3 Pinoy films at Toronto Filmfest

Curtain-raisers:

● PBB housemate  Bodie Cruz (photo) will perform together with the Brown Revival at MO2 Bar at the Greenfield Complex in Bacolod City, 6:30 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 25.

●  Ogie Alcasid’s 40th-birthday concert Faces Of My Life is set for tomorrow, Aug. 24, and Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Music Museum, with his beloved Regine Velasquez as the lone special guest. Call 891-9999 or 721-6726 for tickets (priced at P1,500, P1,200 and P800). Incidentally, in last Sunday’s Conversation with Ogie, the composer of the song Nandito Ako (also the title of the 1994, not 1999, movie starring Kris Aquino and Phillip Salvador) is Aaron Paul del Rosario (not Benipayo). Also, the Louie Ocampo composition Sana ay Malaman Mo is the theme song of the Juday-Piolo starrer Don’t Give Up On Us (not Bakit Di Pa Totohanin). “When I said that my relationship with Manilyn Reynes was purely showbiz,” said Ogie (photo), “I meant our loveteam. Manilyn remains one of my ‘real friends’ to this very day.”

● To celebrate the late Patricia Borromeo’s (photo) 36th birthday, the Trisha Borromeo’s Legacy Association will sponsor Disney’s Cinderella Kids on Saturday, Aug. 25, 4:30 p.m. at the Repertory Philippines Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Proceeds from the event will benefit the UP-PGH Cancer Institute Pediatrics Dept. Tickets are priced at P500, P450 and P400. The cancer ward was Trisha’s pet project. Her family and friends have continued this mission and a waiting area has been built for the children who undergo treatment. Volunteers for story-tellers are also welcome in the institute. For more information, call RJ Borromeo at 0917-8445405.

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Three Filipino films have made it to the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, the second largest film festival in the world and the biggest in North America.

Funfare’s “international correspondent” Ferdinand Lapuz named the three films in his “flash” report as...

● Brillante Mendoza’s Tirador (Slingshot)  which will have its world premiere in Toronto. It stars Jiro Manio, Kristopher King, Nathan Lopez and Coco Martin with the special participation of Jaclyn Jose and Julio Diaz. It is about small-time snatchers in Quiapo during the Holy Week. Tirador will also screen at the Vancouver International Film Festival along with Foster Child, also by Mendoza. Tirador is produced by Centerstage Productions and Rollingball Entertainment. Ralston Joel Jover wrote the script with Armando Bing Lao as creative consultant.

●  Cinemanila Best Director Aureaus Solito’s Pisay (Philippine Science) will have its international premiere in Toronto. The story revolves around eight top students from all over the Philippines who passed the entrance examinations for Philippine Science High School. Portraying the eight students are Elijah Castillo, Gammy Lopez, Annicka Dolonius, Carl Barrameda, Alfred Labatos, EJ Jallorina, Jonathan Neri and Shayne Fajutagana. The screenplay was written by Angeleno Henry Grageda and produced by Cinemalaya and Solito Arts Productions in cooperation with Roadrunner  Network, Inc.

● Fresh from the Venice Film Festival, Lav Diaz’s eight-hour Kagadanan sa Banwaan ning mga Engkanto (Death in the Land of the Encantos), will be shown in North America for the first time. The story is about the return of the great Filipino poet, Benjamin Agusan, to his birthplace, Padang in Bicol, now in ruins after Typhoon Reming. The cast includes Roeder Camanag, Perry Dizon, Angeli Bayani, Sofhia Aves and Gemma Cuenca. It is co-produced by Sine Olivia and Hubert Bals. Aside from being the director, direk Lav is the producer, writer, editor and cinematographer.

Here’s the rest of Ferdy’s report:

This is the first time that Filipino films were represented in all the major festivals in the same year. Solito’s Tuli was screened in Sundance and Berlin (Forum); Mendoza’s Foster Child at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes and Karlovy Vary and Diaz’s Encanto in Venice.

Adolf Alix Jr.’s Kadin had its international premiere in Locarno. Both Pisay and Foster Child are Pusan-bound. Foster Child, Red Ochoa’s Baliw and Neil Buboy Tan’s Ataul will be in the Montreal World Film Festival which starts today. Of course, Jeffrey Jeturian’s award-winning Kubrador is still going around the festival route.

If last year Kubrador’s Gina Pareño scored Best Actress awards from New Delhi, Amiens and Brussels, this year it’s Cherry Pie Picache’s turn. She already won Best Actress in Durban, South Africa for Mendoza’s Kaleldo and in New Delhi for Foster Child which is competing in other festivals this year and next year.

Tuli won the NETPAC Award (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) in Berlin and the Grand Jury Award in L.A. Outfest. Kaleldo also won the NETPAC Award from Jeonju, Korea.

Sherad Anthony Sanchez’s Huling Balyan ng Buhi won the First Film Prize Award at the Marseille Documentary Film Festival in France, New Delhi’s Best Film Award in the First Features Section and the One Future Prize Award in Munich. Raya Martin’s Autohystoria won Special Mention in Marseille and gave him the Best Director Award in the digital competition of Cinemanila.

Rome & Juliet is a winner, too

Here’s another piece of good news: Rome & Juliet, with Mylene Dizon and Andrea del Rosario in the title roles, won the Best Gay/Lesbian award at the New York International Independent Video and Film Festival held last July.

Produced by Creative Programs, Inc. (CPI) for Cinema One Originals and directed by Connie Macatuno, Rome & Juliet follows the romantic journey of two straight woimen caught in a web of forbidden love.The film got nine nominations in this year’s Urian Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Director.

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