Norte to open CineKasimanwa 2

MANILA, Philippines - Envisioned as a significant annual event to unify filmmakers and merge their collective talents in promoting Region VI’s flourishing film industry, Lav Diaz’s Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan will open the second edition of CineKasimanwa: The Western Visayas Film Festival in Iloilo City on Dec. 8 to run through Dec. 14. Screenings will be held at the SM City Cinema, Film Development Council of the Philippines Iloilo Cinematheque and Philippines in the Visayas Cinematheque.

Exploring themes of crime, social class and family, the four-hour plus drama tackles the disillusionment of Fabian (Sid Lucero) with his country’s history of revolutions marred by unpunished betrayal and crimes that drives him to the edge of sanity as wife Eliza (Angeli Agbayani) fends for the family.

Premiered at Cannes’ Un Certain Regards, Norte is the country’s official entry to Best Foreign Film Category of the 2015 Oscars.

Curated by festival director, filmmaker/multimedia artist/educator Elvert de la Cruz Banares, CineKasimanwa 2 features notable mainstream, digital, independent, experimental, documentary, animation and new breed full-length and short films.

Banares pioneered the independent film festival in the country with eKsperim[e]nto Film Festival that showcased no-theme, extreme works by global indie filmmakers that included future Cannes Best Director Brillante Mendoza’s Masahista.

The first CineKasimanwa had numerous notable firsts among them being the first film festival to gather all filmmakers from Iloilo City; to feature all types of film genres by Western Visayas filmmakers; to screen a documentary film and an 3D animated film as “Opening Films”; to donate all of its proceeds to the Typhoon Yolanda victims; and to give filmmakers 40 percent of the ticket revenues for their respective films in support of local filmmakers.

Other CineKasimanwa 2’s main features are T’yanak by master filmmakers Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes, a remake of

their classic horror film as headlined by Judy Ann Santos, which is about a cute baby who turns into a predator-slash-monster. Tumbang Preso by Kip Oebanda, a suspense film about human trafficking and child labor exploitation. Wanted: Border by Ray Gibraltar, a horror film about a religious fanatic who owns a boarding house and a canteen.

Namets! (Delicious!) by Jay Abello, about an Italian restaurant who offers his restaurant up as payment a monstrous cockfighting debt. And Dapya Sang Paglaum (Carrying the Winds of Hope) by TM Malones, a new documentary is about the people of Naborot island in the northern part of Iloilo who were Typhoon Yolanda victims and how they cope with the disaster.

New short films Gamhanan (Powerful) by Joenar Pueblo and Gaid (Drag) by Tara Illneberger will premiere.

CineKasimanwa 2 is supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts — National Committee on Cinema and The Negros Museum.