Seven movies, four of which will be directed by first-time full-length filmmakers, have been chosen as finalists of the 2010 Cinema One Originals, which will be held on the second week of November.

This year’s festival lineup comprises “Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria Kirschbaum” by directors Remton Siega Zuasola and Bambi Beltran; “Astro Mayabang” by JP Laxamana; “Third World Happy,” EJ Salcedo; “Dagim,” Joaquin Valdes; “Ishmael,” Richard Somes; “Tsardyer,” Sig Sanchez; and “Layang Bilanggo,” Michael Angelo Dagnalan.

An eight-member selection committee chose from a total of over a hundred entries this year, said Cinema One channel head Ronald Arguelles, also a committee member.

Also part of the selection team is Teddy Co of the National Center for Culture and the Arts; Jinky Laurel, writer of “Last Supper No. 3;” Raymond Diamzon, ABS-CBN creative writer; Chits Jimenez, film producer; Michael Vergara, MYX creative promo head; and Cinema One staff members Kathleen Pador and Richmond Garcia.

“Zuasola, Valdes, Salcedo and Laxamana will all be directing their first feature films this year,” Arguelles told Inquirer Entertainment. “We abandoned the idea of having a film fest theme a long time ago in order to accommodate new works from our filmmakers. In terms of content and genre, this year’s lineup is very varied. This was how the selection committee decided on the finalists.”

Arguelles also reported that the word “digital” has been deleted in the event name. “This was because we also feature titles in the film format,” he explained. Cinema One Originals has produced award-winning works such as “Confessional,” “Huling Balyan ng Buhi, “Rome & Juliet,” “Tambolista,” among others.

 

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