Iza Calzado (left) and Nonie Buencamino
Perci Intalan’s “Distance,” about a woman struggling with the loss of the love of her life, is the Philippine representative to the 2019 Roze Filmdagen Film Festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in March.
The film, starring Iza Calzado, will compete for the best feature film award, Intalan told the Inquirer on Wednesday.
“I’m excited about this festival because it’s actually my first LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) film festival and I’m proud of the fact that our writer Keavy Vicente’s story is an LGBT story culled from the perspective of a Filipino family,” the director pointed out.
Excellent reputation
“Distance” debuted at the 2018 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, where it won the best supporting actress honor for Therese Malvar.
The festival, which will run from March 14 to 24, aims to highlight all aspects of quality LGBTQ cinema for a broad audience, reported the Cinemalaya website.
“It has impacted Amsterdam’s gay and lesbian culture landscape ever since its establishment in 1996 and earned an excellent reputation among visiting filmmakers, as well as foreign festivals,” it stated.
“I hope we can share new insights into LGBT life and show the dynamics of Filipino families,” said Intalan.
Opportunity
He is scheduled to attend the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), held from March 18 to 20, for his two projects with partner Jun Robles Lana.
Their drama, “Son of God,” recently got accepted at the HAF under the category Work In Progress Lab, which Intalan said, “is an opportunity to present rushes from the shoot to possible international coproducers and postproduction partners.”
The story of their other project, “a new one,” Intalan said, titled “Between Sea and Sky,” will be presented to possible financiers. —MARINEL R. CRUZ