By: Mario Bautista
Here's a list of local films shown this year, mostly indie digital releases shown in limited theatres.
Here's a list of local films shown this year, mostly indie digital releases shown in limited theatres.
January - Retaso, Condo, Sikil, Roxxxane, Ang Lihim ni Antonio. - 5 films
February - Selda, Daybreak, My Best Friend's Girl Friend, Big Love. - 4 films
March - Ate, Half Blood Ninja, Supah Papalicious, Abadeja, When Timawa Meets Delgado. - 5 films
April - Manay Po 2: Overload, Ploning, When Love Begins. - 3 films
May - Ikaw Pa Rin: Bongga Ka Boy, Sa Pagdapo ng Mariposa, Caregiver. - 3 films
June - Urduja, Serbis, Hugot, Kambyo. - 4 films
July - Paupahan, My Monster Mom, Tirador, A Very Special Love (the year's biggest hit so far), Kalakal, Paalam Aking Bulalakaw, Hubad, and entries in Cinemalaya Filmfest: Jay, 100, Boses, Brutus, Concerto, Namets, Huling Pasad, Ranchero, Baby Angelo, My Fake American Accent. - 17 films
August - Project X, Imoral, Dobol Trobol: Ready to Rambol, Loving You, Torotot, Eskandalo, For the First Time. - 7 films
September - Italy, Thank You Girls, Ay Ayeng, Quick Trip, Teach Me to Love. - 5 films
October - Mag-ingat Ka sa Kulam, Binyag, My Only U. - 3 films
November - Kurap, Xenoa 2, Walang Kawala, Lukaret, One True Love, Scaregivers, Sapi, Lalamunan. - 8 films
December - Cul de Sac, Eraserheads The Reunion Concert, Lovebirds, Adela, Keys Me Manananggal Me, the Cinema One Filmfest entries Dose, UPCAT, Yanggaw, Kolorete, Alon, Imburnal, Motorcycle, and the Metro Manila Filmfest entries Magkaibigan, Desperadas 2, One Night Only, Baler, Iskul Bukol: 20 Years After, Shake Rattle & Roll X, Tanging Ina Ninyong Lahat, Dayo. - 20 films
That's a total of 84 films. Only 28 are mainstream films and 56 are indie digital films. You can't really say that the local film industry is alive because the indie flicks cater to a very limited market and are usually shown in only one or two theaters (usually Robinson Galleria's Indie Sine). More often than not, they're released with the viewing public not even aware that there's such a movie being shown since they're seldom promoted.
2008 also saw the continued decline of the public's interest in awards-giving. There was a time when awards nights were glittering affairs shown live on TV. Now, the award-giving bodies have a hard time getting sponsors so there's no live coverage anymore. In some cases, there are delayed telecasts of some awards nights, like Star and FAMAS. Some awards were held so late in the year, like the Urian and FAMAS that gave away its trophies in September and November.
And do you know that this year, each award giving body has a different choice for best picture? For Star Awards (the first to give out awards in March), their best picture was "One More Chance". For the Golden Screen, it was the indie Cinemalaya movie, "Pisay". For the Gawad Pasado, it's "Ataul for Rent". For Young Critics Circle, it's "Foster Child". For the Urian, it's "Tirador". For the FAMAS, it's "Katas ng Saudi". For the FAP Awards, it's "Banal". It only goes to show that the diverse tastes of the various award-giving bodies make them all the more least credible.
And here are our choices for the year's best film and performances. Our best films are all indie digital films shown in the Cinemalaya filmfest last July: "Jay" directed by Francis Pasion, "100" by Chris Martinez, "Boses" by Ellen Ongkeko, and "Brutus" by Tara Illenberger. Francis, Chris and Tara are all first time directors. "Jay" starts as a documentary about a murdered homosexual named Jay. How the docu was made is then shown as the main part of the movie. The TV host who made docu is also named Jay and the movie becomes a satire on how media can distort facts in the quest for better ratings.
"100" is about a young woman who learns she'll die in three months and then makes a list of all the things she wants to do before she finally expires.
"Boses" is a very moving melodramatic story of a young battered boy who is redeemed by music with the help of a sympathetic violinist.
"Brutus" is the coming of age story of two Mangyan kids, a girl and a boy, who take the job of illegally smuggling lumber downriver from the mountains to a town in the lowlands.
We can add to this Maryo de los Reyes' tale of marital infidelity that leads to a crime of passion, "Torotot", another digital film.
Among the mainstream films, we'd like to mention "Ploning" by Dante Garcia, "Baler" by Mark Meily and "Caregiver" by Chito Rono.
For best supporting actress, our list includes Shamaine Centenera as the mother who kills the rapist of his gay son in "Lihim ni Antonio", Mylene Dizon as the nurse from the city who serves in a backward town in "Ploning", Eugene Domingo as the dying invalid mom in "Ploning" and as the supportive best friend in "100", Cherry Pie Picache as the kind-hearted directress of a shelter home for distressed kids in "Boses", Angelu de Leon as the mentally disturbed teacher and Snooky Serna as the foul-mouthed broker of body organs for sale in "Paupahan", Flor Salanga as the mother of a murdered gay son in "Jay", Irma Adlawan as the generous aunt having an affair with their gardener in "Dose", and Manilyn Reynes as the lesbian manager in "One Night Only".
For best supporting actor, our choices are Ricky Davao as the abusived dad and Coke Bolipata as the helpful violinist in "Boses", Julio Diaz as the spineless cuckolded husband in "Serbis", German Moreno aka Kuya Germs as the aging gay in "Paupahan", Phillip Salvador as the rebel leader in "Baler", Peque Gallaga as the theater director who's fighting for artistic freedom in "Hubad", Emilio Garcia as the ruthless and corrupt gay cop in "Walang Kawala", and Tommy Abuel as the understanding father of a gay son in "Lovebirds".
In the lead actor category, sure to be rivals are Baron Geisler as the exploitative gay TV reporter in "Jay" and as the cuckolded husband who kills his wife and her paramous in "Torotot", Julian Duque as the battered boy who refuses to talk and turns out to be a precocious musician in "Boses", Christopher de Leon as the dying friend in "Magkaibigan", Yul Servo as the wronged husband who decides to forgive his erring wife in "Torotot", John Estrada as the woefully aimless husband in "Caregiver", John Lloyd Cruz as the cynical boss with an ax to grind against his own family in "A Very Special Love", and Polo Ravales as the ill-fated gay fisherman looking for his lost lover in "Walang Kawala".
Sure to be noticed as lead actress are Mylene Dizon as the dying heroine who makes peace with her loved ones and with God in "100", Judy Ann Santos as the village lass who has a positive effect on the people around her in "Ploning", Gina Pareno as the matriarch of a wayward family living in a dilapidated moviehouse in "Serbis", Irma Adalawan as the theatre actress having problems with her marriage in "Hubad", Sharon Cuneta as the wife and mother working in London who has to make a final choice about her irresponsible husband in "Caregiver", and Boots Anson Roa as the addled mom who can't accept her youngest son has fallen in love with another man in "Lovebirds".
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