Joey Romero
There’s a lineup change in this year’s ToFarm Film Festival.
The fest’s managing director, Joey Romero, told the Inquirer that one of the finalists, Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, Rosalie Matilac and Nilo Paz’s “Isang Kwento ng Gubat (The Leonard Co Story),” had backed out due to “scheduling issues.”
To complete the roster, Julienne Ilagan’s “Kauyagan” will be fielded, instead.
According to Romero, “Kauyagan” tells the story of “a young man reluctant to assume leadership of his tribe due to the lure of city life.”
The Manobo tribal drama will be shot in Bukidnon, Romero related.
Ilagan’s “Balot. Penoy. Asin.” won best short film at the Cinemagis Digital Short Film Festival last year.
ToFarm organizers found Ilagan’s work “impressive and promising.”
“Kauyagan” will join Hubert Tibi’s historical epic “1957,” Keith Sicat’s science fiction flick “Alimuom,” Charlson Ong’s period romance “Fasang,” Eduardo Roy Jr.’s cultural drama “Lola Igna,” John Carlo Pacala and Carlo Catu’s futuristic film “Mga Anak ng Kamote,” and Roman Perez Jr.’s dark comedy “Sol Searching” in this year’s program.
The ToFarm film fest will be held from Sept. 12 to 19 in select cinemas in Metro Manila and other cities.—BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR.