FACINE SF festival to mark centenary of Filipino cinema

SAN FRANCISCO – A powerful drama on undocumented Filipino workers in Japan, Lawrence Fajardo’s IMBISIBOL [invisible], will raise the curtain on FACINE/24, the 24^th annual Filipino International Cine Festival on Friday October 20, at 7 p.m.

The festival will end with the popular, critically acclaimed DIE BEAUTIFUL by Jun Robles Lana, a film on the tragic and fabulous life of a transgender Filipina, on October 22, Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

The festival, which celebrates the centenary of Filipino cinema, starts on October 18 with a lecture on the Secret History of Philippine Cinema by Andrew Leavold at the Bayanihan Community Center, followed by Short Film competition on October 19 at the San Francisco Philippine Consulate, and the Main Competition on October 20-22 at the Roxie Theater, 3117 – 16^th Street, San Francisco.

It closes with the Trainors Training Workshop, “Promoting Cultural Literacy through Film” by Prof. Nick Deocampo at the Multi-Purpose Building, Room 140, Ocean Campus, City College of San Francisco. There will be a juried competition among 9 feature-length and 14 short films.

The festival, the longest-running film event in the US, has been the premier showcase here of new works and Filipino film classics for the past 24 years.

It is organized by Filipino Arts & Cinema International (FACINE), a not-for-profit media arts organization based in San Francisco that aims to advance the interests of cinemas from the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora. This year’s festival is sponsored by the Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ), Film Development Council of the Philippines, The Filipino Channel (TFC) and Inquirer.net. Community partners include SF Philippine Consulate, Philippine Studies Dept, CCSF, PAWA, FAAE, Arkipelago Books, Isomer Media, My Favorite Bite, Fort McKinley, International Southeast Asian Film Festival.

For more information and full program schedule, see website: www.facine.org. For further information, email: [email protected] or text: 415-410-9566 or tickets purchase, check website: www.facine.org or www.roxie.com, festival passes and group rates available.

FILM SCREENING SCHEDULE

Friday, October 20, 2017

7:00 p.m.         OPENING FILM:

IMBISIBOL [invisible] (Solar Films, Sinag Maynila, In Tagalog and Japanese with English subtitles, 135 min, 2015)         Actors: Ces Quesada, Allen Dizon, Bernardo Bernardo, JM de Guzman, Mailes Kanapi; Director: Lawrence Fajardo

Screenplay: Herlyn Gail Alegre, John Paul Bedia

A little-known story of undocumented Filipino workers in Japan is brought to which shows the peril of going off to foreign lands to provide for their families back home.

Q&A follows screening, Filmmaker, producer and other staff in attendance.

10:00 p.m.       DAUGHTERS OF THE THREE-TAILED BANNER

(Reckless Natarajan Pictures, Monoxide Works, HydeOut Entertainment, Kayan Productions, In Tausug and Bisaya with English subtitles, 76 min, 2016).  Actors: Fe GingGing Hyde, Evelyn Vargas, Sue Prado, Mon Confiado, Felix Roco, Maria Victoria Beltran, Renz Virtudazo Macheca, Haidie Sangkab, Jess Mendoza, Sahara Ali

Director, Screenplay: Gutierrez Mangansakan II

Two parallel stories of Moro women in contemporary times: One, a matriarch plans to marry off her most eligible daughter after the last male member of the family dies; the other, a young mother works in a hotel after falling victim to an illegal recruiter, many miles away from her family who believes she is working in Kuwait.

Q&A follows screening, Actress, producer in attendance

Saturday, October 21, 2017

1:30 p.m.         KRISTO (Eichef Media/Eichef Films, Epiphany Creatives, Perry

William Films Production, In Tagalog with English subtitles, 92 min, 2017))  Actors: Kristoffer King, Angela Cortez, Julio Diaz;  Director: HF Yambao; Screenplay: Honeylyn Joy Alipio

A father works as a “kristo”, the cockfighting arena barker, goes to great lengths to protect his livelihood, his family and save his own life.

Q&A follows screening, Director in attendance

3:45 p.m.         MAESTRA [teacher]

(Dr. Carl Balita Prodictions, Spotlight Artists Center, In Tagalog with English subtitles, 100 min, 2017)        Actors: Ana Luna, Angeli Bayani, Gloria Sevilla; Director: Lemuel Lorca; Screenplay: Archie del Mundo

Three teachers, each one at different stages of their career, demonstrate their commitment and dedication to a noble profession.

6:15 p.m.         BIRDSHOT

(Pelikula Red, Tuko Film Productions, Buchi Boy Films, TBA Studios, In Tagalog with English subtitles, 116 min, 2016)          Actors: Mary Joy Apostol, Ku Aquino, John Arcilla, Arnold Reyes; Director: Mikhail Red

Screenplay: Mikhail Red, Rae Red

A young girl living with her father, a caretaker of a land surrounding a sanctuary, accidentally shoots an endangered Philippine Eagle; a young police officer is determined to investigate the mysterious disappearance of farmers in a film that poses questions about the perilous times we live in.

Q&A follows screening, Actor in attendance

9:00 p.m.         ORO [gold]

(Feliz Film Production, In Tagalog with English subtitles, 92 min, 2016) -Actors: Irma Adlawan, Joem Bascon, Mercedes Cabral, Sue Prado, Sandino Martin; Director, screenplay Alvin Yapan

Based on a 2014 murder of four miners in a small mining town in Caramoan, Camarines Sur by armed members of an environmental group, the film shows the devastating effect of a legacy of corruption when even the issue of environment can be used as front to further political and economic interests.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

1:30 p.m.         AREA

(B.G. Productions International, In Kapampangan and Tagalog with English subtitles, 106 min, 2016)   Actors: Ai Ai de las Alas, Allen Dizon, Sue Prado, Sarah Pagcaliwagan, Ireen Cervantes; Director: Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio

Story: Ferdinand Lapuz; Screenplay: Robby Tantingco

Set in a community outside of Angeles City called Area, actually a neighborhood of brothels, which cater to low-income habitues of sex parlors who cannot afford the luxurious life in the city; an aging woman tries to break away from her destitute life searching for her long-lost son.

3:45 p.m.         HINULID (The Sorrows of Sita)

(QCinema, Cine Rinconada Production, In Bikol and Tagalog with English subtitles, 137 min, 2016)          Actors: Nora Aunor, Jess Mendoza, Raffi Banzuela, Jesus Volante, Delia Enverga; Director, Screenplay: Kristian Sendon Cordero

A mother, in grief over the death of her only son in a fraternity hazing incident, returns to her hometown carrying her son’s ashes, grappling with the idea of loss and transcendence, believing that her broken life can still be restored to some joyous moments.

Q&A follows screening, Director/writer in attendance

6:30 p.m.         CLOSING FILM

DIE BEAUTIFUL

(Regal Films, IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films, In Tagalog with English subtitles, 120 min, 2016)        Actors: Paolo Ballesteros, Christian Bables, Joel Torre, Gladys Reyes; Director: Jun Robles Lana

Screenplay: Rody Vera; Story: Jun Lana

Her most fervent dream was to be crowned queen; sadly, when that happens, Trisha, a Filipina transgender dies on stage. In her wake, friends make good her request to stay beautiful, transformed into “celebrities” while looking back to how their friend faced adversities living as transgender in Philippine society.

9:00 p.m.         CLOSING & AWARDING CEREMONIES

Featuring: CINE TALA [movie chronicles] a documentary on the Centenary of Filipino Cinema, 30 min, 2017, tribute to filmmaker/producer, Don Jose Nepomuceno, the Father of Philippine Cinema – Directed and written by Prof. Nick Deocampo.