100 Tula Para Kay Stella
Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana; stars Bela Padilla, JC Santos, Prince Stefan
A college nerd with a speech impediment attempts to write a hundred poems to woo his lady love who aspires to be a Goth rock star. Director calls this romance a “passion project.” “It was based on my own heartbreak,” recalls Laxamana.
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B
Directed by Prime Cruz; stars Ryza Cenon, Martin del Rosario, Cholo Barretto
An enigmatic woman with a terrifying secret falls for the clueless guy next door. Cenon describes her otherworldly character as “unique.” “She’s a different kind of creature because she’s sentimental. She is a monster with a heart.”
Anderson in “Awol”
Awol
Directed by Enzo Williams; stars Gerald Anderson, Dianne Medina
An elite sniper searches for the villain who wants to harm his family. Anderson had to undergo two days of military training for the part. He also visited a hospital to interview soldiers. “It’s something close to my heart,” Anderson insisted.
Carlo Aquino in “Bar Boys”
Bar Boys
Directed by Kip Oebanda; stars Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Kean Cipriano
Four students struggle to finish law school and pass the dreaded bar exam. Oebanda did extensive research and talked to employees of the Supreme Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, too. “I stumbled on a gold mine of stories.”
Mary Joy Apostol in “Birdshot”
Birdshot
Directed by Mikhail Red; stars Mary Joy Apostol, Arnold Reyes, John Arcilla
A girl accidentally shoots down an endangered eagle, opening a can of worms. Variety’s Richard Kuipers lauds this Tokyo honoree for its “enriching excursions into magical realism [which] are beautifully composed and expertly edited.”
Therese Malvar in “Hamog”
Hamog
Directed by Ralston Jover; stars Therese Malvar, Zaijian Jaranilla, Sam Quintana
Homeless children confront all sorts of dangers in the city’s streets. New York Times’ Mike Hale hails it as “alternately tragic, bittersweet and frightening,” comparing the Moscow and Shanghai winner to Hector Babenco’s “Pixote.”
Paglipay
Directed by Zig Dulay; stars Garry Cabalic, Anna Luna, Joan dela Cruz
While on a quest, an Aeta man meets a city girl who changes his life. This ToFarm frontrunner won in two fests in Indonesia. “It feels good that our film was able to give back … to our country and to the ToFarm fest,” Dulay declares.
Jaclyn Jose in “Patay na si Hesus”
Patay na si Hesus
Directed by Victor Kaiba Villanueva; stars Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Angelina Kanapi
Led by its matriarch, a dysfunctional family goes on a road trip to attend a funeral. The Yerba Buena Center website commends this QCinema gem for its “Visayan sense of humor [and] uniquely off-kilter comedic rhythm.”
“Pauwi Na” (from left): Bembol Roco, Cherry Pie Picache, Jerald Napoles, Meryll Soriano, Chai Fonacier and Jess Mendoza
Pauwi Na
Directed by Paolo Villaluna; stars Bembol Roco, Cherry Pie Picache, Meryll Soriano
An impoverished family travels back to the province in a pedicab. The ToFarm awardee brought home the top prize at the Shanghai fest. Jury head Cristian Mungiu raves about its “humanism and universality … [and] its simplicity.”
Salvage
Directed by Sherad Anthony Sanchez; stars Jessy Mendiola, JC de Vera
While investigating reports of an aswang, a news crew is pursued by armed bandits and gets lost in a creepy forest. Critic Skilty Labastilla notes that it “shifts from being a frustrating … Blair Witch copycat into something transcendental.”
Paolo Pingol in “Star na si Van Damme Stallone”
Star na si Van Damme Stallone
Directed by Randolph Longjas; stars Candy Pangilinan, Paolo Pingol, Jadford Dilanco
A boy with Down syndrome dreams of becoming an actor. Longjas’ wish is that this CineFilipino dramedy will inspire viewers to fall in love with its two charming Van Dammes and “accept kids like them as a valuable part of society.”
Joseph Marco in “Triptiko”
Triptiko
Directed by Miguel Franco Michelena; stars Kylie Padilla, Kean Cipriano, Albie Casiño, Joseph Marco
Trilogy tackles weird tales: a boy runs for his life; a model is afflicted with a mysterious disease; a folk singer’s girlfriend undergoes a strange transformation. Director asserts that he aims to tell “bizarre, absurd and out-of-this world tales.”