Scene from “Walking Street”
Sinag Maynila goes regional. Apart from showcasing Filipino-produced films, the three-year-old festival is bookended by two Asian productions.
The festival’s opening film is the omnibus presentation, “Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections,” produced by the Japan Foundation Asian Center and the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The triptych features the works of Japan’s Isao Yukisada (“Pigeon,” set in Malaysia), Cambodia’s Sotho Kulikar (“Beyond the Bridge”) and the Philippines’ Brillante Ma Mendoza (“Shiniuma: Dead Horse”).
“Reflections” premiered at the 29th Tokyo film fest last year.
In “Shiniuma,” Mendoza, who is Sinag Maynila’s festival director, tells the story of an elderly Filipino farm worker (Lou Veloso) who returns to the Philippines after being deported from Japan.
The screening of “Reflections” will be held on March 9, at SM Aura Premier.
Meanwhile, South Korean director Sang-woo Lee’s “Walking Street” will serve as the fest’s closing film.
Set in Thailand, the film follows three social misfits (a mute, his criminal-brother and the prostitute they love) who find themselves stuck in paradise—the resort city of Pattaya. “Walking Street” topbills Sung-hyun Baek, Ji-soo Yoo, Si-gang Lee and Song-yi Lee. “Walking Street” will be shown on March 12, 7 p.m., at the SM Aura Premier, after the fest’s awards ceremony.
Sang-woo’s debut film, “Tropical Manila,” was screened at the Rotterdam fest in 2008 and his sophomore outing, “My Mother is a Whore,” was shown at the Hong Kong fest in 2009. Last year, “Walking Street” debuted at the Singapore fest, where his 2015 feature “Dirty Romance” was also shown.
Sinag Maynila—which will hold screenings at SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, Glorietta and Gateway—will wrap up on March 14.
Brillante Ma Mendoza (left) and Lou Veloso in Japan