‘Graceland’ in two North American fests

Fil-Am filmmaker Ron Morales’ “Graceland” was recently screened in two North American film festivals, in Montreal, Canada, and Michigan in the United States.

Along with Lawrence Fajardo’s “Amok,” Marlon Rivera’s “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank” and Khavn de la Cruz’s “Mondomanila,” “Graceland” was part of a special program, “Spotlight on Filipino Cinema” in Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.

Filipino actor Leon Miguel told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Cannes- and Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore, who attended Tribeca last April, had picked “Graceland” to be part of Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan.

Moore is the founder and president of the Traverse fest. On the Traverse website, Moore said the festival is “committed to showing great movies that both entertain and enlighten the audience. We need movies that seek to enrich the human spirit and the art of filmmaking.”

Shot in Metro Manila, “Graceland” is topbilled by Filipino actors Miguel, Arnold Reyes, Menggie Cobarrubias, Ella Guevara, Dido de la Paz, Patricia Ona Gayod, Archie Adamos, Angeli Bayani, Angie Ferro and Marife Necesito. It recounts the story of a kidnapping gone wrong.

The Traverse fest ended on Aug. 5; the Fantasia ran until August 9. Bayani San Diego Jr.