US firm picks up Filipino indie film for distribution
KHAVN de La Cruz
Filipino filmmaker Khavn de la Cruz’s “Mondomanila,” a music-filled epic on urban decay and violence, finds a new home and distributor, quite ironically, in a firm based in glamorous Beverly Hills.
De la Cruz told the Inquirer that “Mondomanila” was picked up by the US firm House of Film, which represented the Filipino indie at the Cannes Film Market last month.
According to its website, House of Film “specializes in the worldwide distribution of quality independent movies.”
The filmmaker, an honoree in the Inquirer Indie Tribute two years ago, pointed out that being acquired by House of Film is “important on so many levels.”
“It tells me that I’m making resonant cinema—films that people will watch and can identify with no matter how heavily Filipino the flavor is.”
It “validates” his faith in the audience, he said, reminding him that “viewers can appreciate a wider variety of cinema than they have always been given credit for. They are not contained by studio conventions and formula. They are ready for the persistence of filmmakers who refuse to compromise.”
He gave credit to his loyal followers for this development. “It’s thanks to cineastes everywhere that House of Film is distributing ‘Mondomanila.’”
He recounted that audience response to his film in various festivals, most notably in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), where it had its world premiere last January, fueled the US firm’s interest in the film.
“Generally, distributors pay attention to films that are well-received in the festivals,” he said.
In Rotterdam, “Mondomanila” was chosen by organizers as one of the “10 [Films] to Watch.” Rotterdam will be releasing the film on DVD and VOD (video on demand) this year.
“Mondomanila” also has a German distributor, Rapid Eye Movies.
“Rotterdam fell in love with ‘Mondomanila,’” De la Cruz recounted. “We always screened to a full house. I couldn’t get seats to my own screenings. I had to watch standing against the wall or sitting on the floor.”
He wasn’t complaining.
“I’ve been screening my films in Rotterdam for eight years. Of my 32 films that premiered there starting in 2005, ‘Mondomanila’ is the best-received.”
He said watching his films with an audience is always interesting. “Viewers are very transparent. You’ll know right away what they think. They don’t mince words. They’ll tell you what they like and don’t like.”
He was caught off guard that some foreigners thought “Mondomanila”—
based on a Palanca-winning novel by Norman Wilwayco—was a documentary. “I figured it must be because of the reference to the Maguindanao massacre and the footage of the ‘Ondoy’ flash floods.”
A lot of viewers expressed interest in the film’s characters. “One lady wanted to get Ogo X’s e-mail address,” said De la Cruz.
Scene from “Mondomanila” featuring the late Palito. Several foreigners mistook the film for a documentary, the director said. Allan Balberona
He also received several inquiries about the soundtrack. “The audience wanted to buy the CD. I decided to make the soundtrack available for free online. It can be downloaded from www.kamiasroad.wordpress.com.”
De la Cruz plans to make the soundtracks of more than 30 other films available online as well—among them “Squatterpunk,” “Pugot,” “The Middle Mystery of Kristo Negro” and “The Longest Moment You’re Not Here.”
After Rotterdam, “Mondomanila” made the festival rounds including Jeonju, the Anthology Film Archives in New York and the Distrital Film Festival in Mexico.
Today, it will be screened at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco as part of the New Filipino Cinema retrospective.
“It’s competing at the New Horizons in Poland (from July 19 to 29) and will have its Canadian premiere at the Fantasia fest (July 19 to Aug. 7). I’m quite thrilled about Fantasia, which Quentin Tarantino calls ‘the most important and prestigious genre festival in North America.’”
De la Cruz is not about to slow down. He is juggling several projects: films like “Edsa XXX” (a sci-fi comedy opera), “Desaparadiso” (a post-martial law drama) and a long version of his Berlinale short “Pusong Wazak (Ruined Heart).” He is curating the Filipino program of the Edinburgh fest in June and churning out poetry, fiction and cinema books and a solo album, too.
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