MANILA, Philippines—2009 was a watershed year for local independent films, as various works won 29 awards in international festivals.
In a year when scandalous escapades hogged entertainment headlines, as usual, the achievement of Filipino filmmakers abroad is a true cause for celebration.
The rise of Philippine indie films actually began several years back—in smaller, lesser known, but still significant film competitions. But in 2009, Filipino directors copped major prizes in two of the world’s oldest and most prestigious film fests: Cannes and Venice.
In May, Brillante Mendoza won as Best Director in Cannes for “Kinatay”—silencing critics that previously panned “Serbis,” his Cannes entry in 2008. (In October, “Kinatay” won two more awards in the Sitges fest in Spain.)
There were three Filipino films in Cannes’ official selection last year: “Kinatay”; Raya Martin’s “Independencia” in the Un Certain Regard section; and Adolfo Alix Jr. and Martin’s “Manila” in Special Screenings.
Double triumph
Also in Cannes, in the Short Film Corner, Janice Y. Perez’s “Sabongero” and Aissa Peñafiel and Miguel Ocampo’s “Manong Maong” made it, too, as entries.
In September, Pepe Diokno achieved a rare feat, a double win in Venice: The Orizzonti Prize and Lion of the Future honors, for his debut film “Engkwentro.”
All over the world, whether in Chile or Canada, Bangkok or Barcelona, Filipino films made waves.
Another landmark was the inclusion of two Filipino films, Raymond Red’s “Himpapawid” and Jon Steffan Ballesteros’ “Colorum,” in Tokyo—a top-rank international fest as well.
Red’s participation in Tokyo’s main competition was a first after 22 years.
Sobering voice
Everywhere, from Paris to Pusan, from Vladivostok to Thessaloniki, retrospectives on Philippine cinema were held—featuring a healthy variety of Filipino films in exhibition.
Before the year ended, Mendoza scored one more triumph with a Best Film award in Dubai for “Lola,” his surprise entry in Venice.
It’s easy to get lost in the hoopla, but a sobering voice is provided by Red, the first Filipino to win the Palme D’Or in Cannes for his short film, “Anino,” in 2000:
“It’s very inspiring, this emergence of Philippine cinema as a major presence in international fests. We should definitely be proud of this.” But as a regular in international fests since the 1980s, he noted, “I have seen trends come and go.”
Red isn’t alone in cautioning against being cast as “country du jour” in foreign festivals.
Indie director Adolfo Alix Jr. and producer Arleen Cuevas earlier raised the same concern: After the accolades comes the hard work of sustaining global interest.
Noted Red: “We should take advantage of this ‘moment’ to establish our cinema, not for the glamour and prestige that festivals bring, but to discover our cinema as part of a true cultural heritage, a recognized and respectable art form.”
He emphasized the need to “develop a strong national cinema that will survive, with or without international festivals to legitimize it.” Joining foreign tilts, he said, “should be more of a practical move [than] an ultimate goal.”
‘New mainstream’
Here at home, the strong global performance of Filipino indies inevitably signaled a paradigm shift. Unitel head Tony Gloria put it succinctly: “Indie is the new mainstream.”
Gloria, however, quickly pointed out a need to revise, if not expand, the current definition of independent.
“Indie” no longer means experimental, low-budget, gay-erotic, social-realist, art-house films—as they were boxed in public consciousness from the 1970s to the 1990s.
The dawning of the digital age has changed not only the vocabulary, but also the mode of production, of Pinoy movies.
Gloria cited “Kimmy Dora” as the perfect example of an indie production with mainstream gloss that attained considerable mainstream success.
Although “Kimmy Dora” was produced by popular actor Piolo Pascual and directed by Star Cinema mainstay Joyce Bernal, the Eugene Domingo-starrer was suffused with “indie” spirit from start to finish.
For starters, the comedy flick featured a non-traditional yet talented star (Domingo) in a lead role and utilized untested marketing tactics. Domingo recalled promoting via sheer goodwill and a wide network of friends on Facebook.
Strategy
A similar (cyber) strategy was employed by Soxie Topacio’s “Ded na si Lolo,” the most successful of the Sine Direk digital movies produced by the decidedly mainstream APT Entertainment and the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines.
Although it cast mainstream actors in lead roles, none of them were “box-office stars” in the conventional sense. Also, said Topacio, “No mainstream producer would gamble on that story.”
Lead actors Roderick Paulate and Gina Alajar recounted that they also “promoted” “Lolo” on Facebook. “It was not a big-budget movie,” said Paulate. “But the amount of time and the level of talent we devoted to it … it’s as if it were a major studio production.”
At press time, Paulate, Alajar and company are actively campaigning for “Lolo,” the country’s entry in the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film category— again via Facebook and their respective blogs.
Indeed, if there’s one legacy of the indie scene to local movies as a whole, it’s precisely, and preciously, the gift to think out of the box.
RP movies’ global presence in 2009
1) Asian Hot Shots, Berlin, Germany, Best Feature Film Prize: “Jay”
2) Asian Hot Shots, Berlin, Germany, Best Short Film Prize: “God Only Knows”
3) 6th Black Movie Film Festival, Geneva, Switzerland, Audience Award: “Jay”
4) 15th Vesoul International Film Festival, France, Prix Emile Guimet: “100”
5. FICCO International Festival, Mexico, Special Jury Recognition: “Jay”
6) 3rd Asian Film Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Gina Pareño, “Serbis”
7) 62nd Cannes International Film Festival, Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, “Kinatay”
8) 10th Jeonju International Film Festival, Best Film/Woosuk Award: “Imburnal”
9) 10th Jeonju International Film Festival, NETPAC Prize: “Imburnal”
10) 11th Barcelona Asian Film Festival, Best Film, D-Cinema section: “Jay”
11) 11th Barcelona Asian Film Festival, Premio Cinematk/Best Film for Distribution throughout Spain: Brillante Mendoza’s “Serbis”
12) Worldfest Independent International Film Festival in Houston, Texas, Gold Remi Best Picture: “Prinsipe Sabong (Prince of Cockfighting)”
13) Mexico Film Festival, Bronze Palm Award: “Prinsipe Sabong (Prince of Cockfighting)”
14) 66th Venice International Film Festival, Italy, Orizzonti Prize: “Engkwentro”
15) 66th Venice International Film Festival, Italy, Lion of the Future: “Engkwentro”
16) 15th Lyon Asian Film Festival, France, Bronze Grand Prix du Public: “Sanglaan”
17) 15th Lyon Asian Film Festival, France, Silver Prize New Asian Cinema: “Sanglaan”
18) 14th Pusan International Film Festival, Korea, Special Mention: GB Sampedro’s “Astig”
19) 7th Bangkok International Film Festival, Grand Prize in the Southeast Asian section: “Independencia”
20) 7th Bangkok International Film Festival, Thailand, Netpac Prize, Southeast Asian section: “Independencia”
21) 7th Bangkok International Film Festival, Thailand, Special Mention, Southeast Asian section: “Imburnal”
22) 16th Valdivia International Film Fesival, Chile, Special Jury Prize: “Independencia”
23) 16th Valdivia International Film Fesival, Chile, Critics’ Prize: “Independencia”
24) 42nd Sitges International Festival of Fantastic Cinema of Catalonia, Spain, Best Original Soundtrack: Teresa Barrozo, “Kinatay”
25) 42nd Sitges International Festival of Fantastic Cinema of Catalonia, Spain, Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, “Kinatay”
26) 28th Vancouver International Film Festival, Dragons and Tigers Young Cinema Competition, Canada, Special Merit: “Baseco: Bakal Boys.”
27) 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece, Special Mention: “Baseco: Bakal Boys”
28) 27th Torino International Film Festival, Italy, Ciputti Award: “Baseco: Bakal Boys.”
29) 33rd Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt, Golden Award, Digital Competition section, Alvin Yapan’s “Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe”
30) 6th Dubai International Film Festival, Best Film, Muhr Asia-Africa feature film section, Brillante Mendoza’s “Lola”
