jwi (Thirst) by Park Chan-Wook

Un Certain Regard:Police Adjective by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania) –top jury prize

Philippine entry:
Independencia by Raya Martin, a historical drama starring Sid Lucero and Tetchie Agbayani

Screened with 10 others, but not in competition:
Manila by Adolfo Alix Jr. and Raya Martin, starring Piolo Pascual

Short films:
Sabongero by Filipino-American Janice Perez
Manong Maong by Aissa Penafiel and Miguel Ocampo

62nd Cannes Film Festival
May 14- 24, 2009
France

Are they building a database which they can sell later to electoral advertisers?

How far is PLDT involved here?

How spammed is akomismo.org wall of commitmemt so far?

Ako mismo magrerefer ng chart ni mam lani -- Jayson Comia

Ako mismo ang kakain ng nilulkuto ko kahit hindi masarap -- Bob Santiago

Ako mismo gusto magkaron ng dog tag ng akomismo -- Justin Abela

Ako mismo Magkakalat ako sa lansangan -- Annabelle Loorluis

Related articles:

• Ad agency behind patriotic web campaign — inquirer.net
• ‘Ako Mismo’ campaign questioned over privacy — abscbnnews.com

Short Film Corner
Janice Y. Perez’s “Sabongero”
Aissa Peñafiel and Miguel Ocampo’s “Manong Maong” –animated short

Un Certen Regard (URC)
special section in the Main Competition
Raya Martin’s “Indepedencia”

Special screening
Bing Lao’s “Biyaheng Lupa” — soliloquy
Raymond Red’s “Himpapawid”
Adolfo Alix, Jr. and Raya Martin’s “Manila”

Palme d’Or (in Competition)
Brillante (Dante) Mendoza’s “Kinatay” (”Chop Chop”)

Complete List of Finalists:

• “Los Abrazos Rotos” (Broken Embraces) by Pedro Almodovar (Spain)
• “Fish Tank” by Andrea Arnold (Britain)
• “Un Prophete” (A Prophet) by Jacques Audiard (France)
• “Vincere” (To Conquer) by Marco Bellocchio (Italy)
• “Bright Star” by Jane Campion (New Zealand)
• “Map of the Sounds of Tokyo” by Isabel Coixet (Spain)
• “A l’Origine” (In the Beginning) by Xavier Giannoli (France)
• “Das Weisse Band” (The White Ribbon) by Michael Haneke (Germany)
• “Taking Woodstock” by Ang Lee (Taiwan-United States)
• “Looking for Eric” by Ken Loach (Britain)
• “Spring Fever” by Lou Ye (China)
• “Kinatay” (Butchered) by Brillante Mendoza (Philippines)
• “Soudain le Vide” (Enter the Void) by Gaspar Noe (France)
• “Bak-Jwi” (Thirst) by Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
• “Les Herbes Folles” (Wild Grasses) by Alain Resnais (France)
• “The Time That Remains” by Elia Suleiman (Palestinian)
• “Inglourious Basterds” by Quentin Tarantino (United States)
• “Vengeance” by Johnnie To (Hong Kong)
• “Visages” (Face) by Tsai Ming-Liang (Malaysia)
• “Antichrist” by Lars von Trier (Denmark)

Alin ang mas matimbang?

Marian Rivera will try to outshine Angel Locsin once again as she is crowned as television’s new Darna.

Rivera’s forthcoming role was officially announced by GMA-7 on April 23rd at the GMA Network Center. She was the lead star in Marimar and Dyesebel. Both stories were supposed to be for Angel Locsin, but she moved over to ABS-CBN 2.

Darna and Dyesebel are originally made for komiks by Mars Ravelo, but eventually became hit movies. Previously, only Vilma Santos was able to play both Darna and Dyesebel (in separate shows, naturally).

February 26 and 27, 2009 — CSI, the City Mall, Lucao, Dagupan
March 3 and 4, 2009 — SM City Baguio
March 9 and 10, 2009 — LCC Mall Naga

March 12 to 13, 2009 — SM Iloilo
March 15 and 16, 2009 — SM City Cebu
March 18 to 19, 2009 — SM Davao

March 23 to 24, 2009 — SM Lipa, Batangas
March 27 to 28, 2009 — SM North EDSA, Quezon City
March 29 to 30, 2009 — SM Mall of Asia

If you are 18 years old and above, physically and mentally fit, and can last in unfamiliar terrain for 39 days.

Now Gary Granada is saying that GMA Kapuso Foundation took advantage of a study tape he submitted and when compared with the jingled that came out on TV before Christmas 2008, it’s like Pinoy Ako all over again.

Granada is a talent of GMA Records, the music label of GMA Network.

Also:

Ad Agency: DDB Philippines

Creative Team:
GADC (McDo Clients) : Margot Torres / Christina Lao / Mel Montemayor
Creatives : Teeny Gonzales – ECD-Copy / Argem Vinuya – Sr. Art Director
Accounts : Tey San Diego / Wella Balagtas / Lester Obice
Producer : Irene Chingcuangco
Director : Stephen Ngo
Prod House : Provill / Sound Design
Caster : Enrich Munchua
Musical Work : “Ang Huling El Bimbo” by Ely Buendia

Actor: Gino dela Pena