A very ‘Brillante’ year

CARLO Aquino (left) and Alcris Galura in “Dyamper”

CHALLENGES were aplenty during the shoot of the five entries in this year’s Sinag Maynila film festival.

Joselito “Jay” Altarejos recalled that his film, “TPO,” underwent several “script and treatment changes” during filming. The gritty adult drama, which tackles domestic violence, inevitably became a litmus test for Altarejos.

“So many things happened. Making this film is an examination of my role as a filmmaker. I had to find myself in order to finish this film,” Altarejos admitted.

Known for his dark, dizzying youth flicks, Gino M. Santos similarly attempted something different for this fest—the horror film, “Lila,” which is based on a short film he had done as a college student.

“Biggest hurdles were time and budget,” Santos owned up. “Horror demands a lot…and we only had seven days to finish everything. I overcame those obstacles by being transparent to, and collaborative with, my crew.”

ALJUR Abrenica (left) and Alvin Anson in “Expressway”

For his part, Ato Bautista came up with an action thriller, “Expressway,” because he is a “fan of the genre.”

“We are rich in talent and creativity,” Bautista pointed out. “The challenge in making an indie film is making things work within the budget… producing a film with the standards to compete both locally and internationally.”

Each entry received a grant of P2 million—a princely sum in the indie scene, but still relatively modest considering the entries’ vast ambitions.

Mes de Guzman encountered the wrath of nature during the shoot of “Dyamper.”

“There was a typhoon, and we were stranded for three days,” he recounted. “Moreover, our film required a lot of physical stunts: running, jumping from a moving truck.”

Budgetary constraints, De Guzman conceded, are “a given. This is my biggest film, in terms of scope and manpower.”

ELIZABETH Oropesa (foreground) and Lotlot de Leon
in “Mrs.”

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s domestic drama, “Mrs.,” presented a unique dilemma for the production team.

“We had to look for a house that could best visualize the story of a lonely woman living in a home that stands on a fault line,” Alix related. “We needed a residence with cracks. Luckily, we found one that was a perfect mix of our requirements.”

Alix had to cast the right actors, as well. “Fortunately, we got Elizabeth Oropesa and Lotlot de Leon who brought out the story’s nuances.”

The filmmakers prevailed over those trials, not without a little help from the festival’s main proponent, Cannes-winning director Brillante Ma. Mendoza. With the film, “Ma’ Rosa,” Mendoza is again competing in the main section of Cannes this year.

De Guzman asserted: “Before the shoot, we had a one-on-one discussion with Brillante. He gave us creative space and a good timetable—to really polish our films.”

MARA Lopez and Oliver Aquino in “TPO”

Altarejos agreed: “Being a filmmaker himself, Brillante knew how to deal with us. He and his cofounder Wilson Tieng granted us creative freedom and didn’t interfere in the creative process.”

Alix noted: “Brillante respects his fellow filmmakers. He gave us a free hand.”

Bautista concurred: “Direk is very practical and easy to work with. He is supportive and generous in letting me fulfill my vision.”

Santos, who was an intern in Mendoza’s films (like “Captive”), confessed that there was a bit of pressure, too. “He is my mentor and now  I’m making films with him! He guided me every step of the way. I’m happy that from having a teacher-student relationship, we are now friends-colleagues.”

Sinag Maynila will hold screenings at SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia from April 21 to 26.