PH food film part of Crosscut Asia Delicious! Online fest lineup

Scene from “Namets”

Jay Abello’s “Namets,” which showcases the visually delightful cuisine of the island of Negros, will be part of the 2022 Crosscut Asia Delicious! Online Film Festival, which will run from Jan. 21 to Feb. 3.

“Namets” (Yummy) follows the flirtation between Manuel (Christian Vasquez) and Lourdes (Angel Jacob), two Negrosanon whose lives revolve around food. Along the way, the audience is treated to the full panorama of Negrosanon cuisine and the idiosyncrasies of Negrosanon eating.

“This was actually a surprise when they included us,” Abello told Inquirer Entertainment on Wednesday when asked to talk about his film that was released in 2008.

“When we did this project, we just wanted to make an Ilonggo-dialect film that celebrated the food culture of Negros in a fun way. That was the mantra: Let’s tell this story our way and have fun with it.”

Two programs

The festival is presented by organizers of the annual Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Japan Foundation Asia Center.

Originally launched as a section of TIFF in 2014, Crosscut Asia showcased diverse Asian cinema with a focus on specific Asian countries, directors or themes for six years until 2019. It now returns in a special online version with two programs—Crosscut Asia Special Edition featuring “delicious” films from Asia, and Encore! Crosscut Asia.

A total of 13 titles will be streamed for free, along with a packed program of special “side dishes” and “main courses,” according to a statement from TIFF.

Aside from “Namets,” the Crosscut Asia Special Edition features seven films, including Singaporean director Eric Khoo’s “Wanton Mee” and Indonesian filmmaker Edwin’s food-themed road movie “Aruna & Her Palate.”

Carefully chosen

Encore! Crosscut Asia brings together a selection of carefully chosen films that attracted great acclaim when previously screened in the Crosscut Asia section at TIFF.

Nia Dinata’s musical (Indonesia) “Three Sassy Sisters” is included, along with a Pete Teo Special, a series of works including music videos, and an omnibus of short films by 15 Malaysian directors. “These are just two of the works that are screening in this richly varied program,” said TIFF.

The festival’s lineup of related content has talks with film directors and interviews about food. More details are available on the festival website Crosscutonline.jfac.jp. INQ