100

Directed by Chris Martinez (2008, 116 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, Tessie Tomas, TJ Trinidad, Ryan Eigenmann, Simon Ibarra

Opening Night Selection: Thursday, June 11, 9:30 p.m., MoMA Titus 1, 11 W. 53rd St bet 5th and 6th Aves

Friday, June 12, 6:00 p.m., Millennium Film Workshop, 66 E. 4th St bet 2nd Ave and Bowery

Saturday, June 13, 9:20 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

What would you do with 100 days left to live? Beautiful, solitary Joyce (Mylene Dizon) is such a driven alpha exec that she makes a power point presentation for her own wake—and crams as much living as she can into a wall of post-it notes. Tell boss to shove it? Check. Seduce married neighbor? Check. But can Joyce find deeper meaning, and face those she’s left behind, before she peels off the last post-it? Raucous, thought-provoking and moving, director Chris Martinez drafts a memo for viewers to lead their lives, rather than the other way around.

Best Actress (Mylene Dizon), 6th ENPRESS Golden Screen Awards (Philippines, 2009); Best Director / Best Screenplay / Audience Choice Award, Cinemalaya (Philippines, 2008); Winner, 2008 Audience Award, Pusan International Film Festival (Korea); winner, 2009 Emile Guimet Award, Vesoul Asian Film Festival (France)


BALER

Directed by Mark Meily (2008, 117 minutes, Tagalog and Spanish with English subtitles)

Cast: Jericho Rosales, Anne Curtis, Phillip Salvador, Michael de Mesa, Baron Geisler, Ryan Eigenmann, Joel Torre, etc.

Opening Night Selection: Thursday, June 11, 7:15 p.m., MoMA Titus 1, 11 W. 53rd St bet 5th and 6th Aves

Sunday, June 14, 4:10pm, Visual Arts Theater 1, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

You don't choose love; it chooses you. Which can lead to some awkward situations. Take the case of winsome Feliza Reyes (Anne Curtis), who falls in love with the dashing Celso Resurrecion (Jericho Rosales). Match made in heaven, right? Problem is, it's 1898 and Feliza's father, the Philippine rebel leader Nanding (Phillip Salvador), is leading a siege against the Spanish rifle battalion to which Celso belongs. Come see why Baler, a sweeping historical romance, cleaned up at the Metro Manila Film Awards in 2008.

Movie of the Year / Movie Director of the Year / Movie Actor of the Year (Jericho Rosales) / Original Movie Screenplay of the Year / Movie Cinematographer of the Year / Movie Editor of the Year / Movie Sound Engineer of the Year / Movie Original Theme Song of the Year "Ngayon, Bukas at Kailanman" performed by Sarah Geronimo (2009); Best Film / Best Director / Best Actress (Anne Curtis) / Best Supporting Actor (Philip Salvador), Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award, Metro Manila Film Awards (2008).


CARNIVORE

Directed by Ato Bautista (2008, 80 minutes, Tagalog with English Subtitles)

Cast: Carlo Aquino, Mark Gil, Bembol Roco, Baron Geisler, Ian De Leon, CJ Ramos, Cholo Barretto

Friday, June 12, 8:10 pm, Visual Arts Theater 1, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

How far would you go to get into an exclusive club? This is the challenge facing Lino Lucero (Carlo Aquino), who's determined to make it big when he leaves his province for college in the city. Lino rushes for the Sigma Omnicron Sigma fraternity, but finds the prestigious membership comes with a steeper price than he thought. He braves a series of increasingly unthinkable challenges, culminating in a trek into the jungle for one harrowing final rite of initiation.

Best Actor (Carlo Aquino) / Best Director, Cinemanila Independent Film Festival (Philippines 2008).


CONFESSIONAL

Directed by Ruel Antipuesto and Jerrold Tarog (2007, 90 minutes, Tagalog with English Subtitles)

Cast: David Barril, Publio Briones III, Greg Fernandez, Donna Gimeno, Owee Salva, Paola Aseron, Jude Bacalso, Archie Modequillo, Bambi Beltran

Saturday, June 13, 4:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

Sunday, June 14, 3:30 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

Do-it-yourself documentarian Ryan Pastor (Jerrold Tarog) is a cynic. "Lies + Lies = Truth," he snarks during Confessional's opening frames, before embarking with his girlfriend (Owee Salva) on a trip to shoot the Sinulog mardi gras festival in Cebu. True to the essence of this ancient costumed spectacle-cum-commercialized tourist trap, nothing is quite what it seems. The duo encounter a nun with a surprising past, an entertainer of indeterminate gender and an ex-politician (Publio Briones III) who is either a charlatan, a menace, a genuine penitent or all three. Confessional gleefully explodes the boundaries between "reality" and fantasy, documentary and fiction, while offering a fascinating glimpse into the paradoxes of Filipino culture and identity.

Best Film (First Features Section), 10th Osian Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema (New Delhi, India 2008); Best ASEAN Film, Cinemanila Independent Film Festival (Philippines, 2008); Best Screenplay / Best Editing, FAMAS Awards (Philippines, 2008); Digital Movie of the Year / Digital Movie Director of the Year / Digital Movie Original Screenplay of the Year / Digital Movie Editor of the Year / Digital Movie Sound Editing of the Year, 24th PMPC Star Awards (Philippines, 2008); Best Picture / Best Director / Best Screenplay / Best Supporting Actor (Publio Briones III) / Best Sound / Best Editing / Special Award, Cinema One Originals Digital Movie Festival (Philippines, 2007).


DAYO

Directed by Robert Quilao (2008, 90 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Nash Aguas, Katrina Legaspi, Laurice Guillen, Peque Gellaga, Nova Villa

Screening Sunday, June 14, 2:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1

In Dayo, the first all-digital Filipino animated film, eleven-year-old Bubuy (voiced by Nash Aguas) bears a big person's responsibility on his shoulders: to save his abducted grandparents. He sets out for Elementalia, a strange, magical world inhabited by creatures from Philippine mythology. Along the way, he meets Anna Manananggirl (voiced by Katrina Legaspi), a teen winged creature who decides to help Bubuy in his quest.

Award for Cinematic Excellence in Filipino Animation, PMPC Star Awards (Philippines, 2009); Best Visual Effects, 6th ENPRESS Golden Screen Awards (Philippines, 2009); Best Visual Effects / Best Musical Score / Best Theme Song "Lipad" performed by Lea Salonga / Best Sound Editing, Metro Manila Film Festival (2008) 

 


DONSOL

Directed by Adolfo Alix, Jr. (2006, 105 minutes, Tagalog and Bicolano with English subtitles)

Starring Sid Lucero, Angel Aquino, Jaclyn Jose, Bembol Roco, Cherie Gil

Friday, June 12, 10:10 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2

Saturday, June 13, 5:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2

Weary, urban sophisticate Teresa (the luminous Angel Aquino) flees Manila's urban sprawl for the idyllic, sun-drenched coast of Sorsogon. Heading to Donsol, "whale shark capital of the world," with her perky journalist sister (Cherie Gil) in tow, Teresa hopes to find solace and an underwater encounter with one of the endangered gentle giants who return perennially to the area to mate. What she encounters is young, easy-on-the-eyes Daniel (Sid Lucero), a local dive guide nursing some hurt of his own. Donsol is an elegaic meditation on nature, mortality, temptation and devotion.

Best Foreign Language Film Entry, Palm Springs International Film Festival (2008); Best Actor (Sid Lucero), Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Awards (2007); Special Jury Prize, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (Florida USA 2006); Special Jury Prize, Best Asian Marine Film Festival (Makuhari, Japan 2008).


ENDO

Written and directed by Jade Castro (2007, 96 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Jason Abalos, Ina Feleo, C.J. Javarata, Ricky Davao, Alcris Galura

Saturday, June 13, 2:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1

Endo is shorthand for "end of contract," or what temp workers call their last day of work until the next gig comes along. It's an apt metaphor for people with commitment issues, like Leo (Jason Abalos), who hops from one woman to the next as fleetingly as he does jobs in fast food joints, groceries and department stores. But when he encounters the spirited dreamer Tanya (Ina Feleo), he faces the prospect of a different future. Can he handle the leap from No-Strings-Attached to Long-Term Relationship?

 Special Jury Prize, Cinemalaya Film Festival (Philippines 2007); Best Actor (Jason Abalos) / Best Screenplay,  31st Gawad Urian Awards (Philippines 2007).


HIMALA (Miracle)

Directed by Ishmael Bernal (1983, 120 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Nora Aunor, Spanky Manikan, Laura Centeno, Gigi Dueñas

Saturday, June 13, 9:20 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2

Bernal's masterpiece, shot and released during the apex of the Marcos dictatorship, boldly unmasks the beauty and danger of religious devotion. In a rural village, a young woman named Elsa (the legendary Nora Aunor) announces she has a vision of the Virgin Mary and demonstrates an ability to heal the sick. In short order, the village becomes a magnet for mass hysteria and a media frenzy. But is Elsa a true miracle-worker or an imposter? One film director has his doubts, and pursues them with devastating results.

Nominee, Best Film and Best Actress, Berlin International Film Festival (1983); winner, Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time, CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards Viewers Choice Award (2008).



HULING BALYAN NG BUHI (The Woven Stories of The Other)

Directed by Sherad Anthony Sanchez (2006, Cebuano with English subtitles)

Cast: Ronald Arquillas, Marilyn Roque, Jelieta Ruca

Friday, June 12 at 6:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

Imagine a world in which your beliefs and values, the music you listen to, the clothes you wear and even the language you speak are threatened with destruction—by technology, development and the encroachment of cultures more materially powerful than your own. Cultural survival lies at the heart of this bold and challenging film, in which a balyan (priestess) performs a non-indigenous ritual to save her grandchild, setting off a chain of consequences that impact everyone around her.

Winner, Best First Work, Marseille Festival of Documentary Film (2007); winner, One Future Prize, Munich Film Festival


JAY

Directed by Francis Xavier Pasion (2008, 94 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Baron Geisler, Coco Martin, Flor Salanga, Angelica Rivero, Jericho Espiritu, J.C. Santos

Friday, June 12, 8:00 pm, Millennium Film Workshop, 66 E. 4th St bet 2nd Ave and Bowery

Saturday, June 13, 10:00 pm, Visual Arts Theater 1, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th and 9th Aves

Closing Night Selection: Sunday, June 14, 5:45 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2, 333 W. 23rd St bet 8th & 9th Aves

Indio Bravo's acclaimed closing night film is a satire of reality television as hilarious as it is unsettling. Baron Geisler (lower left) plays a flamboyant news producer who stops at nothing to deliver a lurid segment on a gay teacher's murder. He insinuates himself into the victim's grieving family, harrasses the teacher's guilelessly sexy former boyfriend (Coco Martin, Serbis, upper left) and seduces and corrupts everyone in his path as he demolishes the line between reporting the news and creating it.

Best Digital Film, Barcelona Asian Film Festival (2009); Audience Award, Black Film Festival (Geneva, Switzerland, 2009); Official entry, Venice International Film Festival (2009); Winner / Special Distinction, Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival (2009); Best Actor (Baron Geisler) / Best Supporting Actor (Coco Martin) / Best Supporting Actress (Flor Salanga), 6th ENPRESS Golden Screen Awards (Philippines, 2009); Special Mention, Bangkok International Film Festival (2008); Best Actor (Baron Geisler), Cinemalaya (Philippines, 2008); Special Mention (New Visions Category), 5th Bahamas International Film Festival (2008)


MELANCHOLIA

Written and directed by Lav Diaz (2008, 7 and 1/2 hours, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Starring Angeli Bayani, Perry Dizon, Roeder Camañag, Raul Arellano, Dante Perez, Malaya, Soliman Cruz

Special Two-Part, Two-Day Screening at New York Open Center, 83 Spring St bet Broadway and Crosby St: Part 1—Saturday, June 13, 6:00 pm-10:00 pm. Part 2—Sunday, June 14, 6:00 pm-10:00 pm

Break out the popcorn—lots of it—and get ready to suspend your cinematic expectations. In Lav Diaz' fearlessly sprawling yet minutely detailed Melancholia, three characters take on alter egos to flee their everyday existences—Alberta (Angeli Bayani), a sex worker, Julian (Roeder Camañag), a pimp and Rina, a charitable nun. Diaz, called the "great Filipino poet of cinema" (Cinéma du Réel, Paris), advances an experimentalist vision of the suffering of human experience, the fluidity of identity and the plasticity of time. "It’s another powerful example of the (very) long-form aesthetic that has made Diaz simultaneously one of the most revered and least seen new filmmakers of the past decade," writes ArtForum.

Winner, Best Film, Orrizonti (Horizons) Award, Venice International Film Festival (2008).


MY ONLY Ü

Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina (2008, 108 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Toni Gonzaga, Vhong Navarro, Dennis Padilla, Janus del Prado, Arlene Muhlach, Kitkat Paras, Benjie Paras

Saturday, June 13, 7:30 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1

Winona (Toni Gonzaga) has just two days to live. Because of bizarre medical conditions and freak accidents, death by the age of 25 is a foregone conclusion in her family. As the clock winds down, Winona channels all her energy into her work as a lounge and wedding singer and ignoring the torch her sweet, overprotective friend Bong (Vhong Navarro) carries for her. But surprises completely upend expectations. This romantic comedy, a family-friendly pop confection replete with song-and-dance numbers, was one of the Philippines' highest grossing films of 2008.

 


TIRADOR (Slingshot)

Directed by Brillante Mendoza (2007, 95 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Coco Martin, Jiro Manio, Nathan Lopez, Kristoffer King, Angela Ruiz

Centerpiece Screening: Friday, June 12, 8:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2

Sunday, June 14, 6:20 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1

From Cannes 2009 Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza comes this virtuoso, fly-on-the-wall, at times shocking exposition of life in a volatile Manila slum. Mendoza's camera work is so fluid and the acting so untethered, watching Tirador feels like spying. But Mendoza's apparently self-effacing vision is at its most searing when trained on corrosive politicos, religious denialists and power-crazed cops—he appears to have merely turned on the camera and recorded them digging their own graves. Tirador makes it clear why Mendoza is considered a singular visionary among the mavericks of world film.

Caligari Film Award, Berlin International Film Festival (2008); NETPAC Award / Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Director and Best Asian Feature Film, Singapore International Film Festival (2008); Special Jury Award, Marrakech International Film Festival (Morroco, 2007); Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Actress (Angela Ruiz), Gawad Urian Awards (Philippines, 2008).


WHEN TIMAWA MEETS DELGADO

Written and directed by Ray Gibraltar (2007, Ilonggo with English subtitles)

Starring: Kristoffer Grabato, Sofie Garrucho, Rhenomar Soqueño

Friday, June 12, 6:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2

Why is the Philippines losing its best and brightest to a slim portfolio of professions—healthcare worker, housemaid, cruiseship performer—that have become virtually synonymous with Filipinos worldwide? When Timawa Meets Delgado depicts two hopeful young men for whom nursing becomes the ticket to freedom and opportunity abroad. Jun Delgado (Rhenomar Soqueño) is a filmmaker getting over a breakup. Ruben Timawa (Kristoffer Grabato) is a literature teacher and award-winning writer pining for a guy who's left for the states. When the two meet at the dean's office of the College of Nursing, worlds of possibility open.

Nominee, Best Editing, Gawad Urian Awards (Philippines 2008); Screened, CPH:DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival 2008); Screened, 21st Singapore International Film Festival (2008).


YANGGAW (Affliction)

Directed by Richard V. Somes (2008, 105 minutes, Tagalog with English subtitles)

Cast: Ronnie Lazaro, Tetchie Agbayani, Joel Torre, Aleera Montalla, Monet Gaston, Gio Respall

Friday, June 12, 10:15 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1

Saturday, June 13, 5:15 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1

In a rural village, superstition and dark beliefs run deep. When gentle, beautiful Amor (Aleera Montalla) comes down with an illness no conventional doctor can diagnose, she begins to disappear on the same nights that residents of her village are violently murdered. Fearing their daughter is possessed, her parents (Ronnie Lazaro and Tetchie Agbayani) seek the counsel of a faith healer. But ultimately they are forced to take matters into their own hands.

Digital Movie of the Year / Digital Movie Director of the Year / Digital Movie Cinematographer of the Year / Digital Movie Production Designer of the Year, 25th PMPC Star Awards (Philippines, 2009).