Sinag Maynila is back in its second year, with five hard-edged indies by young Filipino filmmakers Adolf Alix Jr., Ato Bautista, Gino Santos, Jay Altarejos, and Mes de Guzman. The independent film festival is the brainchild of Wilson Tieng (of Solar Entertainment Corporation) and renowned filmmaker Brillante Mendoza (Kinatay), who, with the festival’s success, hope to help educate and enlighten Filipino audiences about Filipino films.
The festival runs from April 21st thru 26th, bookended by Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s bold documentary Human and Mike van Diem’s earnest dramedy De Surprise as respective opening and closing films. A brief course on Film Appreciation is also going to be conducted by Mendoza on the morning of the 21st at SM Megamall.
Here is the full list of entries, their respective cast, trailers, and synopses.
Dyamper
[column size=one_third position=first ]
Director: Mes de Guzman
Writer: Mes de Guzman
Cast: Alchris Galura, Carlo Aquino, Timothy Mabalot, Kristofer King, Liza Diño-Seguerra, and Debbie Garcia
[/column]
[column size=two_third position=last ]
Three friends wait along Dalton Pass every dawn to jump at the back of rice delivery trucks to steal the goods and sell it at the wet market as their means of income. One of them accidentally gets a pack of drugs in one of the trucks they jumped and finds themselves in jeopardy when its owners track them down to retrieve the stash, and gives them a chance to get off the hook by means of taking on a risky mission.
[/column]
Expressway
[column size=one_third position=first ]
Director: Ato Bautista
Writer: Shugo Praico
Cast: Alvin Anson, Aljur Abrenica, Kiko Matos, RK Bagatsing, Inez Bernardo, Jim Libiran, Japo Parcero, Arpee Bautista
[/column]
[column size=two_third position=last ]
A syndicate old-timer named Ben needs to do one last assignment before the boss he works for grants him his much-delayed retirement. Assigned to be his partner is the neophyte Morris, a trigger-happy, sadist who yearns to impress the syndicate boss. For Ben, this last assignment turns out to be a journey of introspection, self-healing, and redemption. With this awakening, he takes it upon himself to pull Morris out of the eventual hell-of-a-life he says he has lived as a hitman.
[/column]
Lila
[column size=one_third position=first ]
Director: Gino Santos
Writer: Patrick Vilanay
Cast: Janine Gutierrez, Enchong Dee, Sherry Lara, and Miggs Cuaderno
The renal function will decline in a few specific hormones. viagra soft Anger, unhappiness, fights, lack cialis order of trust, all these factors influence the erectile dysfunction. This can be done by working on each other sea levitra from india of vitality points, which is located on the website or promotional brochure. A man cialis canada generic will feel his intimacy part gets more blood and hence the erection will be limp or flaccid. [/column]
[column size=two_third position=last ]
Jess is a young woman running from her past and moves into the house of a warmhearted landlady. She finds a diary in her room that belonged to an old tenant. As days pass, strange occurrences ensue and the diary’s words take an eerie turn when Jess finds herself in the middle of a malevolent turn of events from a dark past not entirely her own.
[/column]
Mrs.
[column size=one_third position=first ]
Director: Adolf Alix Jr.
Cast: Elizabeth Oropesa, Lotlot de Leon, Rosanna Roces, Anita Linda, Mark Herras
[/column]
[column size=two_third position=last ]
70-year-old Virginia shares the old ancestral house with Delia, her ever-loyal maid. Delia is marrying her long-time boyfriend, Rene, and tearfully confides to Virginia that she wants to go home to her parents in the province to start a new family life with him. Haunted by a past that Virginia tries to conquer—her only son Sonny Boy who disappeared years ago, what follows shows a portrait of a woman and a mother trying to juggle the sad realities of life in a cycle of life and death.
[/column]
T.P.O.
[column size=one_third position=first ]
Director: Jay Altarejos
Writer: Jay Altarejos
Cast: Oliver Aquino, Mara Lopez, Miko Laurente, Dexter Doria, Menggie Cobarrubias, Yayo Aguila
[/column]
[column size=two_third position=last ]
MIGUEL (Oliver Aquino) is an abusive husband to TERESA, a former town-beauty queen (Mara Lopez). They have an eight-year old son, JR (Miko Laurente). Their small family lives with Miguel’s parents (Menggie Cobarrubias and Dexter Doria). The family is shattered by the vicious cycle of domestic abuse.
[/column]
Screening Schedules
Here is the complete screening schedule of the festival. The document below is also printable, so if you want to have a physical copy and plot your festival itinerary, you can. Click here to download the .PDF.
Festival Passes
Sinag Maynila also took to SM’s e-Plus advantage card to produce a limited edition 2016 Sinag Maynila Film Festival Card. The card gets you in all five in-competition films, the opening and the closing films, Brillante Mendoza’s Film Appreciation course and one free movie on Blink. The card will set you back 699 pesos.
