‘Tagpuan’

Iza Calzado (left) and Alfred Vargas

(We are running this guide to help you plan your holiday movie-viewing activity during the pandemic. The 46th Metro Manila Film Festival, or MMFF, Christmas Edition runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2021. Tickets are available online via https://upstream.ph/mmff/.)

Directed by McArthur Alejandre; stars Alfred Vargas, Iza Calzado, and Shaina Magdayao; produced by Alternative Vision Cinemas

According to lead actor Vargas, who is also the main producer, “Tagpuan” is an intersection in the lives of three characters Allan, Tanya (Magdayao), and Agnes (Calzado). “It’s actually a love story experienced by mature, middle-aged people; or those who have already experienced what it’s like to heal from heartaches. This is the story of people who parted ways and reconciled, those who were once too scared of commitment, those who thought they weren’t ready to take the plunge just yet. Everybody will be able to relate to this,” he stressed.

“Tagpuan,” written by Ricky Lee, is one of Alejandre’s first films outside the mainstream umbrella. “Through this film, I’ve experienced a different kind of freedom,” the director said.

Shaina Magdayao (left) and Vargas

“As the name of our outfit signifies, we are the alternative. You know what to expect from mainstream cinema, so if you are looking for something different, go to us,” Vargas added. “My goal as a producer is to be able to come up with meaningful films that can be shown through the decades, something I will be proud to show my children, and my grandkids, later on. I think ‘Tagpuan’ will be one of the Ricky Lee classics in the future.”

Vargas said he is excited about the possibility of streaming more films in the future. “Imagine, if you’re an OFW (overseas Filipino worker), you will be able to watch the film fest any time, right in your own home. In an economic sense, producers will be able to produce more films if the bulk of the returns from the film fest will not just go to cinema operators. There is promise there. We took this risk and joined this year’s MMFF because we want something like this to continue every December.” —MARINEL CRUZ INQ