Written by Lynda Casimiro, Lola is about "two elderly women [who] bear the consequences of a crime involving their respective grandsons--one is the victim, the other is the suspect." The film stars Anita Linda (as Lola Sepa), Rustica Carpio (as Lola Puring), Tanya Gomez, Jhong Hilario, and Ketchup Eusebio.

    Fresh from his win as Best Director in Cannes (for Kinatay, written by Bing Lao), Dante is the first Filipino to compete in both Cannes and Venice festivals in the same year. This is a feat for the Philippine independent cinema as another film, Pepe Diokno's Engkwentro, competes in the Orizzonti section of the festival--the same competition which was won by Lav Diaz (for Melancholia) in 2008.

    Lola is vying for the Golden Lion, the festival's highest prize for best film, and is up against entries by liberal documentarian Michael Moore (Capitalism: A Love Story), American gore master George Romero (Survival of the Dead), Oscar-winning Italian auteur Giuseppe Tornatore (Baaria), and acclaimed German director Werner Herzog (with two competition films: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?).

    The Venezia 66 festival jury president is Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) whom Dante defeated in Cannes for the best director plum earlier this year.