Such were the primary concerns of Agos Media, which was initiated by the award-winning visual artist, blogger, teacher and polymath Bon Labora and my own BVV8 Media Productions.

We made three casting calls in the towns of Tumauini and Cabagan in Isabela and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, but public reception was cold. We did the searches in a barangay hall and the biggest mall in Tumauini, but the locals hardly warmed to the prospect. They were simply starstruck teenyboppers wanting to quickly be in the limelight, through the accessibility that TikTok offers.

We announced the auditions online, on radio, and in the daily vlogs (commonly regarded as the in-thing these days) of a popular DJ in town. We put up tarps in conspicuous locations, particularly in places where people milled around. But our efforts were in vain: Only two malnourished but enthusiastic colleens who were at the beck and call of our contact person showed up.

Of course, we were familiar with the ads and promos of major media networks—TV5’s “Artista Search,” ABS-CBN’s “Star Quest” or reality show “Pinoy Big Brother,” GMA 7’s “Star Struck”—and their regional and provincial touring groups as well as independent multimedia entities looking for talents.

In these campaigns, the locals would flock to the search site at the drop of a hat. Ours paled in comparison with their marketing strategies. But we persisted.

We relied on personal recommendations, and finally began the acting workshop in the first weekend of March. Vida Verde, our conduit in the film project, was very accommodating and supportive of our pursuits. (Unfamiliar with Vida? She is the cancer survivor and sexy actress who became popular in the mid-‘80s through such skin flicks as “Nene,” “Desperada,” “Katawang Putik,” and “Raid: Casa.”)

See: Remember Vida Verde, sexy actress of the ’80s?

Vida, who wants to pursue her idled acting career, is now based in Tumauini. She will play the healer in the film tentatively titled “Pasasalamat.” We plan to shoot the entire full-length feature in Tumauini in the next few months by locking in the cast, including Vida, and crew.

In her enthusiasm and in an attempt to be an example to the girls, Vida joined the acting workshop that started hours after the 9 a.m. schedule.

The two eager-beaver girls were the early birds at 11 a.m. Then, after a few minutes, three other girls appeared courtesy of a former barangay (village) health worker who confided that she needed work after her services were terminated by the officials of Barangay Arcon.

My basic acting exercise consisted of introducing oneself by singing one’s complete name to the tune of “Happy Birthday,” “Bahay Kubo,” and “Leron-Leron Sinta.”

It was fun, but the girls mostly couldn’t get through singing an ordinary song the way they would a pop tune. They were shy, or lacking in confidence. There were other exercises but the girls did not perform well. Understandable: They were, after all, new to acting workshops.

But we never say die. In the orientation, we emphasized that the acting workshop was not solely intended for them to become film or TV actors, although it’s part of our objectives. We told them the workshop is for personality development as well.

With a limited budget, Vida and I bought food for the workshop participants, of which they partook. But in the afternoon, the three girls did not show up anymore. The earlier promise of one of them that she would invite their male classmates and peers went up in smoke.

The next day, only one girl came. She brought along a companion who was not interested in the workshop. We encouraged her to take part even for a few minutes. She did, and then she left to go to church.

John Paul Coronel, Vida’s adopted son, joined the workshop for a short while just to get the feel of it. When no one came anymore, we decided to call it a day—until the former barangay health worker appeared with a boy and a girl. But they were more interested in eating than acting. 

Vida was alternately disappointed and angry.

She lamented that thereabouts, people seemed to want money immediately. “How saddening,” she said in Filipino. “When I started in showbiz, I was paid little. But I persevered because I wanted to be an actress. If ABS-CBN or GMA would conduct auditions here, oh my, they would line up even if they’re shy.”

Our productions have yet to become well-known, which was why we were largely ignored by would-be stars. We know that establishing our reputation and credibility will take time. But we are not quitting because we are convinced that what we are doing is worthwhile.

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But what about Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano who took command of what was left of Magellan’s fleet? Elcano skippered the Victoria along with 18 original crew members (plus four Asians picked en route) back to Spain on Sept. 6, 1522, after Magellan was killed on Mactan Island 17 months earlier.

Magellan is generally credited with the first circumnavigation of the globe, not because he outlined the navigation of that journey of nearly three years but because years earlier, he already reached the Spice Islands using the only route known to the Europeans—a trip that goes eastward and around Africa to India and finally to Southeast Asia. 

His last voyage went the other way—a westward passage that goes toward the tip of South America, across the vast Pacific Ocean, and thence to the Visayan islands of the Philippines. 

Magellan’s circumnavigation was not exactly a point A to point A journey since he completed the route in two different directions and over the course of several years and numerous voyages. But because there is no rule on this matter, he wins on technicality.

Enrique de Malacca

Not so fast, says Filipino indie movie pioneer Kidlat Tahimik. 

In his film, “Balikbayan #1,” Tahimik poses a fascinating thought experiment: What if Magellan’s most trusted servant, Enrique de Malacca, actually accomplished this historic pioneering feat?

“Magellan completed only 99% of his voyage because he died in Mactan and did not finish the last 800 kilometers that would have brought him to the Moluccas,” Tahimik said at the film’s special screening at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila on March 16, the day in 1521 when Magellan “discovered” the country and claimed it for the Spanish crown.

And who was Enrique? In the film, Tahimik imagines him as an Ifugao boy who paraglided—using his Ifugao handwoven blanket—from the Cordillera mountains to the province of Cebu. From Cebu, per Tahimik’s story, the boy finds his way to Malacca (Malaysia) where he becomes a servant of a Malay furniture trader. He is sold to Magellan when the latter comes looking for a wooden chest at the store.

Tahimik himself plays the role of Enrique in this film that he started crafting in 1979, using 16mm, 8mm and hi-8 cameras, plus VHS, mini-DVs, and even a tiny Japanese-made video camera and iPad. The result reminds the viewer of the silent movies of the 1920s, with title cards and film grain texture.

According to Tahimik, his research for the film led him to believe that Enrique, bought by Magellan in Malacca at about 14 or 16 years of age, was treated with respect. The boy accompanied Magellan wherever he was posted—in Goa, India, then to Mozambique in southeastern Africa, and to Morocco in north Africa—and took part in the Portuguese battles against the Moors. 

The two eventually ended up in Europe. In 1518, Magellan succeeded in convincing the Spanish monarchy to fund his expedition (after being rejected by the Portuguese authorities from whom he had originally sought support).

Related: Miguel Faustmann: gentle lion of the theater

Like an OFW

“When Magellan departed Spain in 1519, Enrique was listed with the fleet as interpreter and was in fact being paid on a per-month basis. This may mean he was no longer a slave but a guest worker, much like our overseas Filipino workers today,” kidlat Tahimik said, adding that he had also checked the writings of Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta who was with Magellan in the 1519 voyage.

Although Enrique was from Malacca, the truth about his origin is still debated by historians. Said kidlat Tahimik: “There’s a huge possibility that he is most likely a Filipino–this is of course meaningless because at that time, the category ‘Filipino’ had not been coined yet. But here’s one interesting chronicle: When Magellan’s expedition reached the Philippines, the crew was surprised to learn that Enrique could understand and speak the indigenous people’s language (Visayan).” 

kidlat Tahimik said Enrique’s understanding of the local language facilitated Magellan’s alliance with the leaders of the island where his ship dropped anchor, and played a key role in the mass baptism of the natives.

Enrique disappeared from European records days after the killing of Magellan on April 27, 1521. “Enrique survived the massacre in Mactan but never went with the crew, so he must have come back to Malacca, or even settled in Cebu, as he was by that time a free man,” said kidlat Tahimik.

Magellan declared in his will and testament that upon his death, Enrique was “to be free of every obligation of captivity and subjection, and slavery… that from the day of my death thence forward… shall be evermore free, exempt and relieved of every obligation of slavery and subjection, that he may act as he wants and thinks fit.”

He also allocated 10,000 maravedis (a medieval Spanish monetary unit) from his estate for Enrique, proving a relationship that went beyond master and slave, according to kidlat Tahimik.

“Balikbayan #1” is a fun and thought-provoking film that showed the possibility of a slave succeeding in doing what his master, the colonizer Magellan, failed to achieve. 

With Enrique de Malacca as the first person to do the 360-degree circumnavigation of the earth in one direction, kidlat Tahimik posits that the singular achievement reverses the colonialist and Eurocentric narratives.

The post Kidlat Tahimik’s ‘Balikbayan #1’ reverses the colonialist narrative appeared first on CoverStory.

Asians won the top awards in the annual derby, with Malaysian Michelle Yeoh taking home the Best Actress plum for the seriocomic “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” It was the first time ever for an Asian woman.

The movie, described by critics and avid moviegoers worldwide as sci-fi and surreal, won for Ke Huy Quan, a Vietnamese of Chinese origins, the Best Supporting Actor award.

It was voted Best Picture, and one of the two men who shared the Best Director award, Daniel Kwan, is Chinese (his co-director, Daniel Scheinert, is an American).

Sure, Americans Brendan Fraser and Jamie Lee Curtis clinched the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards for “The Whale” and “Everything Everywhere …”, respectively. But the movements of winners onstage displayed Asian hegemony in the US awards season. (Earlier, the Golden Globes, National Board of Review, and Screenwriters Guild of America also chose Yeoh and other Asian film workers in “Everything Everywhere” for their top awards.)

Does this mean that people of color have finally made it on the big screen and the wider, bigger Hollywood, where whites have reigned all these decades? Is this the sweet revenge of the colored population of the imperial illusion-making machine? 

According to Filipino British filmmaker Jowee Morel, the results of the 2023 Oscars were a political decision. “All the while, Hollywood has disregarded Asians and other minorities in the awards race. Now, Hollywood has decided to finally recognize them,” said Jowee from his farm in Laguna.

Related: An Emmy nomination for a film all Filipinos should watch

Filipino talents

Many Filipinos, at home or in the diaspora, expressed pride at the Asian victory in the Oscars. 

They cited the inclusion of Filipino actress Dolly de Leon in the elusive nomination sheets of the Golden Globes, Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), National Society of Film Critics, etc. for her sterling portrayal of the toilet lady in “Triangle of Sadness.” That satirical film by Swedish director Ruben Ostlund earlier triumphed in Cannes and was nominated as well in this year’s Oscars.

And Dolly had a special seat at the Dolby ceremony.

There are also filmmakers of Filipino descent who are sought after abroad and particularly in Hollywood, like the cinematographer Matthew Libatique.

So, are Philippine cinema and its artists finally ready for the big time in the global arena, which has been harped on and hyped every time a Filipino wins or is noticed in international film events?

Sadly, until now, no Filipino film production has hit the heart of foreign audiences in the wider market.

It’s true that Europe has made famous directors of Brillante Ma. Mendoza and Lav Diaz. Jaclyn Jose was 2016 Best Actress in Cannes, and John Arcilla was Volpi Cup Best Actor at the 2021 Venice filmfest. They are the darlings of international film festivals, but they have yet to make it in Hollywood, which is still the biggest market of blockbuster makers.

Not one PH entry

Since the start of the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film contest in 1956, no Philippine entry has ever been nominated or even shortlisted in the Top 10 slots out of hundreds of entries worldwide.

Why is that when we have always asserted that we are world-class talents? Is there politics, or racial issues, in the selection? A shortage of funds for the marketing and promotion of any film sent by the Film Academy of the Philippines, the only Filipino state agency recognized by the American Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (which annually gives out the Oscars)?

Are our film productions hackneyed and rehashed narratives? Of low quality? Lacking in advanced film tech? 

As pointed out by the entertainment writer and filmmaker Will Provinio, the Philippines has rich sociocultural stories, even colorful political materials, which are unexplored, and generally resorts to formula movies that the global market rejects. 

“International filmmakers, producers, marketers and investors have long warned against commercial productions, that these will not sit well with wider audiences abroad,” Will said.

Will the Asian victories in the recent Oscars finally pull the Philippine movie industry out of the world-cinema cellar? Or are our movies only good for local viewing? (Of course, pandemic or not, many Filipino films have flopped at the local box office.)

Hope springs eternal.

The post Where is PH in world cinema map? appeared first on CoverStory.

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the government agency that organizes the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) in December, has no qualms about green-lighting the staging of the event this summer.

With health protocols eased as coronavirus cases decline, the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (SMMFF) has been scheduled for April 8-18 by the MMDA, in cooperation with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines. Only Filipino film entries to the festival will be shown in all cinemas nationwide during the period.

The maiden edition of the SMMFF was to have been held on April 11-20, 2020, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The idea was proposed by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, then a member of the MMFF executive committee, to encourage local filmmakers to make more movies, and was designed, projected, assessed, and implemented by the MMDA. 

And then the health crisis occurred. The event was nipped in the bud and moved to a later date, but questions arose:  How can a summer film festival be mounted in the rainy season, or even in the fourth quarter when the regular MMFF should be in full swing?

The succeeding two years were not yet conducive to holding the SMMFF, whether online (not ideal for commercial showing as moviegoers were not yet used to digital screening) or off (the coronavirus was still raging and assemblies or big gatherings such as film festivals were not encouraged).

Official entries

For this year’s SMMFF, actress and industry leader Boots Anson Roa and MMFF chair Don Artes have announced the eight official entries: 

• “Apag,” starring Coco Martin, Lito Lapid, Jaclyn Jose, Gladys Reyes, Gina Pareño and Joseph Marco. Directed by Brillante Ma. Mendoza. From Centerstage Production.
• “About Us but Not About Us,” starring Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas. Directed by Jun Robles Lana. From Octoberian Films, The Ideafirst Co, and Quantum Films.
• “Kahit Maputi na Ang Buhok Ko: The Music of Rey Valera,” starring RK Bagatsing, Meg Imperial, Gelli de Belen, Ariel Rivera and Christopher de Leon. Directed by Joven Tan. From Saranggola Media Production.
• “Unravel: A Swiss Side Love Story,” starring Gerald Anderson and Kylie Padilla. Directed by RC de los Reyes. From Mavx Productions.
• “Yung Libro Sa Napanood Ko,” starring Bela Padilla and Yoo Min-gon. Directed by Bela Padilla. From Viva Communications Inc.
• “Love You Long Time,” starring Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano. Directed by JP Habac. From Studio Three Sixty Inc.
• “Here Comes the Groom,” starring Enchong Dee, Miles Ocampo, Eugene Domingo, Maris Racall, Awra Briguella, Xilhouette and KaladKaren. Directed by Christopher Martinez. From Quantum Films, Cineko Productions and Brightlight Productions.
• “Single Bells,” starring Angeline Quinto, Aljur Abrenica and Alex Gonzaga. Directed by Fifth Solomon. From TinCan Productions.

The films were selected based on the MMFF criteria of artistic excellence (40%), commercial appeal (40%), Filipino cultural sensibility (10%) and global appeal (10%).

How will the audience receive the films in the initial SMMFF? What films will enjoy box-office returns or critical acclaim?

‘Content matters’

Unlike the regular MMFF where films are shown during the yearend holidays and whole families including children want to celebrate Christmas by watching movies, what would compel them to shell out their precious pesos in theaters in the summer, and in these austere times?

Film-industry analysts or simple folk for whom cinema is mere entertainment would note that there’s no Vice Ganda or Vic Sotto in the cast lineups. 

But wait! Remember that the blockbuster in the 2022 MMFF was “Deleter,” a technofantasy that featured only Nadine Lustre—who has had her share of flops in the past—and a host of newbies. Directed by the maverick Mikhail Red, it toppled the likes of Vice Ganda and even Joey de Leon.

An all-star cast of good thespians (no superstars) in the drama “Family Matters” was also a factor in the good earnings of the project, which was also critically acclaimed.

These eclectic SMMFF entries must have some attractions. “Content matters,” as entertainment journalist Will Provinio would assert. 

Or dare we say that the selection in the pilot SMMFF is akin to the choices of Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino stalwart Nicanor G. Tiongson as selection committee chair in the 2016 MMFF, where well-meaning, well-crafted, and mostly indie productions made money at the tills?

Let’s hope for the best for these entries to the summer film gig.

The post How will the Metro film festival set in April fare? appeared first on CoverStory.

Since it was established in 1976, the Manunuri has changed shallow notions of what Philippine cinema is about and has pursued its mission consistently, as gleaned from the 45th Gawad Urian at the Cine Adarna, University of the Philippines’ Film Center, in Diliman last Nov. 8.  

The group gave nine of the 15 Urian awards to the internationally acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Erik Matti’s “On the Job: The Missing 8,” a story of the local media’s crucial role in the political landscape of a town in the Philippines, where a journalist investigates the disappearance of his colleagues and the murder of a publisher-editor of a community paper.

According to the Manunuri’s criteria for Best Film, Matti’s film “reflects the creative integration of the elements of cinema to an eminent degree.”

‘Truthful portrayal’

“Films should be judged on how effectively they fuse content and form,” the Manunuri said. “The content of the film is considered effective if it is a truthful portrayal of the human condition as perceived by the Filipino experience to which the greater number of moviegoers can relate.”

“OTJ: The Missing 8” also garnered awards for Best Director (Matti), Best Actor (John Arcilla), Best Supporting Actress (Lotlot de Leon), Best Supporting Actor (Dante Rivero), Best Screenplay (Michiko Yamamoto), Best Editing (Jay Halili) in a tie with “Walang Kasarian ang Digmang Bayan” (Gerone Centeno and Jay Altarejos), Best Music (Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez and Arvin Nogueras), and Best Sound (Corrine de San Jose).

The other awards were for Best Actress (Yen Santos in “A Faraway Land”), Best Cinematography (Carlo Canlas Mendoza in “Big Night”), Best Production Design (Whammy Alcazaren in “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”), and Best Short Film (Arden Rod Condez in “Dandansoy”). 

Filipino animator Roque Federizon Lee, also known as Roxlee, was presented the “Natatanging Gawad Urian,” or the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Just for entertainment?

Despite the Manunuri’s avowed social responsibility, the sad reality is that most Filipinos fail to grasp the critics’ objectives because of the lingering orientation that watching films, along with their subliminal effects, is simply for entertainment.

And how can one ignore the fact that the likes of actors Joseph Estrada, Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla and his son and namesake Ramon Revilla Jr., and Robin Padilla won by wide margins in past nationwide elections because the voters, mostly of the hoi polloi, believe that their screen heroes are actual saviors who can, as political leaders, deliver the nation from oppression and injustice?

As critics, the members of the Manunuri aim to “examine Filipino films, bolster the interest of the masses and the Philippine film industry, study and celebrate the achievement that will help define the good Filipino film, and cultivate the knowledge and skills that the film medium was designed for.”

For them, the cinematic work is “a medium of communication and expression of our culture according to the standards and conditions of filmmaking in our country.”

Thus, the Gawad Urian is a social responsibility to the Filipino people.

Mirroring social realities 

Sadly, however, the Gawad Urian is still mistakenly likened by most Filipinos to the Famas or Star Awards. Movie awards are still considered glitz and glam, hardly for enlightenment and social change.

Evidently, it is predominantly in Gawad Urian that an atmosphere for and occasions of protest and truth-telling occur.

At the Manunuri’s recent awards ceremony, Altarejos, in his acceptance speech for winning Best Editing in “Walang Kasarian ang Digmang Bayan,” gave voice to certain realities, saying that the film nominees mirrored Philippine society and its quest for reforms. 

Altarejos didn’t mince words. “Filipinos have undergone this deal, not only during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte but also since the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.,” he said. “It’s saddening that after the [May] elections, we didn’t talk about EJK (extrajudicial killings)! We talked about Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. but we didn’t talk about EJKs.” 

Matti had spoken about the relevance of his film even before it was shown at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. In more ways than one, he said the Philippines is what it is today because of corrupt political leadership.

Boy Villasanta writes a column for the weekly OpinYon (https://opinyon.net). —Ed.

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The local version of the hit global franchise has everything you want in drag—fashion, camp, music, talent, drama (oh, the drama!), comedy, culture, heart—and much more. The race to crown the country’s first-ever drag superstar is full of moments of sisterhood, and rich with fun banter among the queens and varying degrees of shade thrown here and there for good measure.

In all, 12 queens make up the “gaggle” (a term for a group of drag queens used by RuPaul, the show’s creator and host of the American version of the franchise) competing in the highly entertaining and engaging reality television show. 

On the surface, the show is full of glamour and glitz, a display of exceptional Filipino talent, with the queens participating in photo shoots, fashion ramp challenges, and lip-sync battles. In a more meaningful and deeper sense, it is a showcase of how progressive and accepting the Philippines is of its LGBTQ+ community, and a celebration of how it celebrates its rainbow brothers and sisters–at least when it comes to entertainment.

Gold mine for memes

Since the show premiered over a week ago, it has dominated online chatter, lighting the conversation on social media. The queens’ top-tier performance, coupled with their antics, is a gold mine for new memes. 

Three episodes in (of a total of 10 for the main show, and an additional 10 episodes for the accompanying behind-the-scenes show “Untucked”), Drag Race Philippines is quickly garnering props for its excellent production, strong cast, and unapologetically gay and distinctly Filipino flavor. 

The casting of Paolo Ballesteros as host is nothing less than perfect, as he is an avid supporter of the Philippine drag scene way before RuPaul’s Drag Race sashayed its way into mainstream consciousness.

The face of the show, Mama Pao (as he is called in the show) looks like he’ll be turning new slang into iconic catchphrases, much like RuPaul did in the original franchise. There’s the “Mabu-heeeeeey!” line with which Mama Pao often greets the queens—a play on the Filipino “Mabuhay!” greeting, which is bound to be part of local pop culture in no time.

The 12 queens are extremely talented, too, oozing with personality and sass. Rightly so, as all of them have been performing for years in some of the metro’s hippest gay clubs. The opening scene of the pilot episode in particular was a joy to watch. One by one, the queens introduced themselves, none of them the wiser on who would be emerging from backstage next. Most of them have known each other for a while—some as “mothers” and others as “daughters” in the field; others have unresolved personal issues, which is where most of the drama comes from.

But the main show does not dwell too much on melodrama, instead focusing on the actual challenges at hand. That’s a good thing, as that’s what “Untucked” will be for. 

Glittering roster of judges

Kudos, too, for the selection of the judges, led by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Jiggly Caliente and comedian-entertainer KaladKaren. Together, the two make Drag Race Philippines the first international version of the hit show to feature two trans women as permanent judges.

Editorial photographer BJ Pascual, high fashion designer Rajo Laurel, and premier impersonator and actor Jon Santos complete the lineup of rotating judges.

Then there are the sumptuous guest judges. The pilot episode saw singer, entertainer, TV host and actor Pops Fernandez sit on the panel. Comedian and actor Pokwang made an appearance in the second installment. Actor, singer, and dancer Nadine Lustre looked stunning as a guest judge in the third episode.

Other guest judges that fans of the show should look forward to include Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, and the Unkabogable Phenomenal Star Vice Ganda.  

So far, judging has been on point, with judges critiquing the queens’ performance fairly and intelligently. If a queen turns out a less than stellar performance, she’ll find herself in the bottom two and up for elimination, even if she makes for good TV.

Produced by Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc. in conjunction with World of Wonder Productions, Inc., Drag Race Philippines joins existing formats in Thailand, Chile, Canada, Holland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, and Italy. The show exclusively streams on WOW Presents Plus, Discovery+, and HBO Go.

All things said and done, it’s refreshing to hear the word “bading”—unfortunately often used as a derogatory term in entertainment—uttered in a show so casually and in such a positive light. If only for that, the LGBTQ+ community is the true winner of the competition, and Drag Race Philippines is a game-changer in Philippine television.

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