Film fest honors Jose Rizal, advocates for peace

LEANDRO Baldemor in “Talumpati”

“The goal is to create awareness about our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal and his works, as well as to discover new talents in filmmaking,” said award-winning filmmaker Maryo J. de los Reyes of the 1st Buhayani Independent Film Festival.

De los Reyes is the event’s festival director.

The film fest, a project of the local government of Calamba, Laguna, will be held starting tomorrow until June 17 at SM City Calamba. It will feature three indie films written and directed by Calambeños, according to De los Reyes.

Sammy Figura Grubanzo’s “Ama Namin,” Alelie Nagpala’s “Talumpati,” and Ronan Vergara’s “Nasaan si Crispin?” will compete for four awards—best picture, actor, actress and writer—that come with corresponding cash prizes.

According to Calamba Mayor Justin Marc “Timmy” Chipeco, this year’s theme of “Rizal and His Advocacy for Peace” is both “timely and relevant as the films remind us of who we are and how we can be advocates for peace just like Rizal.”

Showcasing local talents

He added: “The festival is an opportune chance for us to showcase local talents and, at the same time, popularize the ideals and works of Rizal using modern technology and new strategies.”

De los Reyes said the films feature professional actors Ana Capri, Leandro Baldemor and Carl Acosta working with local talents.

CARL Acosta and Ana Capri in “Ama Namin”

“Anybody could submit scripts, even those who are not Calamba residents,” the director told the Inquirer, adding that the event was an “upgrade” of last year’s Buhayani Short Film Festival.

The three directors were given P80,000 as film grant, De los Reyes added. “They employed guerrilla filmmaking methods and were able to come up with stories that are really interesting. One is about being a Rizalista, while the other features the speech of Rizal on peace. The last is a fantasy film about Crispin, one of the most popular characters in Rizal’s novel ‘Noli Me Tangere.’”

“Buhayani means buhay ng bayani (hero’s life),” De los Reyes said of the indie fete, which will coincide with Calamba’s 2nd Buhayani: Buhay ng Bayani, Buhay na Bayani Festival from June 12 to 19.

Main attraction

The Buhayani Grand Parade is the main attraction of this year’s celebration, said Chipeco, who added that he expected to surpass last year’s count of more than 6,000 parade participants.

“We want to reach more Filipinos and have them visit Calamba during the Buhayani Festival so they can experience firsthand how we celebrate Rizal’s birth anniversary (June 19) and how we revere the Filipino considered to be a Renaissance man and the Greatest Malay,” said Chipeco.

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