Pinay filmmakers compete in Cairo fest

Ketchup Eusebio (left) and Celeste Legaspi in “Mamang”

“Girl power!”

This was how filmmaker Denise O’Hara described the participation of her debut movie “Mamang” and that of Joji Alonso’s short film “Last Order” at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival in Egypt, from Nov. 20 to 29.

The two Filipino female filmmakers will be competing in the prestigious A-list festival in Egypt, announced producer Ferdy Lapus over the weekend. The announcement was posted in the festival’s official Facebook account.

“Mamang,” which premiered at this year’s Cinemalaya film festival, will compete in the International Competition category, while “Last Order” will slug it out for the top prize at the event’s Cinema of Tomorrow Competition program.

Last September, “Last Order” was adjudged best short film at the Pyongyang International Film Festival in North Korea. It was also screened out of competition in Busan, South Korea, in October.

Meanwhile, award-winning indie filmmaker Brillante Ma Mendoza, who’s also part of the jury, will screen his “Alpha: The Right to Kill.” —MARINEL R. CRUZ