After just five years of existence, QCinema is now the festival to beat in terms of local and international offerings. It is closely followed by C1 Originals, which last year also featured international festival favorites in its line-up. Interestingly, after topping this category last year following reforms made in the selection of finalists, the MMFF found itself near the bottom after a controversial return to a profit-oriented approach.
1 – QCinema 2017 (87 points)
2 – C1 Originals 2017 (85 points)
3 – Cinemalaya 2017 (69 points)
4 – Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2017 (49 points)
5 – Tofarm 2017 (19 points)
6 – MMFF 2017 (10 points)
7 – Sinag Maynila 2017 (6 points)
Poster collage credits: My Movie World
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS »
Mayk Alegre, Cinemaddict
Cinema One Originals
Cinemalaya
QCinema
MMFF
ToFarm Film Festival
Ace Antipolo, Movies for Millennials
Cinema One Originals
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Cinemalaya
Paul Castillo, Kung Sine-Sine Lang
QCinema
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
Cinema One Originals
Cinemalaya
Tofarm
Robert Cerda, Space Aso
QCinema
Cinemalaya
Sinag Maynila
Archie del Mundo, DList.ph
Cinemalaya
Tofarm
QCinema
Macoy Delociento, PEP.ph
QCinema
Cinema One Originals Festival
Cinemalaya
CineFilipino
Sinag Maynila
Engelbert Rafferty Dela Cruz-Dulay, Sine de Kalibre
You never really know what kind of moments stick with you months after a movie comes out. For our invited voters, below are the ten most memorable scenes in Philippine cinema in 2017. This list is part of our 7th Annual Film Poll, and like what we did last year, we have invited reviewers and filmmakers (directors, writers, actors) to talk a little bit about the particular scenes.
Scene of the year: The ending (Respeto)
Paul Castillo, Kung Sine Sine Lang: “Humantong si Hendrix sa katauhang pinakakinamumuhian niya—ang taong kayang magpadanas ng dahas at kamatayan sa ibang tao. Walang naidulot ang nabasa niyang mga salita sa mga isinulat ni Doc sa lumang mga pahina o ang pabigkas na pangangaral at pagpigil ng matanda sa kaniya. Hindi naging sapat ang muling pagbaling sa nakaraan ng kaniyang tinatangkilik na sining upang bitawan ang tangan niyang bato at matulad sa pagkakamali ng nakaraan. Ang parikala rito, sariling dugo ng matanda ang napagbalingan ng ganti na madaliang hustisya para kay Drix ngunit mahabang karma para sa dating nagawa ni Doc.
Ganito na lamang ang halaga ng sumasaboy na mga papel na naglalaman ng mga salita hindi lamang ni Doc kundi ng lahat ng nabuhay na manunulat sa iba’t ibang panahon. Ito ang pagkatapon at pagbagsak ng tula bilang kawalan ng silbi ng salita sa harap ng karahasan. Napapanday ng mga makata ang salita upang mapasunod ito ayon sa bisyon ng manunulat para sa kaniyang sining ngunit hindi ganoon kadaling mahuhubog ang katauhan ng kabataang pinatigas na ng kaniyang lipunan.”
Treb Monteras, director: “A few days before principal photography of Respeto, we still didn’t have an ending that we were happy with. This ending came about during one late night session with my producer Monster Jimenez, our creative consultant Mario Cornejo, our Cinematographer Ike Avellana and our Assistant Director Timmy Harn. I told them that I wanted a more poetic ending and told them about an idea that I’m not sure would work. I wanted to have pages fall from the sky. We all loved the idea but we were not sure if we could pull it off. On the day that we were supposed to shoot the scene, it rained and we had to reschedule. This scene is a composite of live and CG book pages.”
The extraction (Triptiko)
Nicole Latayan, Tit for Tat: “The highlight in Miguel Michelina’s debut of three vignette stories happened in the second episode when aspiring model Joseph Marco asks the help of shaman Art Acuña to cure his boil. This scene is Triptiko at its best – it’s over the top and gross, ambitious and odd, but at the same time disgustingly satisfying.”
Miguel Franco Michelena, director: “The Hinog segment in Triptiko is about vanity and the extremes that people are willing to go to for beauty. So I wanted a scene that will highlight these extremes, and I wanted the audience to experience it viscerally. The scene was inspired by the processing scene in The Master by P.T. Anderson. It’s a long scene with just the actors in medium close ups, but it worked so well because of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s and Joaquin Phoneix’s performances. It is such a powerful scene in spite of its technical simplicity.
While writing the extraction scene in Hinog, I was trying to gross myself out and at the same time I was trying to make myself laugh. I wanted to push the characters to their boiling point (no pun intended) and eventually ended up with a 16-page scene. It was written to be funny, but I didn’t want the actors to play for laughs and rather play it straight. That was crucial because for the scene to work, the audience would have to believe that what was happening, no matter how absurd, was really happening to the characters. Art Acuña and Joseph Marco understood what I was going for, and they did it perfectly.
When it was time to shoot the scene, I told the actors that I would shoot in segments, essentially cutting the 16 pages into 3 parts. But when we started shooting, we were so engrossed with Art’s and Joseph’s performances that we just let them play it out until the very end. They ended up doing most of the scene in just that one take. They were so unbelievably good that it was hard not to laugh while watching the monitor. It was such a fun scene to shoot.”
Joseph Marco, actor: “It was one of the most memorable projects I’ve done so far. I had so much fun doing it because it was one of my dream projects. I like scenes that are nasty and disgusting. Anything that will gross the audience, I’m a fan of. Doing Triptiko is one for the books! It was a dream come true for an actor like me. It’s not the usual kind of thing!”
The blackout (Ang Larawan)
Tristan Zinampan, Screen Anarchy: “A point often raised against Ang Larawan is how safe it feels as an adaptation; not fully-exhausting the film form in its transition. But regardless of this safety, film’s inherent ability to show performances up close, as compared to theater, dramatically benefits Ang Larawan as it is able to better highlight the dynamism, range, and nuance of Joanna Ampil’s performance — especially in the film’s stand-out blackout scene. In it, Ampil’s Candida, under the duress of her and her sister’s dwindling capability to keep their noble house afloat, finally snaps after the lights fail to come on one evening.
Initially, she is restrained in her delivery of worry and shame for their house’s power might have been cut due to unpaid bills. But just as fast as she descends into hysterical laughter after learning that it was all a city-wide blackout, she starts belting wails of self-hate and pity. Ampil is able to traverse this full spectrum of emotions seamlessly, the burden of excellent acting seemingly at ease. Frustration, desperation, irony, all in the span of a few minutes. If this highly-celebrated West End actress’ name were the most obscure for movie-goers amidst an ensemble of Philippine star power, after this scene, it would be impossible to not take note of Joanna Ampil.”
Loy Arcenas, director: “The blackout scene was designed to use the length and expanse of the Villavicencio bahay-na-bato (the location used in the Ang Larawan shoot) to its maximum. The sequence had been rehearsed extensively prior to the shoot. Both Joanna Ampil (Candida) and Rachel Alejandro (Paula) had recorded the singing parts beforehand, except the final breakdown of Candida by the window; that was done live. If I remember correctly, Joanna did two takes of the laughter and breakdown.”
The run back (The Chanters)
Skilty Labastilla, Pinoy Rebyu: “Towards the end of The Chanters, we see Sarah Mae desperate not to miss the visit of her pop star idol in her school that she had to tether her increasingly senile grandfather to a sari-sari store just so he wouldn’t wander off on his own while she’d make a quick dash to her school. The second she makes it to school amidst students cheering for whoever was onstage, it suddenly hits her: the perks and accoutrements that modern society brings don’t mean jack compared to the love one shares with family. That epiphany sends Sarah Mae running back in tears to her grandfather, even if he doesn’t look bothered at all with being tied to a furniture piece. This scene works because it’s a powerful act not just of Sarah Mae’s acknowledgment of her grandfather’s important role in her life but also of her embrace of the culture and tradition he embodies, as the last living chanter of Sugidanon epics in their community. So we know when Sarah Mae chants at the end of the film, it’s no longer to impress a pop star idol, it’s to declare her pride of her own identity.”
James Robin Mayo, director: “During Pre-production, dumaan sa napakaraming revisions and versions ang The Chanters. Originally, yung treatment ay ginawa ng Executive Producer ko dati sa isang TV network, si Ms. Ana Puod. It was inspired from a 2011 documentary segment sa isa naming show. Hinanap pa namin sa archive yung segment na yun, kala namin nabaon na talaga sa baul, hahaha! Anyway, we went back to the community to immerse and do location-hunting. And to our surprise, sobrang iba na yung lugar. Ang dami nang nabago. Ang daming bago.
Then, nang makabalik na kami dito sa Manila, nag-revise na agad kami. Sa tulong ni direk Eduardo Roy Jr., napiga talaga utak namin to come up with a story na makaka-relate kahit hindi ka taga-roon sa community and at the same time ipinapakilala mo rin ang community through the perspective of an outsider. And then slowly, yung story naging personal sa akin. Simula pa lang kasi challenge na yung pagiging alien ko sa community; I’m not from there. I’m just a visitor na hindi naman expert sa history and culture nila. Iniiwasan namin yung Cultural Appropriation. Pre-prod pa lang, lagi ko nang tinatanong sarili ko, why do we need to preserve our traditions? Our culture? And it was during our immersion ako nagkaroon ng epiphany. The reason is always the person, not just the tradition itself. You want to keep the memory of your loved ones through these legacies. Gusto mong i-share ang pride, yung pinaghirapan nila, yung love nila sa isang bagay, especially the stories behind it, di ba? Pansinin mo yung mga nagkukwento about their traditions, laging may mga anecdotes about their parents, their lolos and lolas. In my case, father ko naman ang inspirasyon sa part ng story kung saan binalikan ni Sarah Mae ang kanyang lolo sa gitna ng paghahabol niya sa kanyang iniidolong artista. Ayokong iwan ang father ko, or family ko in general, sa journey ng buhay ko. I want them to be with me kasabay ng pagbabago ng panahon and at the same time din, hindi namin iniiwan ang alaala ng bawat isa. For me, pag family ang reason mo to preserve a certain culture, innate na yan. Hindi mo na kailangang pag-isipan pa.
Kaya yung eksenang yan, it was somehow a metaphor of my experience. In the midst of modernization and progress, madalas (or kung hindi man, minsan) iniisip ng mga tao yan ang dahilan kung bakit nawawala ang ating kultura, pero for me, hindi. Tayo, tayong mga tao ang dahilan kasi pinili nating iwan ang ating kultura sa nakaraan. Lagi namang may paraan para isalba ang mga dying cultures natin, we can always use technology and, especially, education para ma-preserve ang mga ito while enjoying the perks of the new trends.”
Kiko cries (Kiko Boksingero)
Json Javier, The Spotless Mind: “It is the simple and mundane moments demonstrating the palpable love between young Kiko and the ever-reliable Yaya Diday that makes Kiko Boksingero an emotional knockout. In the film’s most affecting scene, a heartbroken Kiko (abandoned yet again by his estranged father) receives the tightest hug from a person that redefined the concept of family. It is a relatively quiet sequence, free from all the usual hysteria of Pinoy melodrama, made even more powerful by the graceful performances of Noel Comia, Jr., Yayo Aguila, and a third character, the majestic view of the Baguio landscape at night.”
Thop Nazareno, director: “From the beginning, it was clear to me that this scene would be the highlight and will emotionally articulate the whole point of the film, which is family isn’t defined by blood. What defines family is being able to open yourself and allow yourself to be vulnerable kasi alam mong may sasalo sa’yo.
I spent a lot of time building this scene to make sure it comes out organic yet effective and powerful, from the script to editing. I wanted this to be the quietest scene sa buong pelikula to show that less is more and I wanted to maximize that effect. Hindi kailangan malaki ang eksena, hindi kailangang magimik at madaldal. In fact, marami akong kinunan na shots but during editing I decided not to use most of them and stick to my original vision which is to keep it simple.
Ultimately, this scene is a reflection of Diday’s love – hindi magarbo, simple at natural. Nasa everyday little things ang pagmamahal niya for Kiko: sa bimpo sa likod, sa coleman, sa gulay, sa juice, sa paghahatid sa school, etc. This scene is meant to highlight that kind of love – a love that endures.”
The ending (Bliss)
Macky Macarayan, The Death of Traditional Cinema: “I love abrupt endings, and the way Jerrold Tarog ended Bliss, it was a two-pronged payoff: once we realize Jane Ciego’s (Iza Calzado) condition halfway into the film, we wait for the moment when she finally comes back to reality. Enter Rose (Adrienne Vergara), an unhinged woman with a sex addiction due to a childhood incident. In the end, we both have the story payoff when Jane finally opens her eyes, and the more literal payoff of orgasm after Rose performs oral sex. I guess after Jerrold Tarog led us on a wild goose chase, the ending is cherry on top (pun not intended).”
Jerrold Tarog, director: “The ending was shot the way it was written and conceived, intercutting between Jane being molested by the troubled nurse, Jane climaxing in her dream, and the opportunistic people in Jane’s life caught in a screaming match at the hospital lobby, with each side claiming moral ascendancy. It was intended to be a clusterfuck of hypocrisy and abuse with an intentionally mellow soundtrack to highlight how ridiculous it all was. At the final moment, after complaining throughout the story about how she just wants to sleep, Jane finally wakes up to the face of the abuser/abused. Cut to heartbeats and that little wink at the end credits which, I confess, I’ve already done in an earlier film.
Iza Calzado was somewhat nervous about the nudity and Adrienne Vergara was weirded out about touching another girl, but they pulled it off and I’m proud of what they accomplished. Shamaine Buencamino had to exert the most effort. The part where she fell at the end was unintentional but it worked so well for the scene. I still feel bad for TJ Trinidad because we did around 4 takes in rehearsal and maybe 5 on camera for that fight and Shamaine slapped him for real every time (I told her to pretend during rehearsals but she slapped him anyway). Audie Gemora improvised some lines and made it all even more insane. It’s always amazing watching skilled actors give their best. Special mention to the male nurse walking around with the music player. That’s Jai Rabin who is required to have a cameo in every independent film I do.”
Adrienne Vergara, actor: “The last scene in Bliss was actually one of the easiest for me (compared to the other much heavier and loaded scenes). Yung only hurdle ko lang naman is to not tickle Miss Iza sa neck part nya during the scene or else magigising agad si Jane hehehe. May bed scenes na kaming nashoot before like yung sa dream na alternate kami ni Sir Ian on top of Miss Iza so hindi na ako masyadong naco-conscious at comfortable na. Although I admit may sense of awe pa rin sa beauty ni Miss Iza, lagi kong sinasabi homaygahd may Diyosa in front of me, so napapanganga lang ako minsan hahaha.
For Rose, aside from knowing by heart yung medical protocols ng isang nurse tending a patient with Jane’s condition, dapat magmukhang as if matagal na syang routine na ginagawa kay Jane. Yung sense of control ni Rose over Jane’s body, yung sense of triumph from giving pleasure, and reliving memories of Ate Ling yung what made it orgasmic for Rose. It reached an unexpected climax nung nagising si Jane and I can imagine how magical it was for Rose.
I really had a great time creating Rose and Lilibeth and favorite ko rin si Jerrold, Miss Iza and TBA katrabaho as in. Binaha ako ng happy memories!”
The bridge (Love You to the Stars and Back)
Den Lebantino, film reviewer: “Caloy’s pain seeping against his attempt at powerless repression is emotionally afflictive. The moment it bursts into an adamant assertion to be left by Mika on the bridge is home, because it is reflective of our own pain and indignation. Then he questions God, expresses deep contempt against his father, and pushes Mika away. The individual interpretations of both characters are far from being staged. Joshua Garcia as Caloy is human enough to feel and embrace his pain, and Julia Barreto as Mika responds instinctively to him–in palpable panic and concern. The scene captures both the intensity and natural despair of filling one’s emptiness with viable sense of affirmation that relieves him of existential guilt, which the scene is able to deliver in the absence of “hugot lines” that could have diminished its natural bravura. It is just so effective that all you can have for both Caloy and Mika is empathy for their vulnerable hearts, a reality that transcends even the truism of romantic love.”
Antoinette Jadaone, director: (from previous interview) ‘Two days naming kinunan yung scene. Nung first day, kulang pa rin yung emotions. So bumalik kami dun sa bridge nung second day. Wala na kaming balik. So sinabi ko kay Joshua, “Wala ka nang chance ha. Kapag ito hindi mo nagawa, wala na tayong babalikan dito talaga. Mahal na to.” (laughs) Si Joshua umaga pa lang nagpe-prepare na yun e. Sinabi ko sa kanya wag kang magpe-prepare nang hindi pa naman yun kasi madadala mo yung bigat sa eksena na hindi naman mabigat.
Yung eksena na yun, nung kinunan namin nung pangalawang araw, ang sabi ko sa kanilang dalawa, “Wala tong blocking. Hindi ko sasabihin kung ano yung blocking niyo. Huwag kayong mag-usap kung ano’ng gagawin nung isa.” So ang instruction ko dun kay Caloy, “Kailangan mapaalis mo si Mika. Make her leave. Yun lang ang instruction ko sayo. Dapat umalis siya.” Ang instruction ko kay Mika, “Kahit ano’ng mangyari, huwag na huwag kang aalis. Umalis ka lang pag na-feel mo na kailangan mo na talagang umalis.” Kaya yung ginawa ni Caloy dun na sumampa siya sa bridge, wala yun sa script. Pero yun yung way niya para mapaalis si Mika. Kaya nung nakita yun ni Mika, parang nakita ko biglang naging Julia siya e. Kasi nag-English siya, “Oh, don’t do that! Don’t do that!” So nung nakita ko yun sa kanilang dalawa, na-realize ko, matalino tong dalawang artista na to. Kasi wala akong instructions, pero yun yung gusto kong gawin ni Caloy talaga. Kaya bridge, kasi kung nandun ka na sa point na ano, wala, i-e-end mo na talaga yung life mo, di ba? “Umalis ka”, ganyan. Pero hindi ko sinabi kay Joshua na yun yung magpapaalis. Pero sobrang happy ako na na-gets ni Kuya! Tapos si Julia, ayun, di talaga siya umalis. Sabi ko, “Words, di naman magpapaalis sa iyo e.” Kaya yung itsura ni Julia dun, feeling ko sa totoong buhay talaga yun. So sobrang happy ako. Sabi ko kay Joshua, “Okay na na nag-second day tayo dito sa bridge.’
Carson’s confession (I’m Drunk, I Love You)
Emil Hofileña, Rogue Magazine: “Most romantic comedies treat the confession scene as a climactic moment wherein one character attempts to initiate a serious connection with another person. So how great for I’m Drunk, I Love You to play this moment against our expectations. Carson finally tells Dio how she’s felt about him for the last seven years, but this confession isn’t for him; it’s for herself. Everything leading up to this point has suggested that Carson confessing probably isn’t a good idea. She already knows what Dio’s answer is probably going to be. But she HAS to say it because this love that has consumed her–making her beat herself up and do reckless things like run off to La Union a day before graduation–is the very thing that’s holding her back from growing up. Carson lets the words go and only then does she realize how petty they sound. And in a moment that’s awkward, uncomfortable, and all too real, a tipsy Dio kisses her. She reciprocates first, then nudges him away. The one thing she’s always wanted is the same thing she knows she can’t have.”
JP Habac, director: “Ang isa sa pinakamahalagang eksena sa pelikula ay kung paano aamin si Carson ng pagmamahal niya kay Dio. May mga moments sa pelikula na tila akala mo ay aamin na si Carson pero hindi pa pala para ma-build up yung mismong pag-amin. Sa daldal ng pelikula, kailangan ng isang tahimik at masakit na eksena na babasag sa kaingayan ng buong pelikula – at ito yung eksena na yun.
Maraming nagtatanong kung bakit hinalikan ni Dio si Carson nung umamin si Carson sa kaniya. Pero halos lahat ata ng lalaki na kapag nalagay sa ganung sitwasyon, yun ata ang unang-unang gagawin. Pero dahil matalino si Carson, alam niyang ginagawa lang yun ni Dio hindi dahil mahal siya ni Dio, kung hindi dahil naaawa lang si Dio sa kaniya. Saket.
Kinuhanan namin ang eksena na ito ng isang buong gabi sa La Union. Binigyan ko ng option sina Maja at Paulo na pwede silang uminom ng kaunting alak para mas maramdaman nila ang eksena – na ginawa rin naman namin sa ibang mga eksena. Ano pa’t naging I’m Drunk, I Love You ang title kung walang totoong alak sa set. Hehe.”
The rooftop shooting (NeoManila)
James Espinoza, Film Police: “For a film basked in neon lights, Neomanila actually depicts a gray world where no single character can be defined as good or bad. This is most evident in the rooftop scene in which Irma, captivatingly played by Eula Valdez, executes the film’s unexpected twist, which upends the narrative. It was shocking, to be sure, (and one of the few times I let out an audible “shit!” while watching a movie) but a careful review reveals the responsibility with which the writers peppered just enough throwaway details to earn the deceit. While Mikhail Red should be commended for tackling timely issues in his films, Neomanila, up until that scene, could have been easily dismissed as just another EJK film, especially at a time when the audience is close to becoming, if they have not yet become, desensitized. But by letting a fully realized character like Irma make such a drastic choice, Neomanila contends that behind every individual, whether they be drug pushers or hired killers, is a set of personal motivations – not to justify wrongful actions but to open discourse.”
Mikhail Red, director: “Without spoiling anything, the rooftop scene in the third act of NEOMANILA comes as a disruptive shock to most viewers, just as intended. It turns the narrative on its head; the growing conflict erupts in a scene that catches the audience off-guard, delivering a powerful and unexpected blow. We finally see that one character’s journey comes to a sudden end, deprived of true freedom to choose between damnation and redemption; we realize that another character has already made that decision. We realize that in the grim reality of war, there are no victors, only victims. Lives are cut short all the time, and people’s choices, freedoms, and second chances are stolen from them. To the unprepared or inattentive, it may leave a bitter taste – which is only natural, the horrific moment is intended to shatter conventional narrative expectations, reminding us that there are no true protagonists in a time of war. For those who pay closer attention or for those who view the film more than once, the subtle hints that point to another character’s inner conflict start to reveal themselves, and the rooftop scene starts to appear as an inevitable collision that can only end in disaster. In fact, the very opening scene of NEOMANILA subtly prepares us for what’s in store, after an assassination we see the camera shift from one perspective to the other, and at the very final moments of the film, we see it happen again. We are faced with the tragic reminder that in life there are no real main characters, there is only the dead and the dying.
Eula Valdes, actor: “We were there early for the other scenes inside the building then had to wait to get dark. Prior to that scene we shot the scene after that first, where Irma chases after Raul. I enjoyed firing at him so much it became a joke that I was actually getting rid of him for real. Also, after I fired THE SHOT, I would point my gun at Raul and Rocky thought I would just do the motion of firing then point the gun at him. His reaction would be like, “What the…”, then he’d run. In the actual take, I fired talaga. The camera didn’t catch Rocky. Nagulat daw sya, biglang nawala sa frame.
For the crying in that scene, my shot was side view ko, and normally tears would just cascade down my cheeks, but luckily tears fell like corn kernels so it was visible on that angle.
We shot til 1 AM, I think. I have a 2 AM cutoff for my MWF TV taping schedule, BUT if we had to finish some scenes for NeoManila I would stay til 4 or 5 AM. Eager kame to do a good job rather than finish early. We would even ask for another take, or ask Mik if he’s happy with our work. He would be the one to say, “OK na tayo, pack up.”
The burning village (Balangiga: Howling Wilderness)
John Tawasil, Present Confusion: “There are many scenes in Balangiga that reflect the devastation brought upon by American forces, but one scene in particular sticks: Kulas and his grandfather travel through a devastated town, aflame and in ruins. The visual analogies to hell are evident here. But at the same time, this is the scene where Kulas discovers a toddler in the ruins. To me it shows that even in the most dire of places, hope still exists, perhaps even more so when such a hell is viewed through the innocent eyes of a child, untouched by the cynicism of adults.”
Jerry Gracio, screenwriter: “When Khavn asked me to collaborate with him, sabi ko, ‘sigurado ka?’ Medyo matagal na ako sa TV, I am perceived as a ‘mainstream writer’ and because I’m familiar with his works, sabi ko, ‘parang hindi tayo bagay.’ But I can’t say no to a friend, kaya isinulat ko ang Balangiga. Aware of production limitations, ayaw ko sana ng malalaking eksena, but how can you tell the story of Balangiga without the burning of a village by the Americans? So isinulat ko ang eksenang nasusunog ang isang baryo, at doon makikita ni Kulas ang two-year old na si Bula. Base sa pagkakasulat, alam ko kung gaano ito kahirap, kaya sabi ko bahala na siya, kung hindi kaya, puwede naman i-rewrite ang script. Nagulat ako nang mabalitaan na nag-set-up si Khavn ng isang buong village para sunugin. Isa ang mga eksenang ito sa kating kati akong panoorin: madalas, iba ang ini-imagine ng writer sa papel sa nakikita niya sa screen. Pero hindi ako binigo ni Khavn. Kaya binabawi ko na ang sinabi ko, mukhang in a way, bagay kami.”
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS»
Mayk Alegre, Cinemaddict
“Mabuhay ang mga Bata” monologue (Alipato)
“Pigsa” extraction (Triptiko)
Confrontation and interconnection (Changing Partners)
Demolition and final sequences (Respeto)
Lullaby (Balangiga)
Ace Antipolo, Movies for Millennials
The final confrontation scene between Hendrix (Abra), Doc (Dido de la Paz), Fuentes (Nor Domingo) and Betchai (Chai Fonacier) in the film’s ending (Respeto)
Felix and Maxim’s “Make It Hard” scene (2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten)
Jane (Iza Calzado) kills Lilibeth (Adrienne Vergara) and wakes up, only to see Rose (Vergara) molesting her unconscious body (Bliss)
Felix “seeing” Magnus and stripping off his clothes during the film’s final scene (2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten)
Mika and Caloy’s confrontation scene at the bridge (Love You to The Stars And Back)
Paul Castillo, Kung Sine-Sine Lang
Papers falling scene (Respeto)
Burning village scene (Balangiga)
Mass grave scene (Birdshot)
Pest control scene (Neomanila)
Opening the door at the hallway (Bliss)
Robert Cerda, Space Aso
Pedro Calosa and the burning bush/tree – Dapol Tan Payawar Na Tayug
The end sequence of Ang Larawan
Close-up of Chai Fonacier singing and then cut to a frame/montage of kids playing in the garbage – Respeto
Sex between Raul and Irma, Irma wearing a motorcycle helmet – Neomanila
Iah and Gennie’s five-hour walk to reach the school for Aetas – Ang Maestra
Archie del Mundo, DList.ph
Bembol Roco bugged by his family’s inability to reconnect with him in What Home Feels Like
The phone scene before bed time with Sharon and Robin in Unexpectedly Yours
The funeral scene at sea in Baconaua
Kiko tearfully expresses his innocence in Kiko Boksingero
The kids trying to survive at sea in High Tide
Macoy Delociento, PEP.ph
Death of Maya’s father (Birdshot)
Abra’s flip top battle (Respeto)
Agot Isidro as lesbian (Changing Partners)
Jojit Lorenzo as gay (Changing Partners)
Aicelle Santos & Cris Villonco’s dance number (Ang Larawan)
Engelbert Rafferty Dela Cruz-Dulay, Sine de Kalibre
The ending of Respeto
Kiko crying to Yaya Diday
Maleta scene in Changing Partners
The animated sequence of Alipato
The bridge scene in Love You to the Stars and Back
James Espinoza, Film Police
Final sequence (Respeto)
Mika and Caloy’s hesitation to be abducted by aliens/go through with suicide pact (Love You to the Stars and Back)
Rooftop shooting (Neomanila)
When Lea revisits the places that Tonyo had taken her (Kita Kita)
Doña Loleng and company’s arrival at the house (Ang Larawan)
Fred Hawson, ABS-CBN News
Tony Javier seducing Paula Marasigan (Ang Larawan)
Final shot in the style of Girl with Pearl Earring (The Chanters)
Final shot of family mourning the dog (Patay na si Hesus)
Final bloody massacre scene (Nay)
Women only doing the farming (Sinandomeng)
Emil Hofileña, Rogue Magazine
The ending (Respeto) – When a series of shocking acts of violence occur, Doc feels his world crumble around him once more—tying his fate to Hendrix’s, revealing the cycle of fear and hatred all of them are living in.
Carson confesses to Dio (I’m Drunk, I Love You) – Carson tells Dio she’s loved him for the past seven years. But she already knows that they are never meant to be, and painfully rebuffs Dio’s advances.
One of the Malaya Lolas sings a song (Haunted: A Last Visit to the Red House) – an old woman who survived the Japanese occupation recounts, from memory, their experiences through song.
The family photo (Paki) – The Sanchez family, finally complete, takes a group photo, displaying both their unconditional love, and their individual issues with each other.
Jason gets his boil drained (Triptiko) – Seeking a cure for the effects of a curse placed on him, Jason has his boil forcibly removed. Gleefully disgusting.
Json Javier, The Spotless Mind
The slow motion final scene of Respeto with the flying pages
Kiko and Yaya hugging each other with Baguio at night as backdrop in Kiko Boksingero
The pulley scene of Jane Ciego in Bliss
Candida Marasigan’s window breakdown scene in Ang Larawan
One of the Malaya Lolas singing her original composition in Haunted
Skilty Labastilla, Pinoy Rebyu
Sarah Mae realizes mistake and runs back crying to her grandfather in The Chanters
Extraction of huge-ass boil in Triptiko
Astri dances while looking at her ex at the end of Si Astri maka si Tambulah
Rose stimulates unconscious Jane Ciego in Bliss
Chedeng talks to long-lost lover in Si Apple at si Chedeng
Jay Lacanilao, Jaynormous Mind
Rommel trespasses in Jason Harper’s house, Nabubulok
Lilibeth mirror scene, Bliss
Rooftop shooting, Neomanila
Carson reveals her secret admiration for Dio, I’m Drunk I Love You
Kulas hides in his carabao, Balangiga
Nicole Latayan, Tit for Tat
Art Acuna helping Joseph Marco remove his pigsa in Triptiko
That final shot of Respeto with the flying pages
Jally Nae Gilbaliga running back to her lolo she left in the store in The Chanters
Maris Racal and Janella Salvador escaping the killer in Bloody Crayons
Final scene in Bliss
Den Lebantino, film reviewer
Crying scene of Noel Trinidad in Paki (Yung nagkakaraoke ang family tapos nilapitan sya ni Dexter Doria)
Bridge scene in Love You to the Stars and Back
Last scene in Respeto
Mount Arayat scene nina Bela at JC sa 100 Tula
Bintana scene ni Candida at Paula in Ang Larawan (Yung nawalan ng kuryente)
Ricardo Espino Lopez, The Knee-Jerk Critic
EDGAR ALLAN GUZMAN CONFRONTING JOROSS ABOUT HIS EX IN DEADMA WALKING
JOANNA’S BREAKDOWN AT THE END OF LARAWAN
JOANNA’S BREAKDOWN DURING THE BLACKOUT
DIDO DELA PAZ’S RAP TAKE DOWN OF ABRA IN RESPETO
DOG FUNERAL SCENE – PATAY NA SI HESUS
Macky Macarayan, Death of Traditional Cinema
ENDING SCENE, BLISS
ENDING SCENE, RESPETO
OPENING SCENE, NEOMANILA
JOROSS GAMBOA TRIES TO CONFESS TO THE CROWD DURING THE WAKE, BUT EA FOILS HIS PLAN BY MAKING A PUNCHLINE, DEADMA WALKING
ENDING SCENE (FILM-WITHIN-A-FILM), THE ASHES AND GHOSTS OF TAYUG 1931
Jim Paranal, Ang mga Nabuo sa Aking Isipan
Heartwarming scene of Angeli Bayani when she discovered that she passed the board exam in Maestra.
Jaclyn Jose’s outstanding yet hilarious scene when she accidentally damaged her husband’s coffin in Patay na si Hesus.
The cat-and-mouse action scene including Eula Valdez, Rocky Salumbides and Timothy Castillo turned out to be a dramatic confrontation and surprising revelation in Neomanila.
Coming home scene of Anthony Falcon in Mga Gabing Kasinghaba ng Hair Ko.
Emotional breakdown scene of JC Santos to Bela Padilla in 100 Tula Para Kay Stella.
Bernard Santos, My Movie World
Alessandra De Rossi dancing on blindfold – Kita Kita
JC Santos and Bela Padilla heartbreak scene in Mt. Arayat – 100 Tula Para Kay Stella
Maja Salvador confess her love to Paulo Avelino – I’m Drunk I Love You
When Noel Comia knows that his dad left – Kiko Boksingero
When Maya discovers dead bodies at sanctuary forest- the last scene of Birdshot
Nazamel Tabares, Pelikula Mania
Respeto – Climax where papers are falling in the most intense part of the movie
Kiko Boksingero – Closing scene where Noel and Yayo discuss life
Love You to the Stars and Back – Bridge scene
Ang Larawan – Walang Ilaw
Kita Kita – Alessandra visits all the locations they’ve gone to.
John Tawasil, Present Confusion
Ending of Respeto
Walking through the burning town in Balangiga
Ending of the Chanters
Maleta – Changing Partners
Dexter Doria alone in a bar in Paki
Emil Nor Urao, Film reviewer
Family Picture (Paki)
Nakatitig Lang Siya sa Akin (Changing Partners)
Ako’ng Nagkamali (Ang Larawan)
Showdown (Balangiga: Howling Wilderness)
Final Scene (Respeto) Special Mention: Melay at Bong sa Babuyan (Salvage)
Tristan Zinampan, Screen Anarchy
Joanna Ampil’s Brown Out Scene (Ang Larawan)
Jun Jun Quintana’s Hallway Confession with Noni Buencamino (Smaller and Smaller Circles)
Dido de la Paz’ Surprise Challenger vs Abra (Respeto)
Jojit Lorenzo x Agot Isidro x Sandino Martin x Anna Luna Final Confrontation (Changing Partners)
Jally Nae Gabaliga’s Back and Forth Sari-Sari Store Scene with Lolo (The Chanters)
Edgar Allan Guzman learning about the Joross’ cancer diagnosis while they’re in jacuzzi [or so I recall, memory may be a bit fuzzy] (Deadma Walking)
Respeto, Treb Monteras II’s debut film about a young rapper living in a Manila slum who meets his match in an aging poet living in his neighborhood, tops the Pinoy Rebyu poll of the best in Philippine cinema in 2017, with 32 poll participants submitting ballots in 14 categories.
Respeto also topped the categories for Best Director, Best Screenplay (Monteras and Njel de Mesa), Best First Feature, Best Supporting Performance (Dido dela Paz), Best Editing (Lawrence Ang), and Best Scene (ending scene). The film premiered in last year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival, where it garnered several awards, including Best Film.
Best Lead Performance was topped by Joanna Ampil, who played Candida Marasigan in the acclaimed musical Ang Larawan. Ampil is a musical theater veteran but a first-time actor in a Filipino film. Aside from Best Lead Performance, Ang Larawan topped two other categories: Best Ensemble Performance for its cast and Best Soundtrack (music by Ryan Cayabyab and lyrics by the late Rolando Tinio). Ang Larawan screened during last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, where it won Best Film and Best Actress, among other awards.
NeoManila (Mycko David) topped Best Cinematography, while Ramona Diaz’s Motherland was named Best Documentary. Carlo Manatad’s Fatima Marie Torres and the Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25 was cited as Best Short Film.
Last year’s QCinema Film Festival was adjudged Best Filmfest, narrowly edging out C1 Originals. Interestingly, last year’s Best Filmfest, the MMFF, finds itself near the bottom at sixth place, with nearly all voters excluding it in their top 5.
Wanting to quit sex work in Manila and start a new life, Donna (Isabel Sandoval), a transgender woman, gets her chance when an old friend asks her to look after her 12-year-old son Tomas while she works overseas for a year. Donna moves to a small town to look after Tomas only to find out that the town mayor who is seeking re-election is a crony of one of her regular clients back in Manila. In her efforts to break away from her past, she becomes entangled in the town’s local politics and ends up leading a double life.
Play, Listen, Pause. Rewind. A series of audio recordings present an unseen America, this documentary feature unfolds through the eyes of eavesdroppers from the tropics.
Gulong is about friendship, love and life. The story is told from the point of view of Apao (Steven Fermo), a smart, kind-hearted boy whose quest for an old bicycle reveals the stuff he is made of. With him on this adventure are his cousin Momoy (Jopet Concordia) and best friend Tom-Tom (Timothy Castillo). Tom-Tom suggests that they go to his uncle’s fishpond, an hour’s bike ride from where they live. Momoy finds an old bicycle but the owner will only give it to him if he pays her a hundred pesos. He agrees and promises to come back with the money the next day. This starts a series of events which affects Apao, his friends, his family and even his community. In the end, a discarded 40-year-old bicycle connects the past to the present and becomes a catalyst for healing old wounds and reviving a love affair that has long been left for dead.
Set in Philippine post-American colonialist era, where the American influence was still apparent, Ilusyon tells the story of Miguel (Yul Servo), a young man from the countryside, who decides to visit his father, Pablo, a Modernist painter in Manila. Upon his arrival, he discovers that his father has decided to leave for the province but he opted to stay in Manila for a vacation. One day, he meets Stella (JC Parker), a nude model originally scheduled to pose for Miguel’s father. Struck by her beauty, Miguel does the unthinkable – he pretends to be his painter father. Developing a relationship based on a lie, things turn for the worse as Stella begets a strange skin disease that turns off Miguel. Surrounded by strange characters – a talking cow, a talkative mailman, and a nosy landlady – Miguel is driven into a frenzy realization about beauty, lust, love, and being true to oneself. An ambiguous ending underlines the surreal tone of the film.
After taking up with a charming cab driver, a wild and hedonistic teenage girl (Angelica Panganiban) returns home to succeed her mother as a prayer woman.
73 Camelia (Susana de Guzman, 1949)
Ang Camelia ay isang pelikula ng pag-ibig at drama. Naglalahad ito ng kuwento tungkol sa dalawang pusong nag-iibigan na ginanapan nina Carmen Rosales at Rogelio dela Rosa. May kanser ang tauhang babae at may taning na kaya puno ng dalamhati at pagdaramdam dahil sa suliranin ng minamahal ang lalaking kasintahan. (From Video 48)
Nanding (Rogelio dela Rosa) is a fisherman/farmer who also happens to possess a fine singing voice. Never without his guitar, either he’s singing in church with the local choir or at the village store owned by Kapitan Bestre (Jose Cris Soto). Bestre’s store also happens to be the only source of news, gossip, local or otherwise. And the barrio is astir with the return of Marina (Mila del Sol), the daughter of the despotic Cabesang Berong (Engracio Ibarra), the town’s richest resident.
A sculpture believed to have been imported in town during Spanish colonial conquest, locally known as “Mahal na Señor Sepulcro” (Holy Sepulchre), is celebrating its 500 years. Meanwhile, composed of non-actors, Senakulo re-enacts the sufferings and death of Jesus. As the local community yearly unites to commemorate the Passion of Christ, a laborious journey unfolds following local craftsmen in transforming blocks of wood into a larger than life Jesus crucified on a 12-ft cross. The film is a 5-year visual ethnography of traditional yet practical orchestration of Semana Santa in a small town where religious woodcarving is the livelihood. An experiential film on neocolonial Philippines’ interpretation of Saints and Gods through many forms of rituals and iconography, exposing wood as the raw material that undergoes production processes before becoming a spiritual object of devotion.
In celebration of Women’s Month, Pinoy Rebyu presents the results of our poll of the best Filipino films helmed by women directors. Filipino female directors make up less than 10% of the total number of active local filmmakers, even though their films prove to be well-loved by both the movie-going public (e.g., the roster of Star Cinema directors and up-and-coming breed of young women directors) and critics (e.g., Diaz-Abaya, Guillen, documentarists, among others) alike.
For this poll, a total of 127 film professionals, experts, and pundits submitted their ballots after having pored through a masterlist of all 455 Filipina-directed films that we have compiled. The earliest film, Pendulum of Fate, was made by Brigida Perez Villanueva and released in 1933. The latest, as of this writing, is Irene Villamor’s Ulan.
Although the earliest film cited by any poll participant was released in 1947, we are issuing a caveat that majority of the participants have not seen many of the films released prior to the mid-1970s, because of two problems that have plagued the local industry for a very long time: the lack of preservation efforts that could have saved many celluloid film rolls from decay and neglect, and the narrow reach of film distribution.
Our goal with this list is to shine a light on treasures of the local film industry, made by filmmakers who remain underrepresented until today. The hope is that more doors will open up for women to share their stories and visions.
The list includes synopses of each film in the top 100. You may click on the titles to view their trailers or links to the full online copies.
Three women (Angelica Panganiban, Angeline Quinto, Assunta de Rossi) struggle with their insecurities about how they look as they get caught up in building craze for a new beauty product.
When K’na (Mara Lopez), a young T’boli woman, becomes a dreamweaver, she has the chance to weave together her village’s warring clans. But will she give up true love to do so?
The children of the Salazar family have been pursuing separate lives in the recent years. After a few years of not being together as a whole family, they find themselves reuniting when CJ (Enchong Dee) announces his plan to marry Princess (Angeline Quinto), his girlfriend for three months. Feeling protective of their youngest sibling, CJ’s sisters (Bea Alonzo, Toni Gonzaga, Angel Locsin, Shaina Magdayao) conspire to dissuade him from marrying his fiancée.
In a quaint provincial town, an elderly man (Gerry Adeva) awaits his inevitable fate.
98Ganap na Babae(Rica Arevalo, Ellen Ramos, Sarah Roxas, 2010)
A woman (Mercedes Cabral) shares her soul as a prostitute in front of the camera. A survivor, she looks back at her life as a mother.
Milagros (Sue Prado) and Elena (Jam Pérez) are sisters tilling “camote” (sweet potato) in a dry land. Poverty provokes Elena to migrate as a mail-order bride in Japan while Milagros stays to take care of the family.
Eos (Boots Anson Roa) is a widow who falls in love with a younger man, Rodrigo (Rome Mallari). They try to make the relationship work amidst the pressure of their family and the society.
Laida Magtalas (Sarah Geronimo) is a modern-day Belle who works hard to provide for her family while hoping that someday she will meet her Prince Charming and that they will live happily ever after together. That would-be prince charming is none other than “Miggy” (John Lloyd Cruz), the youngest member of the Montenegro clan — a well-established family in the business world. Moony Laida’s desire to finally meet Miggy leads her to apply as an Editorial Assistant at his newly launched men’s magazine, Bachelor. Though a relationship with Miggy may prove to be a long shot, Laida revels in working in such close proximity with the man of her dreams.
The everyday struggles of people trying to bridge two cultures, as well as their attempt to find happiness in their new homeland. Tere (Cherrie Pie Picache), mid-forties and single, hosts a dinner for a friend visiting from Manila, Lorna. Invited are their New York City-based friends and former college classmates – Mike (Christopher De Leon), a newspaper editor in his forties, Gerry (Ricky Davao), an advertising copywriter and closeted gay, and Marissa (Dina Bonnevie).
Three generations of women whose lives are connected by blood and fate as they cope with relationships with men. Bea (Nora Aunor) is an architect who has just got promoted, but this professional success exposes her husband’s insecurity. Alex (Judy Ann Santos) is Bea’s teenage daughter who enters into an abusive relationship with a boyfriend. Adora (Nida Blanca) is Bea’s newly widowed mother who is about to come to terms with facing life alone. (From cinesum)
Florida (Vilma Santos), an oppressed housemaid, has transformed herself into a wealthy and powerful business mogul through sheer dint of talent, ambition, and driving need to avenge herself on her tormentors. She comes back to the scene of her most abject debasement with the sole intent of humiliating the family who once made her life such a living hell. Unknowingly, she gets to exact revenge on the very person who turns out to be her own daughter. (From Ati-atihan: Mother of All Philippine Festivals)
Anna Carballo (Nora Aunor) returns from the States after four years to fetch her older sister Sarah from their Baguio mansion. Anna spends the night in Manila in a hotel and accidentally meets her former fiance, Roy Valdez (Tirso Cruz III). Roy tries to explain to Anna his marriage to Cornelia but Anna brushes him off.
That night Anna has a weird dream where Sarah brings her to their dining room and their entire deceased family greets her, “Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat!”
Anna proceeds to Baguio the next day and is gradually terrified as most of the things in her dream happen in reality. Roy, pursued by a nagging and hysterical Cornelia, tries to win Anna back. And together Roy and Anna try to unravel the mystery that engulfs the Carballo Mansion.
92 Sonny Boy (Susana de Guzman, 1955)
A touching drama of parental love that prolific filmmaker Susana de Guzman adapted from her own serialized novel in Liwayway magazine. Rosa Rosal won FAMAS Best Actress in a non-kontrabida role.
Senator Gabriel Alcaraz (Robin Padilla) is preparing to deliver a privilege speech alleging corruption in the highest levels of government. On his way to the Senate, he gets wind of a plot against him. The police seek to arrest him for his part in an operation decades ago. Suspecting that the administration isn’t willing to give him a fair trial, Alcaraz goes into hiding abroad, hoping to find a way to clear his name and eventually return to his family. Back home, an old colleague is put in charge of finding him, and his family suffers under the pressure of public scrutiny.
Nanay Mameng delves deep into the character of a woman (Carmen “Nanay Mameng” Deunida) who has experienced extreme poverty and domestic violence and rose from from it all to become the beloved personality, well-known to the Philippine mass movement.
Catherine (Hilda Koronel) goes through all the travails of a young woman, who had to deal with a scheming stepfather (Eddie Garcia) out to dupe her of her inheritance.
Norma (Maricel Soriano) straddles between being a mother to Ruby (Tala Santos) and being a nanny to her employer’s daughter, Louise (Erika Oreta). Norma left her daughter in the province to be a nanny to another person’s daughter. An emergency forces Norma to bring Ruby with her to Manila and her employer is kind enough to accept Ruby in the household. However, Louise (Erika Oreta), the daughter of Norma’s employer, competes with Ruby for Norma’s affection. Now, Norma has to balance her love and attention for the two special people in her life: her daughter and her ward.
“The story of a young woman Niña (Barbara Benitez) in a small rural town, exploring her sexual awakening. She lives with her mother Turing (Chanda Romero), a repressed woman always fretting about money; and her effervescent, permissive grandmother Senyang (Charito Solis). Niña’s first sensual partner is fellow schoolmate Elsa (Lara Jacinto). As they make love on a limestone promontory above a limpid sea, they ruefully ponder over their impending separation as Niña’s prepares to pursue college in Manila.
Further avenues for exploration of the senses emerge when Ariel (Lito Gruet), a rich young man who has come back to spend summer in the family’s ancestral mansion, happens to espy them from a distance, and he soon starts courting Niña, arousing the jealousy of Elsa. Niña falls head over heels for the rich and glamorous Ariel which leads to more occasions of lovemaking and frontal nudity. A scene both sad and hilarious shows Niña trying to fit in with Ariel’s pompous cosmopolitan friends slumming in their provincial town, and failing pathetically.
She soon faces heartbreak when Ariel abandons her, disappearing from her life like a summer’s momentary breeze. It is Elsa, whom she had left for Ariel, that comforts her. The one source of constant support for Niña is her warm-hearted grandmother Senyang. At her deathbed, Senyang tells her granddaughter not to mourn for her: “Every day, creatures die. Every day, creatures get born. What matters is that you experience every moment of your life.” (From Asian CineVision)
66 Jazz in Love (Babyruth Villarama, 2013)
Tells the story of Jazz (Ernesto Tigaldao Jr.), a young man from Davao whose dream wedding is within reach: his boyfriend of 11 months (Theodor Rutkowski) has proposed. Because no law allows him to get married in the Philippines, he must fly to Germany, his boyfriend’s home country, and tie the knot there. One of the things that stand in his way is his inability to speak German, and to address that he must temporarily relocate to Manila for language lessons. Meanwhile, his parents remain completely unaware of the radical changes that his life is about to undergo.
Dolzura Cortez (Vilma Santos) has had several men in her lives. One (Christopher de Leon) returns as an AIDS researcher and unwittingly, Dolzura is to be his subject. She is encouraged by him to come out in the public so she can dispel the social stigma that comes with the disease.
A fictionalized retelling of facts about the environmental degradation of Mindoro: two Mangyan teenagers (Timothy Castillo and Rhea Medina) are paid by illegal loggers to smuggle wood to the lowlands. They hide them underneath a bamboo raft and float them for several days through dangerous white water. What follows is a journey that tests their friendship and their values; and opens up their eyes to a world new to them; a world dictated by ideologies and material need. Ultimately they find themselves caught in the conflict between the military and the NPA. Brutus is an adventure film that has a lot to say about a vanishing culture threatened by man’s abuses. It explores the struggle of a people who aspire to live well, with dignity and in harmony with nature.
About Evelyn “Baby Tsina” Duave Ortega (Vilma Santos), a famous underworld figure during the 1950’s who acquired the nickname because of her ivory skin and slanting eyes. She led the police in a frenetic chase before she was convicted for murder. Ironically it was a crime she did not commit. While in jail she underwent a transformation and led the other inmates in seeking for reforms in the local penal system.
Celebrity chef Carl (Aga Muhlach) returns from New York to marry his supermodel fiancée, Chrissy. But the bride-to-be is delayed in Europe, and as Carl makes wedding plans with her family, he finds himself falling for Chrissy’s sister Lena (Claudine Barretto). Preparations for the nuptials progress, but will there still be a wedding? And if so, whose wedding will it be?
Shirley (Vilma Santos) is a woman who wants to be in control of everything. But in her family, her unwarranted intervention in the lives of her children and their families keeps her emotionally detached from them. Realizing that she has lost the command she once had, she goes to New York to reunite with Mark (Luis Manzano), her estranged gay son who is now suffering from colon cancer.
A photographer (Rico Yan) publishes a series of pictures detailing a lovelorn wedding planner’s (Claudine Barretto) many embarrassing moments as a perpetual bridesmaid.
Aguy (Miel Espinoza), a special little homeless girl, travels about the Philippines curing the afflicted with her mysterious healing powers, until one day she befriends a sick old man, Sal (Bodjie Pascua), who for some perplexing reason she is unable to cure. The unlikely pair are drawn to each other with both of their lives forever changed by their unique friendship and magical journey together.
58 Lupang Hinarang (Ditsi Carolino, 2009)
A film in two parts about a fierce and deadly battle raging between farmers and landowners in the Philippines. The first part tracks the Sumilao farmers’ gruelling 1,700-kilometer journey through scorching heat, rains, fatigue, and great uncertainty to the presidential palace in Manila. After weeks of walking, the farmers reach Manila, rally at the corporate offices of San Miguel, confront the agrarian reform secretary and grapple with anti-riot police before finally meeting the President. The second part tells the story of the sugarcane workers from Negros. When the landowner’s armed guards kill one of the farmers in 2007, Chay Lindy, Chay Gamay, and Chay Biray go on a harrowing 29-day hunger strike with other farmers on the steps of the agrarian reform office in Manila. The hunger strike results in victory for the farmers until the film ends in a shocking climax.
In this coming-of-age-film about self-love, Maya (Nadine Lustre) is a girl who has always held a pessimistic view of the rain, reminding her of failed love and other depressing things. Will the rain ever stop her in her journey to overcome past heartaches?
Built around found stories of relatives, acquaintances and even strangers, this documentary paints a compelling portrait of a gay OFW who lived in Paris for 25 years and dies there alone.
In Avenida, the lives of four men (Nicco Manalo, Soliman Cruz, Dylan Ray Talon, and Anthony Falcon) intertwine, searching for something. They all find what they are looking for in one woman named Aileen (Iana Bernardez).
Nonoy (Mark Anthony Fernandez) and Jenny (Claudine Barretto) are childhood friends who move to the city to pursue a college education. Personalities change, but will their young love be able to stand the test of time?
Loving husband Lino (Piolo Pascual) is on a mission: His wife, who works as a domestic in Milan, is missing and he’s determined to find her. To do so, he enters Italy illegally and takes cover as one of the hundreds of Filipino migrant workers who make their way to Europe.
Filmmaker Wena Sanchez closely follows her teen brother (Justin Sanchez) as he starts a new life in college. Although her brother is smart, he is a bit of an oddball and finds it hard to navigate the world like a normal teenager. However, as she monitors his progress, the filmmaker notices similar traits on her own daughter. This makes her question her ability to help the people she loves the most.
Kimmy and Dora Go Dong Hae (both Eugene Domingo), who are identical twin sisters, cannot be anymore different from each other. Life turns out to be even more complicated as the twins become rivals both in life and in love.
Estela (Yeng Constantino), an idealistic call center slacker is mentored by Trevor (Felix Roco), a pragmatic senior agent. Their interaction develops into an unconventional relationship that would challenge their most personal convictions.
49 Sa Pusod ng Dagat (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1998)
In a remote fishing island in the 50’s, Pepito (Jomari Yllana) grows up learning the trade of his mother, Rosa (Elizabeth Oropesa), the only midwife capable of delivering the newborn babies of their community. At first, the young son doesn’t mind the unusual arrangement, but as he grows older, he begins to resist the role traditionally meant only for women. In time, Pepito’s coming of age intersects with the lives of the other islanders, whose beliefs and struggles become critical impetus to his maturity.
The tale of an activist’s journey during the turbulent years of Martial Law, until his capture in the mountains and the dark, nine years of imprisonment that followed, leading to his birth as a poet.
Milagros (Sharmaine Arnaiz) is a prostitute who becomes the maid of a family of four men. With them, she finds the family she never had. With her, each man finds the salvation he needs. Together, they begin to tear each other apart.
A young drag queen, Dodong (Russ Ligtas) joins a barangay gay pageant to gain acceptance in his father’s community. He is instead met with hostility from his father, who chases him into a jungle, where he sobs to a lone bright star. What follows is the strangest night in his entire life, and an even stranger nine months when he realizes he is pregnant. Dodong deals with ridicule from a barangay who does not believe him.
A docu-drama exploring the life and works of National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, who only accepted the National Artist Award on the condition that the Marcos administration release a well-known writer who was being unjustly detained during Martial Law.
Gibson Bonifacio (Dominic Roco) stopped speaking as a child. He is now twenty years old, returning to Manila from his studies abroad, his first visit home in three years. He finds his family trying to keep it together, his mother (Dawn Zulueta) still hurting from a tragic loss in the past. In the backdrop of the vibrant local music scene, his childhood best friend (Annicka Dolonius) reaches out to him, and he finds a chance at his first real romantic relationship. Amidst the holidays, Gibson reconsiders and redefines his relationships with his family, his friends, and with himself.
In the decade following the Spanish-American War, more Filipinos were killed by US troops than by the Spanish during the 300 years of colonial rule. More than 1 million Filipinos died between 1899 and 1913. This experimental documentary about the Philippine American War of 1899 combines archival photographs and turn of the century film, digital video and 16mm footage to create memories of a forgotten history. A contemporary Filipina-American narrator weaves this complex history through historiography, experimental documentary and intercultural cinema. Shot on location in the Philippines and edited in the US, the film was produced by an international team of Filipino and American media artists.
The story of Gio (James Reid) and Joanne (Nadine Lustre) whose young, carefree and reckless love is tested when their dreams take them to different paths.
As Joel (Christopher de Leon) and Grace (Hilda Koronel) are about to get married, they recall their past loves, how they met, and how their relationships ended. Just before their wedding, their former lovers meet them.
Sid (Dingdong Dantes) is a guy who suffers from insomnia. Through the many lonely nights, he meets Aya (Anne Curtis). Who is she, really? And how will she change Sid’s life?
39 Alkitrang Dugo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, 1975)
Adapted from The Lord of the Flies, a group of Filipino teenage boys and girls survives a plane crash and copes to live in an island amid politics, social class, sanity and death.
A coming-of-age tale about a boy and his family in 1950s Mindoro, Philippines, and how he is groomed into becoming the poster boy for his parents’ home-based business. The film is an experimental portrait of a family amidst change — an experience that will engage audiences in something strange but familiar.
Lorna (Shamaine Buencamino) is a sixty year-old woman who is constantly searching for the right man, having failed at so many relationships. Having lived close to a lifetime alone, she decides to take another stab at moving on and, more importantly, love.
Assistant Production Designer Wilson Nañawa (Joey Paras) is tasked to look for a Last Supper to use as a prop for a TV commercial. He finds three, but loses the one owned by Gareth Pugeda. What happens next changes Wilson forever as he spends the next two years entangled in bureaucracy and red tape facing estafa and serious physical injury charges. How will this ordinary man fare against a system he knows nothing about? Will justice prevail for Wilson? Or will he be imprisoned for the loss of Last Supper No. 3?
Four families live in the seams of Manila’s busiest international port. In the hours of their ordinary days, they hear and see the wealth of different nations, packed as cargo, passing them by, leaving and entering Manila’s shores. But soon, the port expands and panic starts. Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang is a filmic symphony depicting the increasing everyday violence in the aspiration for a city fit for globalization.
Lea (Alessandra de Rossi) is a tour guide in Japan who suffers from temporary blindness. Tonyo (Empoy Marquez) who lives right across from Lea is persistent and determined to be her friend. As they become closer, Lea sees the true character of Tonyo.
Booba (Rufa Mae Quinto), newly arrived in the bustling metropolis (her choice of transportation from her far-flung province, where her family owns a profitable fruit stand, should be seen to be believed), moves from an all-male dormitory (with its hole-infested bathroom door, for better peeping of course) where she worked the nights as a go-go dancer, to a Filipino-Chinese household where she worked as a nanny to an overfed eight-year-old, before ending up as the police’s top secret agent.
32 Riles (Ditsi Carolino, 2003)
Riles is a documentary about the life of a riles resident, Eddie, in a squatter area along the railroad tracks within the downtrodden section of Balic-balic, Manila.
Musician Ariel (Coke Bolipata) discovers the immense talent of 7-year-old Onyok (Julian Duque) hiding behind a veneer of silence and pain caused by an unhappy and cruel father. In the developing relationship of teacher and student, both characters reveal more of themselves that otherwise may have remained unspoken. They discover each other’s strengths and failures through the violin lessons.
Eight year-old Yael (Janna Agoncillo), shy to a fault, lives in her own private world. One day she finds out about a pen that can “translate” the thoughts and feelings of nervous people.
Becky (Lorna Tolentino) is in love with Armand (Joel Torre). When Armand leaves for the United States, Becky promises to wait for him and she does, until Armand’s wife-to-be confronts Becky with her past: once upon a time, she was named Irene, and had an affair with a married man. The man died in a motel room, presumably a heart attack, and Irene had left without reporting his death. Becky is blackmailed into forgetting Armand; she vanishes, then recreates herself as Leah, a fashion model. She attracts the attention of Jaime (Dindo Fernando), a wealthy hedonist, with whom she is locked in an ever-tightening sexual embrace, from role-playing to voyeurism to sado-masochism. Then she meets Armand again, and discovers she still feels for Armand. Becky-Leah-Irene finds herself forced to choose, between a husband and a matchless sexual partner. (From Critic After Dark)
The loving and nurturing Mariel (Sharon Cuneta) marries Edward (Christopher de Leon) after his first wife abandons him and their three children. Mariel strives to win the acceptance and affection of her new stepchildren, even as she tries to define her role in the family.
Popoy (John Llyod Cruz) and Basha (Bea Alonzo) had been together forever. Their love story begins when they meet as students at university. They are inseparable and do everything together—eating, studying, and attending parties. However, Popoy’s incessant planning and nagging take a toll on their relationship, leading Basha to break up with him.
Accused of treason, Dr. Jose P. Rizal (Cesar Montano) awaits trial and meets with his colonial government-appointed counsel, Luis Taviel de Andrade (Jaime Fabregas). The two build the case and arguments for the defense as significant events in the central figure’s life prior to his incarceration unfold. Upon hearing Rizal’s life story, Taviel begins to realize that the accused is not just innocent but exhibits in fact all the qualities of an extraordinary man. When the mock trial unreels, Taviel is all set to act as the prime advocate for his client as Rizal himself is about to give an earth-moving speech to defend his honor and address his countrymen. Meanwhile, the Spanish authorities have worked out the vast political machinery to ensure a guilty verdict. A revolution waits in the wings.
Sonya (Marietta Subong), an old maid, is about to give up on herself until one day, she meets a corpse in her family’s embalming business that changes her life.
After a series of unpleasant events in her life, Pascalina (Veronica Santiago) receives news that her Aunt Taba (Peewee O’Hara) is dying but cannot do so unless she passes on a curse. Pascalina visits her aunt thinking that the news is only a big joke. But she begins to experience changes in her life that will push her to the edge of madness and monstrosity.
In November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan claimed the lives of Nick and Chai Quieta’s four children, leaving them with nothing but each other and a house torn to pieces. Now, four months later, we step inside the Quietas’ home and observe how they cope with their loss. What is reality like to lose all your kids all of a sudden?
Taking us into the heart of the planet’s busiest maternity hospital, the viewer is dropped like an unseen outsider into the hospital’s stream of activity. At first, the people are strangers. As the film continues, it’s absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of the story increasingly familiar.
A 12-year old Anita (Therese Malvar) falls in love with the new woman in town (Angel Aquino); years later, a girlhood crush blossoms during the Fiesta of Santa Clara in Obando, Bulacan.
An immersion into life before birth in the smallest home in the seams of Manila’s premier international port. Virgie’s family feeds on the fishes that lurk under the industrial ships of North Harbor. Their alternatives are packs of tasteless gelatin found in the same waters. Their entertainment comes from imagining stories behind DVD inlays of Hollywood films and a tabloid article on Hillary Clinton and a rat’s ass. One morning when the fishes are dead and the sea’s color is that of milk, uncertainty is born on the same floor where she eats.
While struggling to meet the strict airline baggage requirements, a woman (Angelica Panganiban) meets a man (JM de Guzman) who heroically comes to her aid. Both are in despair out of love, which urges them to form a charming friendship which would take them out of the crowded airport and into the secluded city of Sagada where they would attempt to mend each other’s hearts and find the answer to the question, “Where do broken hearts go?”
Fredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches each trip to the sea with the angry determination of a man out for revenge. Fredo commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. Not all of Fredo’s youthful sailors are willing to put up with his abusive arrogance, however, and even his father Dado (Pen Medina) and close friend Botong (Jhong Hilario) have grown weary of Fredo’s tirades. Fredo’s body is beginning to betray him as well, and as he and his crew damage the sea’s reef beds in search of fish, no one is certain how much longer he will be able to continue.
War is a Tender Thing retells the blood-soaked story of war-torn Southern Philippines. Portrayed by the media as a locus of unbridgeable conflicts between and among different cultures living side by side, this documentary gently unravels the war as an endless attempt at survival and adaptation of the Southern Philippine citizens to state policies that disregard the most basic concept of home. How does one account for the many lives played upon by these political maneuvers that have not taken into consideration the faceless and nameless? One listens to their stories, however imperfect, however partial. These memories make up a narrative of the war that is as cogent as the factual telling.
Three siblings Danny (Johnny Delgado), Art (Edu Manzano) and Grace (Dina Bonnevie) are now well settled with their respective families, in widely contrasting lifestyles. The one common thing that binds them loosely together is the love that their mother Dolores Rosales (Gloria Romero) holds for all of them and her grandchildren, albeit expressed in varying ways and degrees, but always equally nurturing and self-giving. Much as they are held together by her, they are in turn separated by physical distance and the sad legacy left behind by their deceased, erstwhile strong-willed, patriarchal father.
In 1969, an American Vietnam war hero (Victor Pearson) relocates to a remote village in the Philippines and invites hundreds of women to live with him in his compound. Through money and violence, he was able to rule as a king. In 2002 he was charged with over 80 counts of rape.
Transit tells the story of Moises (Ping Medina), a Filipino single-dad working as a caregiver in Herzliya, Israel, who comes home to his apartment in Tel Aviv to celebrate his son Joshua’s (Marc Justine Alvarez) 4th birthday. It was on that day that Moises, together with their Filipino neighbors Janet (Irma Adlawan) and her daughter Yael (Jasmine Curtis), finds out that the Israeli government is going to deport children of foreign workers. Afraid of the new law, Moises and Janet decide to hide their children from the immigration police by making them stay inside the house.
After working in Hong Kong for a decade to support her family, Josie (Vilma Santos) returns home to find her children’s lives in ruins. Since their father’s death five years ago, her daughters (Claudine Barretto and Shiela Junsay) and son (Baron Geisler) have made their way through life without their mother. But with a lack of parental guidance, they’re on a path to destruction. Can Josie ever repair the damage her long absence has caused?
A woman (Amy Austria) who killed her husband and two other men in a Manila apartment becomes the newest media sensation. In a post-traumatic shock, she refuses to communicate with anyone. A journalist (Charo Santos) with feminist ideals is drawn to the case and vows to uncover the truth behind the triple murder. She is unfazed by the silence of the accused and seeks out others who may be able to shed light on the gruesome incident.
The lives of random children from different parts of the Philippines, facing the same predicament of living life of arduous labor to cope with the harsh realities of poverty. The filmmaker recorded small children working under excruciating conditions in slaughterhouses, sugarcane fields, and ship docks in order to add to their family income.
The documentary is about three boys—Tony, 13, Diosel, and Bunso, 11—struggling to survive in a crowded Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Cebu, alongside adult rapists and murderers. The street-smart boys paint a picture of the world of children caught between extreme poverty and the law.
A persistent suitor is stabbed to death by Salome (Gina Alajar), the wife of a coconut farmer. From the simple crime of passion three conflicting versions of the truth are given – by Salome herself, by the people of the small fishing village, and by her own husband. Each version contributes a piece and facet of the truth, and slowly reveals to us the real character of Salome and her husband, and the true nature of their relationship.
A groom (Philip Salvador) takes his city bride (Cecille Castillo) to his hometown to settle in his father’s house. Struck by her uncanny resemblance to his dead wife, the patriarch (Vic Silayan) is driven to lust after his daughter-in-law. When things come to a head, a violent family quarrel ensues and leads to tragedy. A middle-aged spinster (Charito Solis) recounts the tale to reveal her identity and trace the downfall of the landowning clan trapped in the past.
A young nurse (Nora Aunor) questions her planned emigration to the United States, and her country’s post-colonial conditions, following her brother’s fatal shooting by an American soldier from the nearby military base.
Joey, Kathy, Sylvia, and Maritess are not only classmates – they are the best of friends. Joey (Lorna Tolentino) is a drug user who sleeps around. Kathy (Gina Alajar) is a mediocre singer who will stop at nothing to fulfill her dreams of going big-time. Sylvia (Sandy Andolong) is a liberated woman who finds security in the love of her ex-husband who is now living in with another man. Maritess (Anna Marin) plays the role of a conventional housewife who is reduced to a baby-making machine. In the span of three years – from 1979 to 1982 – the film traces the lives of these four women through their seemingly disparate but also interwoven experiences and in their attempts to resolve their individual problems are mirrored the different faces of the woman in our society today.
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
Last Supper No. 3 (Veronica Velasco)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Riles (Ditsi Carolino)
Jade Castro (Writer/Director, Endo)
pascalina
bunso
booba
moral
minsa’y isang gamu-gamo
anak
pitong kabang palay
billie and emma
gusto kita with all my hypothalamus
24k
Leilani Chavez (Writer, TODA One I Love)
Moral
Magkano ang Iyong Dangal?
Brutal
Mga Pusang Gala
Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Imelda
Pascalina
K’na the dreamweaver
Sunday Beauty Queen
Oda sa Wala
Carlo Antonio Cielo (Reviewer, Squeeze)
Pan de Salawal (Che Espiritu, 2018)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
Transit (Hannah Espia)
Memories of a Forgotten War (Sari Dalena)
Imelda (Ramona Diaz)
Dahling Nick (Sari Dalena)
Shift (Siege Ledesma)
Melodrama Negra (Maria Isabel Legarda)
10,000 Hours (Joyce Bernal)
Bagong Buwan (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Kristian Sendon Cordero (Writer/Director, Hinulid)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo, Lupita Aquino Kashiwara
Karnal, Marilou Diaz Abaya
Salome, Laurice Guillen
Sana Maulit Muli, Olivia Lamasan
Kailangan Kita, Rory Quintos
History of the Underground, Sari Dalena
Sunday Beauty Queen, Babyruth Villarama
Imelda, Ramona Diaz
War is A Tender Thing, Adjani Arumpac
Ulan, Irene Villamor
David Corpuz (Director, Kusina)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo by Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara
Moral by Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Riles by Ditsi Carolino
Milagros by Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Salome by Laurice Guillen
Transit by Hannah Espia
Sunday Beauty Queen by Baby Ruth Villarama
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay by Antoinette Jadaone
Memories of a Forgotten War by Sari Dalena
Anak by Rory Quintos
Ina Avellana Cosio (University Researcher, UP Film Institute)
Brutal: Marilou Diaz Abaya
Moral: Marilou Diaz Abaya
American Adobo: Laurice Guillen
Santa Santita: Laurice Guillen
Pusang Gala: Ellen Ongkeko Marfil
Rome & Juliet: Connie Macatuno
Ishma: Sari Dalena & Keith Sicat
The Guerilla is a Poet: Sari Dalena & Kiri Dalena
Sunday Beauty Queen : Babyruth Villarama
Nervous Translation: Shireen Seno
Oggs Cruz (Reviewer, Rappler)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)
Salome (Laurice Guillen)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Init sa Magdamag (Laurice Guillen)
Riles (Ditsi Carolino)
Kano: An American and his Harem (Monster Jimenez)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
Pascalina (Pam Miras)
Tundong Magiliw: Pasaan Isinisilang Siyang Mahirap (Jewel Maranan)
Prime Cruz (Writer/Director, Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B)
Shift- siege ledesma
Lorna- sigrid bernardo
Sid and aya- irene villamor Never not love you- tonette jadaone Nervous translation- shireen seno Miss bulalacao- ara chawdhury Anak- rory quintos Milan- olivia lamasan She’s dating the gangster- cathy garcia molina Rizal- marilou diaz abaya
Sari Dalena (Writer/Director, Ka Oryang)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, 1976)
Mga Anino sa Tanghaling Tapat (Ivy Universe Baldoza, 2011)
Transit (Hannah Espia, 2013)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Baby Ruth Villarama, 2016)
Motherland (Ramona Diaz, 2017)
Nervous Translation (Shireen Seno, 2017)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (Jewel Maranan, 2018)
Runners-up:
Game-changer films
Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Bernardo, 2013)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone, 2014)
Kita Kita (Sigrid Bernardo, 2017)
Short films
Nailed (Angel Velasco Shaw, 1992)
Doon sa Kabila ng Buwan (Ellen Ramos, 1997)
Reyna ng Kadiliman (Pam Miras, 1999)
Red Saga (Kiri Dalena, 2004)
Gikan sa Ngitngit nga Kinailadman (Kiri Dalena, 2017)
Tembong (Shaira Advincula, 2018)
Joel David (Professor, Cultural Studies, Inha University)
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1980)
Kasal? (Laurice Guillen, 1980)
Salome (Laurice Guillen, 1981)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1982)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983)
Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (Laurice Guillen, 1984)
Sensual (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1986)
Rosenda (Laurice Guillen, 1989)
Ipagpatawad Mo (Laurice Guillen, 1990)
Tayong Dalawa (Laurice Guillen, 1992)
May Nagmamahal Sa ‘Yo (Marilou Diaz -Abaya, 1996)
Milagros (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1997)
Minsan, Minahal Kita (Olivia Lamasan, 2000)
Inang Yaya (Pablo Biglang-awa and Veronica Velasco, 2006)
Mudraks (Arah Jell Badayos and Margaret Guzman, 2006)
One More Chance (Cathy Garcia-Molina, 2007)
Boses (Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, 2008)
Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme (Joyce Bernal, 2009)
Ang Nawawala (Marie Jamora, 2012)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, 2013)
Transit (Hannah Espia, 2013)
She’s Dating the Gangster (Cathy Garcia-Molina, 2014)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone, 2014)
Meet Me in St. Gallen (Irene Emma Villamor, 2018)
Note: I had to limit my choices to movies that are still available, that I’d seen, and were (fictional) features. The most useful test I used was: which would be the movies I would list in a syllabus on introducing Pinay filmmakers to laypersons, including students?
Eduardo Dayao (Writer/Director, Violator)
Audio Perpetua (Universe Baldosa)
Big Boy (Shireen Seno)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Brutal (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Kano: An American and His Harem (Monster Jimenez)
Mamay Umeng (Dwein Baltazar)
Pascalina (Pam Miras)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
War Is a Tender Thing (Adjani Arumpac)
Masikip sa Dibdib (Joyce Bernal)
Archie del Mundo (Writer/Director, Taksikab)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu Gamo (Lupita Concio)
Init Sa Magdamag (Laurice Guillen)
Aparisyon (Isabel Sandoval)
Moral (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Kasal? (Laurice Guillen)
Salome (Laurice Guillen)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Asong Simbahan (Sari Dalena)
Milagros (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Ka Oryang (Sari Dalena)
Ida Anita del Mundo (Director, K’na, the Dreamweaver)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, 2013)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Baby Ruth Villarama, 2016)
Dennis Evangelista (Producer, Rainbow’s Sunset)
SALOME Laurice Guillen
MORAL Marilou Diaz-Abaya
TANGING YAMAN Laurice Guillen
BRUTAL Marilou Diaz-Abaya
INIT SA MAGDAMAG Laurice Guillen
JOSE RIZAL Marilou Diaz Abaya
BOSES Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil
THAT THING CALLED TADHANA Antoinette Jadaone
MADRASTA Olivia Lamasan
DOLZURA CORTEZ STORY Laurice Guiĺlen
Lauren Sanchez Faustino (Director, Ang Babae sa Likod ng Mambabatok)
Motherland
Nick & Chai
All Grown Up
War is a Tender Thing
Ka Oryang
Tundong Magiliw
Bunso
Muro-Ami
Last Supper No.3
Sockie Fernandez (Writer/Director, Gulong)
Moral
Salome
Bunso
Sana Maulit Muli
Sunday Beauty Queen
One More Chance
Kita Kita
Anak
That Thing Called Tadhana
Kimmy Dora
Patrick Flores (Professor, UP Diliman Department of Art Studies)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)
Ibalik Mo ang Araw sa Mundong Makasalanan (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)
Kasal? (Laurice Guillen)
Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (Laurice Guillen)
Kapag Puso’y Sinugatan (Laurice Guillen)
Sensual (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Ditsi Carolino)
Señorita (Isabel Sandoval)
War Is a Tender Thing (Adjani Arumpac)
Marciano (Ivy Universe Baldoza)
Miss Bulalacao (Ara Chawdhury)
Jag Garcia (Faculty Member, College of St. Benilde Digital Filmmaking Program)
Jazz in Love – Babyruth Villarama
Sunday Beauty Queen – Babyruth Villarama
That Thing Called Tadhana – Antoinette Jadaone
Tundong Magiliw – Jewel Maranan
Muro-ami – Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo – Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara
Moral – Marilou Diaz-Abaya
History of the Underground – Sari Dalena and Keith Sicat
K’na the Dreamweaver – Ida del Mundo
Lupang Hinarang – Ditsi Carolino
Notes:
Jazz in Love because it was a surprise breakthrough docu that looked into not just gay relationships but those made online and across international borders; it also looked into the challenges faced by Filipinos in applying for visas to western countries. Surprise because it was a workshop film
SBQ because, hello, SBQ… first docu at MMFF, best picture, world-changing documentary
Tadhana – not because it’s a particularly fantastic film, but more importantly it brought a whole new perspective to Filipino filmmaking… the “hugot” film has now become a trend thanks to tadhana… is it a good or bad thing? Neither. But we Filipinos love our lechon manok and sari sari stores which leads us to open a shitload of them up right beside each other until only the best one remains (congrats Baliwag and Andoks)
Tundong Magiliw – have you watched it? Fcuking brilliant docu
Muro-ami – I’m a fan of MDA, and I think Muro-ami was one of those films where she pushed not so much storytelling and formula, but more importantly film production. Shooting on the water, on location, with a seemingly bottomless budget… why can’t we make films like this anymore?
Gamu-gamo – hello. Nuff said.
Moral – again MDA… but I love this for its non-traditional screenplay and narrative structure, especially considering it was produced in the middle of the shift to hyper-commercialized film production in the country
Underground – I think Sari Dalena is highly underrated as a director and storyteller; her socialist ideals bring a very fresh perspective to Filipino filmmaking while remaining anchored in the capitalist and hegemonic realities of cinema in the country
K’na – I actually really like this one… save the cheesy ending with bad CGI… but otherwise I really really really liked K’na
Hinarang – I think Ditsi is one of the most important Filipina filmmakers in contemporary cinema… not simply for the courage inherent in her documentaries but her overall drive to capture and portray what is potentially dangerous and controversial… as asians we’re inherently non-confrontative… even our militant films are sometimes passive-aggressive… it’s important to note some of the few who have the balls (pun intended) to really fight the system
Kriz Gazmen (Creative Producer, Alone/Together)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo (Lupita Kashiwahara)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Salome (Laurice Guillen)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Booba (Joyce Bernal)
Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin? (Olivia Lamasan)
One More Chance (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Oda sa Wala (Dwein Baltazar)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone)
Charliebebs Gohetia (Writer/Director, The Natural Phenomenon of Madness)
Minsan, Minahal kita – Olivia Lamasan
Moral – Marilou Diaz-Abaya
War Is a Tender Thing – Adjani Arumpac
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo – Lupita Aquino – Kashiwahara
Riles – Ditsi Carolino
Super B – Joyce Bernal
Nick and Chai – Cha Escala and Wena Sanchez
Marciano – Ivy Universe Baldoza
Sana Maulit Muli – Olivia Lamasan
Aparisyon – Isabel Sandoval
Christopher Gozum (Writer/Director, Anacbanua)
Asong Simbahan (Sari Dalena)
Medusae (Pam Miras)
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Jerry Gracio (Writer, Balangiga: Howling Wilderness)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, 1976)
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen, 2000)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Ditsi Carolino, 1996)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan, 1995)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1982)
Alyas Baby Tsina (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1984)
Sunday Beauty Queen, Babyruth Villarama, 2016)
Booba (Joyce Bernal, 2001)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone, 2014)
Paul Grant (Professor, University of San Carlos Department of Fine Arts)
Miss Bulalacao (Ara Chawdhury)
Big Boy (Shireen Seno)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Memories of a Forgotten War (Sari Dalena)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
The Life and Death of Dr. Jose Rizal (Titay Molina/Edward Meyer Gross)
Dahling Nick (Sari Dalena)
She’s Dating the Gangster (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
Kano: An American and His Harem (Coreen Jimenez)
JP Habac (Writer/Director; I’m Drunk, I Love You)
Transit (Hannah Espia)
Nick and Chai (Cha Escala and Wena Sanchez)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Baby Ruth Villarama)
Last Supper No. 3 (Veronica Velasco)
Lupang Hinarang (Ditsi Carolino)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Muro-ami (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Timmy Harn (Writer/Director, Dog Days)
Anak
Big Boy
Mangarap ka
Moral
Bunso
Alyas Baby Tsina
War Is a Tender Thing
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay
Kano
One More Chance
Cesar Hernando (Production Designer, Kisapmata)
Himala ng Birhen, 1947
Camelia, 1949
Sonny Boy, 1955
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo, 1976
Brutal, 1980
Salome, 1981
Moral, 1982
Tundong Magiliw, 2011
Nanay Mameng, 2012
Sunday Beauty Queen, 2017
Rolando Inocencio (Actor, Thy Womb)
Si Marita at ang Pitong Duwende – Susana de Guzman
Alkitrang Dugo, Magandang Gabi sa Inyong Lahat, Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo – Lupita Kashiwahara
Brutal, Karnal – Marilou Diaz Abaya
Kung Akoy Iiwan Mo, Init sa Magdamag – Laurice Guillen
Kimmy Dora Kambal sa Kiyeme, Miss Granny – Joyce Bernal
Ka Oryang, Dahling Nick, Himala Ngayon, Ishma – Sari Dalena
Six Degrees of Separation, Never Not Love You – Antoinette Jadaone
Pascalina – Pam Miras
Ang Huling Cha-cha ni Anita – Sigrid Bernardo
Nick & Chai – Cha Escala & Wena Sanchez
Meet Me in St Gallen, Sid & Aya – Irene Villamayor
Jaya Jacobo (Faculty Member, ADMU Kagawaran ng Filipino)
Senorita
Minsa’y May Isang Gamugamo
Kasal?
Karnal
Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap
Last Supper No. 3
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita
Nick and Chai
Miss Bulalacao
Tayong Dalawa
Roehl Jamon (Faculty Member, UP Film Institute)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, 1976)
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1980)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1982)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983)
Sumayaw Ka Salome (Laurice Guillen, 1992)
Madrasta (Olivia Lamasan, 1996)
Jose Rizal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1998)
Anak (Rory Quintos, 2000)
Buhay Kamao (Joyce Bernal, 2001)
Last Supper No. 3 (Veronica Velasco, 2009)
My Amnesia Girl (Cathy Garcia-Molina, 2010)
10,000 Hours (Joyce Bernal, 2013)
Transit (Hannah Espia, 2013)
Nick and Chai (Cha Escala and Wena Sanchez, 2014)
Don Jaucian (Reviewer, CNN Philippines)
Moral (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo (Lupita Kashiwara)
Muro Ami (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Booba (Joyce Bernal)
Tundong Magiliw (Jewel Maranan)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Babyruth Villarama)
Never Not Love You (Antoinette Jadaone)
Motherland (Ramona Diaz)
Malay Javier (Writer/Director, Every Room Is a Planet)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Big Boy (Shireen Seno)
War Is a Tender Thing (Adjani Arumpac)
Ganap na Babae: Kamote (Ellen Ramos)
Kano: An American and His Harem (Coreen Jimenez)
Pascalina (Pam Miras)
One More Chance (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Ditsi Carolino)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan)
(SPECIAL MENTION)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
Hey Babe! (Joyce Bernal)
Motherland (Ramona Diaz)
Ang Nawawala (Marie Jamora)
Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story (Irene Emma Villamor)
Ralston Jover (Writer/Director, Da Dog Show)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo
Brutal
Kasal?
Moral
Milagros
Bunso & Brutus
Imelda
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay
Oda Sa Wala
Kristine Kintana (Production Manager, Ang Babaeng Humayo)
Ulan (Irene Emma Villamor)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Milan (Olivia Lamasan)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Booba (Joyce Bernal)
Gulong (Sockie Fernandez)
A Very Special Love (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
Kano: An American and His Harem (Coreen Jimenez)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
Kano: An American Harem (Coreen Jimenez)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Boses (Ellen Ongkeko)
One More Chance (Cathy Garcia Molina)
Inang Yaya (Veronica Velasco)
Richard Legaspi (Writer/Director, Paano Ko Sasabihin?)
Salome (Laurice Guillen)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan)
May Nagmamahal Sa ‘Yo (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (Jewel Maranan)
Sa Pusod ng Dagat (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Mudraks (Arah Jell Badayos and Margaret Guzman)
Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez (Faculty Member, UP Diliman Department of Art Studies)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo
Salome
Moral
Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Memories of a Forgotten War
Inang Yaya
Brutus
War is a Tender Thing
Sunday Beauty Queen
Pag-ukit sa Paniniwala
Gerard Lico (Faculty Member, UP Diliman Department of Architecture)
Camelya
Correcional
Alkitrang Dugo
Minsa’y Isang Gamo gamo
Moral
Karnal
Kapag Langit ang Humatol
Madrasta
Imelda
Sunday Beauty Queen
Avid Liongoren (Writer/Director, Saving Sally)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Six Degrees Of Lilia Cuntapay (Tonette Jadaone)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Baby Ruth Villarama)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Tonette Jadaone)
One More Chance (Cathy Garcia Molina)
Randolph Longjas (Director, Star na si Van Damme Stallone)
Ulan
Oda Sa Wala
That Thing Called Tadhana
Sundalong Kanin
Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita
Four Sisters And A Wedding
Transit
Six Degrees of Separation
Muro-ami
Moral
Ricardo Espino Lopez (Reviewer, The Knee-Jerk Critic)
Alkitrang Dugo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara) 1975
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara) 1976
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) 1980
Salome (Laurice Guillen) 1981
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) 1982
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) 1982
Jose Rizal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) 1998
Sa Pusod ng Dagat (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) 1998
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone) 2011
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone) 2014
Ian Loreños (Writer/Director, Alagwa)
Nervous Translation (Shireen Seno,2017)
Medusae (Pam Miras, 2017)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Babyruth Villarama,2016)
Pascalina (Pam Miras, 2014)
Bunso(Ditsi Carolino, 2005)
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen, 2000)
Jose Rizal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1998)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (DitsiCarolino, 1996)
Karnal(Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983)
Init sa Magdamag (Laurice Guillen, 1983)
Macky Macarayan (Reviewer, The Death of Traditional Cinema)
Karnal- marilou diaz abaya
Dahling nick- sari dalena
Boses – ellen ongkeko marfil
Lorna- sigrid andrea bernardo
Last supper no 3- veronica velasco
Big boy- shireen seno
Transit- hannah espia
Sunday beauty queen- baby ruth villarama
Imelda- Ramona Diaz
Delia and Sammy- Therese Cayaba
Concepcion Macatuno (Writer/Director, Rome and Juliet)
Glorious
Rome & Juliet
Mama’s Girl
Anak
Unofficially Yours
Beauty in a Bottle
Kimmy Dora
Madrasta
Muro-ami
American Adobo
Shaira Mella MacKenzie (Writer, Sana Maulit Muli)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo
Brutal
Salome
Moral
Init sa Magdamag
Karnal
Madrasta
Tanging Yaman
Anak
Muro-ami
Krisma Maclang-Fajardo (Producer, Imbisibol)
Sid and Aya
Starting Over Again
One More Chance
Don’t Give Up on Us
Tanging Yaman
Anak
Madrasta
Sana Maulit Muli
Muro Ami
Sunday Beauty Queen
Gutierrez Mangansakan II (Writer/Director, Limbunan)
Karnal
Nervous Translation
Guerilla is A Poet
Salome
Moral
Pascalina
War Is A Tender Thing
Bunso
Dennis Marasigan (Writer/Director, Sa North Diversion Road)
Alkitrang Dugo (1975) – Lupita Concio (Aquino-Kashiwahara). Minsa’y Isang Gamo-Gamo (1976) could also be in this list. Her Magandang Gabi sa Inyong Lahat (1976) is a charming suspense movie.
Brutal (1980) – Marilou Diaz Abaya. Karnal (1983) could also be in this list.
Salome (1981) – Laurice Guillen. I also like Kung Mahawi Man Ang Ulap (1984).
Mangarap Ka (1995) – Rory Quintos
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (1996) – Ditsi Carolino; Riles (2003) – Ditsi Carolino
Milan (2004) – Olivia Lamasan
One More Chance (2007) – Cathy Garcia Molina; Also A Very Special Love (2008).
Boses (2008) – Ellen Ongkeko Marfil
That Thing Called Tadhana (2014) – Antoinette Jadaone
Sunday Beauty Queen (2016) – Baby Ruth Villarama
My list is in chronological order based on the film’s year of release. I only listed one film per director, but also mention other films that could also be in the list. Unfortunately, I have not been able to watch a number of recent films, as well as those before the 70s, and so they are not in the list not because they should not be but simply because I have no basis for including them.
Chris Martinez (Writer/Director, Here Comes the Bride)
Karnal
Salome
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo
Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Kimmy Dora, Kambal sa Kiyeme
Tanging Yaman
Moral
Anak
Brutal
Got 2 Believe
Runners-up:
Transit
Camp Sawi
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay
Anna Isabelle Matutina (Writer/Director, Magdalena)
Karnal
Moral
Bunso
Kano: An American and His Harem
Jazz In Love
War Is A Tender Thing
Transit
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita
Motherland
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang
James Robin Mayo (Director, The Chanters)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Kita Kita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
One More Chance by (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone)
Oda sa Wala (Dwein Baltazar)
Pangako Ikaw Lang (Joyce Bernal)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Babyruth Villarama)
Pan de Salawal by (Che Espiritu)
Muro-ami (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Mark Meily (Writer/Director, Crying Ladies)
Brutal
Moral
Karnal
Salome
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo
That Thing called Tadhana
Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Sunday Beauty Queen
Kita-Kita
Kano
Pamela Miras (Writer/Director, Pascalina)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata, Ditsi Carolino
Moral, Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Motherland, Ramona Diaz
Nervous Translation, Shireen Seno
Oda sa Wala, Dwein Baltazar
Salome, Laurice Guillen
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay, Antoinette Jadaone
Transit, Hannah Espia
Tundong Magiliw, Jewel Maranan
War Is a Tender Thing, Adjani Arumpac
Carla Pulido Ocampo (Writer/Editor, Walang Rape sa Bontok)
Nervous Translation (Shireen Seno)
War Is a Tender Thing (Adjani Arumpac)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Kashiwahara)
Memories of a Forgotten War (Sari Dalena, Camilla Griggers)
All Grown Up (Wena Sanchez)
Imelda (Ramona Diaz)
Lupang Hinarang (Ditsi Carolino)
Audio Perpetua (Ivy Baldoza)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (Jewel Maranan)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Kip Oebanda (Director, Liway)
Magandang Gabi sa Inyong Lahat (1976)
Sana Maulit Muli (1995)
Booba (2001)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (1996)
Kano: An American and His Harem (2010)
Big Boy (2011)
Moral (1982)
Sunday Beauty Queen (2016)
Motherland (2017)
Anak (2000)
Ricky Orellana (Archivist, MOWELFUND)
MINSA’Y ISANG GAMU-GAMO (1976) By Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara
MORAL (1982) By Marilou Diaz-Abaya
MINSAN LANG SILA BATA (1992) By Ditsi Carolino
TANGING YAMAN (2000) By Laurice Guillen
KANO: AN AMERICAN AND HIS HAREM (2010) By Coreen Jimenez
THAT THING CALLED TADHANA (2011) By Antoinette Jadaone
EVERYTHING ABOUT HER (2016) By Joyce Bernal
SUNDAY BEAUTY QUEEN (2016) By Baby Ruth Villarama
KITA KITA (2017) By Sigrid Bernardo
SEVEN SUNDAYS (2017) By Cathy Garcia-Molina
Emmanuel Quindo Palo (Writer/Director, Santa Niña)
“Salome” by Laurice Guillen
“Moral”, “Brutal” and “Karnal” by Marilou Diaz-Abaya
“Ang Nawawala” by Marie Jamora
“Transit” by Hannah Espia
“Minsan Lang Silang Bata” and “Riles” by Ditsi Carolino
“Sana Maulit Muli” by Olivia Lamasan
“Pascalina” by Pam Miras
“That Thing called Tadhana” by Antoinette Jadaone
“Huling Cha-cha ni Anita” by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo
“Last Supper No. 3” by Veronica Velasco
Cenón Obispo Palomares (Writer/Director, Kusina)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) [1983]
Imelda (Ramona Diaz) [2003]
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara) [1976]
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Ditsi Carolino) [1996]
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) [1980]
Salome (Laurice Guillen) [1981]
Transit (Hannah Espia) [2013]
Sunday Beauty Queen (Babyruth Villarama) [2016]
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) [1982]
Anak (Rory Quintos) [2000]
Note: These are what I consider to be 10 of the most powerful films by Filipino women directors. I tried to be as varied in my choice as possible – features, documentaries, family drama, mystery, etc. [Sadly, a couple of romcoms and comedies didn’t make the final cut. Also, I didn’t include in the list those from the 60’s and earlier, not for lack of merit, but because either I haven’t seen them or I don’t remember having seen them.]
But my main criteria for this list are 1] they are still relevant years and decades after they were first released, 2] the filmmakers tackled the subject matter with passion, bravery, and clarity of purpose, and 3] storytelling prowess, and craftsmanship [in spite of their budgetary and technical limitations at the time].
Manuel Pangaruy (Reviewer, Tagailog Special Presents)
Olivia Lamasan – Madrasta / Milan / Minsan Minahal Kita
Rory Quintos – Sa Aking mga Kamay / Dubai / Anak
Joyce Bernal – Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw
Ditsi Carolino – Bunso / Riles / Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Marie Jamora – MV Queen / Ang Nawawala
Sari Dalena – Himala Ngayon / Rigodon / Ka Oryang
Sig Bernardo – Huling Chacha ni Anita
Notable: Cathy Garcia Molina – romance dramas
Nerissa Picadizo (Writer/Director, Requited)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Ditsi Carolino)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan)
Melodrama Negra (Maria Isabel Legarda)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
Baka Bukas (Samantha Lee)
Mga Anino sa Tanghaling Tapat (Ivy Universe Baldoza)
Sakaling Hindi Makarating (Ice Idanan)
Shift (Siege Ledesma)
Pan de Salawal (Che Espiritu)
Miguel Rapatan (Member, Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino)
Abaya: Jose Rizal, Milagros, Sa Pusod ng Dagat, Brutal, Moral
Bernardo: Kita Kita
Carolino: Minsan Lang Sila Bata, Bunso, Riles
Guillen: Salome, Tanging Yaman
Kashiwahara: Minsa’y Isang Gamu Gamo
Maranan: Tundong Magiliw
Villarama: Sunday Beauty Queen
Rae Red (Director, Si Chedeng at si Apple)
Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Big Boy (Shireen Seno)
Transit (Hannah Espia)
Lorna (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
Nervous Translation (Shireen Seno)
All Grown Up (Wena Sanchez)
Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus (Dwein Baltazar)
Oda sa Wala (Dwein Baltazar)
Raymond Red (Writer/Director, Himpapawid)
Alkitrang Dugo
Brutal
Salome
Karnal
Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Jose Rizal
Imelda
Kano: An American and his Harem
Ka Oryang
Sunday Beauty Queen
Jerry Respeto (Faculty Member, ADMU Kagawaran ng Filipino)
Salome
Brutal
Moral
Karnal
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo
Dahil Mahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez
Muro-ami
Jose Rizal
Boses
Ang Kababaihan ng Malolos
(Note: Sigurado ako na marami pang magandang pelikula na nasa listahan na hindi ko napanood lalo na ang mga lumang pelikula.)
Jose Javier Reyes (Writer/Director, Kasal Kasali Kasalo)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo / Lupita Kashiwahara (1976)
Karnal / Marilou Diaz-Abaya (1983)
Sumayaw ka, Salome / Laurice Guillen (1992)
Sana Maulit Muli / Olive Lamasan (1995)
Imelda / Ramona Diaz (2003)
Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme / Joyce Bernal (2009)
Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita / Sigrid Andrea Bernardo (2013)
Sunday Beauty Queen / Baby Ruth Villarama (2016)
Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus / Dwein Baltazar (2018)
Never Not Love You / Antonette Jadaone (2018)
Ronald Rios (Member, Society of Filipino Archivists for Film)
MORAL (Marilou Diaz Abaya, 1982)
KUNG AKO’Y IIWAN MO (Laurice Guillen, 1980)
ALKITRANG DUGO (Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara, 1975)
KARNAL (Marilou Diaz Abaya, 1983)
MANANANGGAL VS. MANGKUKULAM (Consuelo Osorio, 1960)
KUNG MAHAWI MAN ANG ULAP (Laurice Guillen, 1984)
NEVER NOT LOVE YOU (Antoinette Jadaone, 2018)
ODA SA WALA (Dwein Baltazar)
ANG NAWAWALA (Marie Jamora, 2012)
SUNDAY BEAUTY QUEEN (Babyruth Villarama, 2016)
Worthy also: BRUTAL (Marilou Diaz Abaya, 1980); KASAL? (Laurice Guillen, 1980); THE GUERRILLA IS A POET (Sari Dalena/Kiri Dalena; PAN DE SALAWAL (Che Espiritu, 2018); MEET ME IN ST. GALLEN (Irene Villamor, 2018); LORNA (Sigrid Bernardo, 2014); SALOME (Laurice Guillen, 1981)
Chito Roño (Director, Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?)
My Only U (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
Madrasta (Olivia Lamasan)
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Cha Roque (Director, Slay)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz – Abaya)
Moral (Marilou Diaz – Abaya)
Anak (Rory Quintos)
Ilusyon (Ellen Ramos and Paolo Villaluna)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino)
Ganap na Babae: Minsan May Isang Puta (Sarah Roxas)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
Dahling Nick (Sari Dalena)
Miss Bulalacao (Ara Chawdhury)
Billie and Emma (Samantha Lee)
Rose Roque (Faculty Member, UP Manila Department of Arts and Communication)
Minsa’y Isang Gamugamo
Moral
Bunso
Boses
Kano: An American and His Harem
Tundong Magiliw
Nanay Mameng
Himala Ngayon
Miss Bulalacao
Nervous Translation
Yanan
Eduardo Roy Jr. (Director, Quick Change)
Moral
Karnal
Dahil Mahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez Story
Basta’t Kasama Kita
Got2Believe
Minsan Lang Sila Bata
Sa Pusod ng Dagat
Jose Rizal
Imelda
Sunday Beauty Queen
Lorna Sanchez (Assistant Director, Die Beautiful)
Karnal
Moral
Brutal
Salome
Oda sa Wala
Lorna
Ang Huling Cha-cha ni Anita
Bunso
Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus
Sunday Beauty Queen
Sigfreid Barros Sanchez (Director, Tsardyer)
“Bunso” (2005) Ditsi Carolino
“Batas Militar” (1998) Kara Magsanoc Alikpala/ “Riles” Ditsi Carolino
“Moral” (1982) Marilou Diaz-Abaya
“The Guerilla Is A Poet” (2013) Sari Dalena and Kiri Dalena
“Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo” (1976) Lupita Kashiwahara
“Nanay Mameng” (2012) Adjani Arumpac
“Six Degrees of Separation From Lilia Cuntapay” (2011) Antoinette Jadaone
“Anak” (2000) Rory Quintos
“Huling Biyahe” (2012) Racquel Zaballero-Sanchez
“Babae” (2005) Sigrid Andrea Bernardo
Mike Sandejas (Writer/Director/Producer, Tulad ng Dati)
Salome (Laurice Guillen)
Init sa Magdamag (Laurice Guillen)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan)
Muro-ami (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Jose Rizal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen)
Ilusyon (Ellen Ramos and Paolo Villaluna)
Ka Oryang (Sari Lluch Dalena)
Kita Kita (Sigrid Bernardo)
Arminda Santiago (Professor, UP Film Institute)
Dahil May Isang Ikaw – Joyce Bernal
Dahil Mahal Kita The Dolzura Cortez Story – Laurice Guillen
Moral – Marilou Diaz Abaya
Anak – Rory Quintos
Alkitrang Dugo – Lupita Kashiwahara
Madrasta – Olivia Lamasan
Mula Pabrika Hanggang Fukuoka – Ditsi Carolino and Nana Buxani
Flames of Love – Gigi Javier Alfonso
Ang Huling Chacha ni Anita – Sigrid Bernardo
Sunday Beauty Queen – Babyruth Villarama
Seven Sundays – Cathy Molina
Katrina Stuart Santiago (Reviewer, Radikal Chick)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)
Moral (Marilou Diaz Abaya)
Madrasta (Olivia Lamasan)
Kailangan Kita (Rory Quintos)
Kano: An American and His Harem (Coreen Jimenez)
Ka Oryang (Sari Dalena)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone)
Beauty In A Bottle (Antoinette Jadaone)
Lorna (Sigrid Andrea Bernardo)
Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story (Irene Emma Villamor)
Simon Santos (Archivist, Video 48)
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)/ 1976
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)/ 1983
Salome (Laurice Guillen)/ 1981
Himala ng Birhen (ng Antipolo) (Susana de Guzman)/1947
Sarung Banggi (Susana de Guzman)/ 1947
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan)/ 1995
Milan (Olivia Lamasan)/ 2004
Got 2 Believe (Olivia Lamasan)/2002
Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)/1980
Anak (Rory Quintos)/2000
Runners-up:
Kapag Puso’y Sinugatan (Fely Crisostomo)/ 1967
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen)/2000
Alkitrang Dugo (Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara)/ 1975
Seven Sundays (Cathy Garcia-Molina)
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone)/2014
Alone/Together (Antoinette Jadaone)/2019
Keith Sicat (Director, Alimuom)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983)
Salome (Laurice Guillen, 1981)
Riles (Ditsi Carolino/Nana Buxani, 2003)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Babyruth Villarama,2016)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (Jewel Maranan, 2018)
Transit (Hannah Espia, 2013)
The Guerrilla is a Poet (Sari Dalena and Kiri Dalena, 2013)
Nervous Translation (ShireenSeno, 2017)
Oda sa Wala (Dwein Baltazar, 2018)
Motherland (RamonaDiaz, 2017)
Ang Huling Cha-Cha Ni Anita (2013) / Kita Kita (2016), Sigrid Bernardo
That Thing Called Tadhana (Antoinette Jadaone, 2014)
Additional noteworthy films:
PutingPaalam (Sari Dalena, 1997) – as representative of experimental/short/animationand FIRST FILIPINO dance film
Wasteland (Ellen Ramos, 2011) – forbeautifully conceptualized, completely animated short film
Red Saga (2004) / Gikan sa Ngitngit nga Kinailadman (KiriDalena, 2017) – for experimentalshort/poetic interpretation and use ofdocumentary sources
Danica Sta. Lucia (Writer, Gusto Kong Lumipad)
Muro-ami (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Jose Rizal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Tanging Yaman (Laurice Guillen)
Saan Nagtatago si Happiness? (Florida Bautista)
Last Supper No. 3 (Veronica Velasco)
Pascalina (Pam Miras)
Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Ditsi Carolino)
Got 2 Believe (Olivia Lamasan)
Sa Pusod ng Dagat (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
Imelda (Ramona Diaz)
Katrina Ross Tan (Faculty Member, UPLB Department of Humanities)
Karnal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983)
Sana Maulit Muli (Olivia Lamasan, 1995)
Muro-Ami (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1999)
Santa Santita (Laurice Guillen, 2004)
Bunso (Ditsi Carolino, 2005)
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (Antoinette Jadaone, 2011)
War Is a Tender Thing (Jaja Arumpac, 2013)
Sunday Beauty Queen (Babyruth Villarama, 2016)
Nick and Chai (Cha Escala and Wena Sanchez, 2014)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang (Jewel Maranan, 2018)
Special Mention: Pag-ukit sa Paniniwala (Hiyas Bagabaldo, 2018)
Robby Tantingco (Writer, Ari: My Life with a King)
MORAL by Marilou Diaz Abaya (1982)
MINSA’Y ISANG GAMU-GAMO by Lupita Kashiwahara (1976)
SALOME by Laurice Guillen (1981)
IN MY LIFE by Olivia Lamasan (2009)
THAT THING CALLED TADHANA by Antoinette Jadaone (2012)
TANGING YAMAN by Laurice Guillen (2000)
ANAK by Rory Quintos (2000)
KARNAL by Marilou Diaz Abaya (1983)
BRUTAL by Marilou Diaz Abaya (1980)
KITA KITA by Sigrid Bernardo (2017)
Nicanor Tiongson (Member, Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino)
Salome
Moral
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo
Sana Maulit Muli
Anak
Last Supper No 3
Rome and Juliet
Transit
Ka Oryang
Kita Kita
Brutus
Nanay Mameng
Sunday Beauty Queen
Ang Nawawala
Bunso
Rolando Tolentino (Member, Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino)
Moral, Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Tundong Magiliw, Jewel Maranan
Imelda, Ramona Diaz
Sunday Beauty Queen, Baby Ruth Villarama
War is a Tender Thing, Adjani Arumpac
Transit, Hannah Espia
Ang Huling Chacha ni Anita, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo
Ka Oryang, Sari Dalena
Minsan Lang Sila Bata, Ditsi Carolino
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo, Lupita Kashiwahara
Mauro Feria Tumbocon (Programmer, Filipino Arts & Cinema, International)
MORAL, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1982
SALOME, Laurice Guillen, 1981
THAT THING CALLED TADHANA, Antoinette Jadaone, 2014
MINSA’Y ISANG GAMUGAMO, Lupita Aquino-Concio, 1976
TONDO BELOVED, Jewel Maranan, 2011
PASCALINA, Pam Miras, 2012
MEET ME IN ST GALLEN, Irene Villamor, 2018
BULUNG-BULUNGAN, Susana C de Guzman, 1962
LORNA, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, 2014
DAHILIN NICK, Sari Dalena, 2015
Tito Valiente (Member, Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino)
Lupita Kashiwahara Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo
Marilou Diaz Abaya Sa Pusod ng Dagat
Marilou Diaz-Abaya Karnal
Sari Dalena Ka Oryang
Ellen Ongkeko Marfil Boses
Baby Ruth Villarama Sunday Beauty Queen
Susana de Guzman Sarong Banggi
Irene Emma Villamor Ulan
Laurice Guillen Santa Santita
Ganap na Babae
Lester Valle (Director, Walang Rape sa Bontok)
Sa Palad ng Dantaong Kulang
All Grown Up
Audio Perpetua
Bunso
War is a Tender Thing
Lupang Hinarang
Nick & Chai
Motherland
Kano: An American and His Harem
Imelda
Leni Velasco (Producer, Tigbao)
Moral
Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo
Bunso
Anak
Last Supper No. 3
Madrasta
Kailangan Kita
Sid & Aya
Ang Huling Chacha ni Anita
Motherland
Noel Vera (Reviewer, Business World)
I regret not being familiar with more Filipina filmmakers, especially those who worked before the ’70s. I’m astonished for example at the career of Consuelo Osorio, who started directing in 1938, churned out out eight features in 1970 alone, and managed to direct Nora Aunor before she retired. I regret the paucity of women directing through the decades–though there may be a handful of active names, only in the past ten or so years has there been an explosion of names, styles, subject matter. I love the present diversity, though I regret being unable to see many of them–my attempt to catch the present flood of creativity and inspiration can be compared to an attempt to sip from a firehose. If women have been relatively if not totally shut out of the Filipino filmmaking industry (we do have to keep in mind that Dona Sisang was the driving force behind LVN Studios, and Lily Monteverde the driving force behind Regal Films), right now they seem to be making up for all that lost time with a vengeance.
I admit to a deliberate progression in my list: from romantic comedy (an inventive one, I submit, that grafts indie sensibility to formula work) through more creative humor (a droll odyssey through the intricacies of the Filipino legal system; a mock documentary about a real-life force in Philippine cinema) to documentaries, period and political dramas, and a poignant tribute to motherhood. My choice for top title isn’t just a perverse paean to feminism–that a woman will want what she wants, no matter how self-destructive–but easily the loveliest most erotic film I’ve ever seen, Filipino or otherwise.
Ma’ Rosa (Jaclyn Jose) has four children. She owns a small convenient store in a poor neighborhood of Manila where everybody likes her. To make ends meet, Rosa and her husband, Nestor, resell small amounts of narcotics on the side. One day, they get arrested. Rosa’s children are ready to do anything to buy their parents’ freedom from the corrupt police.
Oda follows the story of the old maid Sonya (Marietta Subong), whose family’s business is embalming the dead. One day she finds herself curious and discovers a corpse that changes her life.
Badil takes place in a tiny barangay in Samar on the eve of an election. The elderly Ponso (Dick Israel) is a veteran campaigner for incumbent Mayor del Mundo. He gets to work on that day, walking around town, handing out money to people who promise to vote for his candidate. He takes his son Lando (Jhong Hilario) with him, giving him an education on how things are supposed to be done. When Ponso falls ill later that day, Lando has to take up his responsibilities. Word comes in that the opposition candidate might be bringing in a huge sum of money into the town to buy out people already loyal to del Mundo. Lando is made to keep watch over their voters, making sure that nobody can give them a better offer.
Terya (Donna Gimeno), a simple island girl is about to leave her home to marry a foreigner. Her journey ignites a series of events and introduces certain characters that affect her eventual decision to stay or go. The story takes place in the scenic Olango Island in the midst of the Baliw-Baliw Festival that holds parallel to Terya’s state of mind as she walks towards her destiny.
Hendrix (Abra) dreams of hip-hop greatness, but he’s spiraling down a rabbit-hole of crime and poverty until he meets Doc (Dido dela Paz), an old poet still haunted by his martial law past. Can they turn each other’s lives around before they’re swallowed by their circumstance?
1901, Balangiga. Eight-year-old Kulas flees town with his grandfather and their carabao to escape General Smith’s Kill & Burn order. He finds a toddler amid a sea of corpses and together, the two boys struggle to survive the American occupation.
Ford (Sid Lucero), a surfing instructor from the Philippines has been told his whole life that he’s the son of Francis Ford Coppola. He’s wasted his youth waiting as his mother (Ana Abad Santos) petitions the director to acknowledge Ford as his son. But as the surfing season ends, he’s forced to confront his past actions, inactions, and the stories of his life.
On the Job is about the ambitions and passions of four men trying to make a living, for themselves and their families. It shows the parallels between two prison inmates who are contract killers, and the two agents of the law investigating the murders. As they get caught in a web of machination of corrupt government officials, their jobs lead them on a head-on collision against each other with their loved ones as collateral damage.
A man is wrongly jailed for murder while the real killer roams free. The murderer is an intellectual frustrated with his country’s never-ending cycle of betrayal and apathy. The convict is a simple man who finds life in prison more tolerable, when something mysterious and strange starts happening to him.
The 2010s in Philippine cinema saw the continuous resurgence of independent filmmaking that emerged in the 2000s brought about by digital technology and facilitated by institutions that provide seed capital to mostly young filmmakers to showcase their works in local film festivals. The independent filmmakers in turn raised the quality of mainstream industry outputs as many of them got tapped by studios to write and direct their own films.
For this poll, we have invited 100 filmmakers, reviewers, academics, and film programmers to name their favorite local films of the past decade. Here are the top 50.
50. Florentina Hubaldo, CTE
Lav Diaz, 2012
In a rural area, a father forces his daughter into prostitution. Somewhere else, two men embark on a quest for a buried treasure.
Lukas Niño is a story of an awkward teenager coming to grips with his own initiation into manhood just when there is a movie shoot in their neighborhood. The story opens several nights before, when Lukas is told that he has a tikbalang (half-horse, half man) for a father. His father, Mang Basilio disappears in their life the next day. Soon enough, Lukas wonders if he really is half-beast. The village is in a frenzy as the film crew arrives. Everyone tries to participate as leads, action stars and stunt extras. In the film that they are shooting, there is a story of the mystical river, where it is said to have the power to let those who cross it forget one painful memory: their biggest heartbreak. All those who have crossed and have forgotten will forget the events and the people attached to that memory. Lukas’ father, Mang Basilio emerges, and they tell them about the river. Very private footage of Lukas’ mother emerges from the river. The film is told by Lukas’ friend, Lorena, who is fascinated by this strange boy who thinks he is a tikbalang.
Diego (Ku Aquino), a rural caretaker, shows his 14-year-old daughter Maya (Mary Joy Apostol) how to shoot a gun to learn self-sufficiency. She ends up killing an endangered Philippine eagle, bringing unforeseen and frightening consequences into their quiet life.
Julian (Ananda Everingham), a Filipino soldier stationed in Kota Island, is ready to leave Kalayaan. He already completed his three months of service. News of a pending coup d’ etat in Manila orders him to stay in the island until further notice. With nothing much to do, he spends his waiting hours walking by the beachfront, cleaning his rifle, watching porn, listening to songs on his old radio to overcome boredom and loneliness. He also has to contend with ‘someone’ seemingly watching him. Not until his officer from the main island sends the loud mouth Lucio (Zanjoe Marudo) and the newbie Eric (Adrian Alandy) to station with him on the island. Their moments together – chatting, drinking, playing basketball and exchanging stories about a ghost soldier opens up things that Julian tries to forget. He is now confronted with a growing loneliness and remembers a traumatic experience in his past, which he doesn’t want to talk about. His only option for survival is to cope with reality or lose his own sanity.
After being suspended, a TV news Team is redirected to an unwanted assignment of covering news about aswang rumors in Central Mindanao. Cynical and unenthusiastic, they follow their lead towards a remote barrio where it is said to have started it all. However on their way, a group of armed men in military uniform tries to abduct them. As they escape towards the forest, they encounter a series of events that leads them to question the identity of their captors and experience that varying definitions of “salvage”.
The planet’s busiest maternity hospital is located in one of its poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. There, poor women face devastating consequences as their country struggles with reproductive health policy and the politics of conservative Catholic ideologies.
A 12-year old Anita (Therese Malvar) falls in love with the new woman in town (Angel Aquino); years later, a girlhood crush blossoms during the Fiesta of Santa Clara in Obando, Bulacan.
Jungle Love follows a handful of people who have disappeared into the jungle: a woman who has kidnapped her sister’s child; an urbane couple and their indigenous guide; a bored and horny platoon; and a nameless tribe.
War is a Tender Thing retells the blood-soaked story of war-torn Southern Philippines. Portrayed by the media as a locus of unbridgeable conflicts between and among different cultures living side by side, this documentary gently unravels the war as an endless attempt at survival and adaptation of the Southern Philippine citizens to state policies that disregard the most basic concept of home. How does one account for the many lives played upon by these political maneuvers that have not taken into consideration the faceless and nameless? One listens to their stories, however imperfect, however partial. These memories make up a narrative of the war that is as cogent as the factual telling.
As we noted in the introduction to our decade poll, the 2010s in Philippine cinema saw the expansion on the huge gains made the previous decade, with the continued rise of independent filmmaking. While there is obviously no single person that can capture the story of the 2010s in local cinema, we thought it would be fun to ask close industry observers as to who they think is one figure that was instrumental in shaping the past decade in film.
The goal is not to tabulate, though for those who are curious, Lav Diaz was mentioned the most, followed by Antoinette Jadaone, Bing Lao, and Teddy Co. Our objective was to hear how the invited respondents defended their choices.
Happy reading!
Joseph Abello, filmmaker
“Jun Lana. The decade saw the division between ‘indie’ films and mainstream films. I wanted to mention two directors, one ‘indie’ director and one mainstream, but I realised there’s Jun Lana, who prospered in both sides of the filmmaking business. Creating/producing not just award-winning ‘indie’ (or non-mainstream) films but also blockbuster mainstream films. Plus he gives back to the industry by mentoring future filmmakers through his Cinepanulat workshop.”
Nestor Abrogena, filmmaker
“I have to name 3 persons for this one. They have to be the master screenplay writers / mentors Ricky Lee, Jun Lana, and Bing Lao. They have educated most of the known filmmakers of this decade.”
Mayk Alegre, reviewer
“Lav Diaz. Hindi pa rin ako naiinip at naiihi kahit napakahahaba ng mga pelikula n’ya na lagi’t laging angat ang biswal na kasiningan at kamulatang panlipunan. Hindi pa rin s’ya nakakasawang magkuwento. Kaabang-abang pa rin ang mga bago n’yang pinoproyekto tulad ng Servando Magdamag na una kong nabasa sa Trip To Quiapo book ni RIcky Lee na matagal na n’yang kinukulit na gawin nila.”
Joselito Altarejos, filmmaker
“John Tan at ang mga manggagawa ng Outpost. Kasama sila sa ebolusyon ng digital filmmaking. Mula hi-8 hanggang ngayon. Kaya nilang ibagsak ang presyo sa ngalan ng independent filmmaking. Kausapin mo lang, handa silang tumulong.”
Jonathan Ang, reviewer
“Lav Diaz — To me, Diaz emerges as the Filipino Film Person of the Decade for being fully committed and uncompromisingly competent as producer, writer, director, editor, and/or cinematographer for his films that are superb both quality- and quantity-wise.”
Rica Arevalo, filmmaker
“Women directors working in studios (Antoinette Jadaone, Irene Villamor, Cathy Garcia-Molina, etc.). They are bad-ass, strong women directors who gave us sensitive, unique and nurturing love stories. They redefined romance with their distinctive storytelling, successfully working with popular actors.”
John Bedia, screenwriter
“Antoinette Jadaone broke the mold of the conventional romcom, made ‘hugot’ as a brand in films.”
Theodore Boborol, filmmaker
“Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina. Whether we like it or not, the romcom genre defined the 2010s in Philippine Cinema. I believe the genre’s dominance started when she started churning out romcom box-office hits year after year, starting from the late aughts until the end of the last decade. Whenever you watch her romcoms, you easily know it’s a Cathy Garcia film. One could say they have become trademarks and she has become a formidable brand, equal with or even more than her films’ stars. She is a true romcom auteur.
The genre eventually produced other successful female filmmakers in the industry, the best ones we have today, like Antoinette Jadaone, Irene Villamor and Sigrid Bernardo, who began their careers in the 10s with their own brand of romcom. I believe though, that Direk Cathy paved the way, and is still on top of her game as evidenced by the critical and commercial success of her last romantic movie Hello Love Goodbye.”
Sonny Calvento, filmmaker
“Armando Lao. I believe that his school of filmmaking has developed some of the most important films of the decade (Halaw, Sampaguita, Bwaya, Ma’Rosa, Pamilya Ordinaryo and John Denver Trending). Armando Lao is underrated because he has always refused to take credit, but without him, these films wouldn’t be able to achieve the impact it had and these filmmakers wouldn’t be able to realize their voices.”
JP Carpio, filmmaker
“If I go by awards and recognition, it was Lav’s decade. Lav Diaz brought honor to the country by winning the two top prizes at Locarno and Venice as well as a smaller prize at Berlin. Those are the biggest recognitions for Philippine cinema on the international stage.”
Jade Castro, filmmaker
“‘The Millennials’. There was no single group – certainly not a single person – that made filmmakers’ bottoms twitch in their mad scramble to revise the way they make and distribute movies to win the largest, noisiest, but most elusive audience ever in the history of Philippine cinema. An entire studio arm was started with them in mind, microcinemas pinned their hopes on them, batches of new directors and projects got greenlit for festivals and streaming to stay hip to them, while all they had to do was sit and post on social media all day, confusing and challenging in equal doses. When we look back at the decade’s pop culture as reflected in movies, we remember the pick-up lines, the hugot soundtrack, the ‘grammable stills and poster design, and the stories that were somehow still the same except when they involved blogging and virality, and, for the better, current attitudes of wokeness. And yet the biggest moneymakers of the decade appear to be for boomers in disguise: a romance about inheriting a house albeit with baby faces, Anak v.2.0, and the output of Vice Ganda, an update of the flamboyance of Roderick Paulate fused with the fascist streak of Tito Sotto. For a generation that may or not even care about going to the movies anymore, the not-so-dead kids sure wielded a lot of power.”
Dustin Celestino, filmmaker
“There are many directors who should be acknowledged as ‘instrumental’ in defining the decade. The obvious ones for me are, of course, directors like Lav Diaz, Erik Matti, Brillante Mendoza, and Jun Lana. However, I would like to focus on some of the most underappreciated artists, the unsung heroes, of Philippine cinema: the screenwriters Bing Lao, Ricky Lee, Michiko Yamamoto, and Rodolfo Vera.
Personally, one of the most instrumental people in the last decade of cinema is Rodolfo Vera, who penned some of the best films of the decade Norte, Signal Rock, Goyo, and Die Beautiful.
But beyond his writing, Sir Rody also indiscriminately grooms and trains young writers in a workshop called ‘Writers Bloc,’ ensuring that the next decade of Philippine drama and cinema are in the hands of a generation of writers who are not only trained with keen narrative sensibilities, but are also indoctrinated with the ideology that the job of an artist, a cultural worker, transcends the creation of ‘entertaining art,’ and are meant to be agents of social transformation.”
Ara Chawdhury, filmmaker
“Teddy Co. For championing regional cinema.”
Carlo Antonio Cielo, reviewer
“Cinephiles Facebook group. This hive mind of film fest organizers, film academics, film practitioners, film students, middle class aficionados, selection committee members, and film influencers defined Philippine cinema of the 2010s. And Philippine criticism of the 2010s. For better or worse.
Actually worse.
It is responsible for algorithmic, consumerist, narcissistic, consensus-driven, bourgeois libtard circlejerk ‘film appreciation’ that ruined film criticism and suffocated Philippine cinema for YEARS. Especially the indies.
It also helped create hugot, the single worst, most destructive thing that has ever happened to our movies for making it as one-note and pandering as possible to hit that ONE 4 to 4.5/5 rating by its burgis constituency (or a 5/5 kasi ‘ang sakit sakit’), dumbing it down and muzzling it to such a point that it is so unspectacular, so mediocre, so insular, so stuck up and so lame that it can’t be useful to anyone else. So much so, it couldn’t even win those fucking foreign art film awards (what Jadaone probably means when she speaks of ‘accessibility’ lol).
I have never seen anything more devastating to Philippine cinema than this hugot fucking bullshit. Hugot is so bad it ended up ruining other genres, and is often the impediment in attempts at making genre films. It ended up ruining history, too, if Heneral Luna and Goyo are any indication. It has put it in a box, and it’s been struggling to get out since. While national cinemas flourished across Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand), ours floundered, seeing how we’re stuck with movie after movie with the SAME lines, the SAME setup, the SAME myopia, the SAME mediocrity, and the SAME feelings – in the SAME genre that’s allergic towards ambition, actual thinking and plot.
FYI The reason why foreign audiences couldn’t see more of Maria and Nuuk‘s discourse is because they’re both wrestling with hugot, which is really only relevant TO FILIPINOS, seeing how hugot is tailor-made for the psychopathy of their semi-feudal, semi-colonial slave mind that keeps them stuck with ‘love’ so they can keep on making babies for plantations. Self-absorption is embedded in its DNA. Along with hubris.
Thank you, Cinephiles, for killing Philippine cinema in 2010s. You make Letterboxd proud.”
Arden Rod Condez, filmmaker
“I’d still say it’s Bing Lao. He is always out of the limelight and he would rather work quietly but he hasn’t stopped learning and relearning cinema. Now, he has created his own filmmaking language independent of Western construct. If it were I, I’d give him credit for Brillante Mendoza’s Cannes Best Director award in 2009, Jaclyn Jose’s in 2016, and Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s in Venice in 2019.”
Joel David, academic
“Until a few days ago I kept going over the list of movers and shakers in local cinema during the past decade, then during the present millennium, then during the last few years of the past century. When I drafted an essay to accompany the Philippine film bibliography I posted on my blog, I was surprised to find a name I associated with all-time influence on Philippine cinema. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Nora Aunor remains as important today, though no longer as a box-office attraction, as she did when she started out. Nevertheless I still felt as humbled as I was fascinated: here was someone whom I felt I was upholding by making sure to acknowledge her superiority as film performer – when in fact I was the one (along with everyone else) she was bolstering, by ensuring that local film-book publication could begin and become sustainable through the decades. Her political significance is also as unstable and unresolved as her artistic importance is beyond dispute: this is the only way to read her exclusion from the Order of National Artists under two successive administrations that regard each other as mortal enemies. What compounds the situation is that the Marcos oligarchy, now seeking to recapture its glory days, would be most likely to acknowledge her excellence, if the clan members are (atypically) sincere about restoring Ferdinand Sr.’s best practices. This isn’t the only irony attending Aunor’s existence in our lives, nor will it be the last. She deserves to be the decade’s Film Person, if only to remind ourselves that upsetting conventions and defying cherished notions will always have its place in the Filipino artist’s endless striving for meaning.”
Dodo Dayao, filmmaker
“Ditsi Carolino, Babyruth Villarama, Monster Jimenez, Jaja Arumpac, Alyx Arumpac, Jewel Maranan, Hiyas Baldemor, Victor Tagaro, Dempster Samarista, Phy Grande, John Torres, Lester Valle, Carla Ocampo, Teng Mangansakan, Jet Leyco, among many many others. These are just some of the documentarists who made a mark in the last ten years, possibly the most crucial mark made in domestic cinema. Documentaries have increasingly become part of the global cultural vocabulary but in countries like ours, they have also become a necessary language, for the way that they act as conduits into the zeitgeist, into supposed larger truths, but also for how they can be and are propellants for evolving the cinematic form.”
Archie del Mundo, filmmaker
“Bianca Balbuena. She produced great films and represented the Philippines well in international festivals.”
Epoy Deyto, filmmaker
“Jonell Estillore (founder, Cinema Bravo; founding member, Film Police Reviews). If the past decade was defined by the rise of social media, inevitably, Philippine Cinema has been affected by it too, and perhaps, should be look at in the same wavelength. Jonell Estillore has been quite a presence in the social media landscape in his coverage of cinema, mainly through his website and facebook page, Cinema Bravo. But as far as social media and cinema is concerned, Estillore is more than that. His earlier capsule reviews prior to his founding of Film Police, has affected cinema community: from his feedback on UP Film Institute’s Thesis defense to Jason Paul Laxamana, who we can remember noting online that he specifically targeted a 5-star review from Estillore, and has celebrated – albeit, online – when he did got one for Magkakabaung. We can’t say for sure that his effect is immense, but looking at the cybernetic feedback systems of social media, he sure harnessed it to full scale. We can think about how the flattening of aesthetics both in mainstream and indie scenes are lowkey facilitated by Estillore through his feedback, most especially, his championing of narrative craftsmanship, as reflected in his 2014 reviews.
Paul Virilio once noted: ‘Advertising… is set in the twenty-first century to become pure communication.’ Estillore moving to public relations and publicity at the half of the last decade sure understood this well. He may not affect more as he is writing less if not no reviews lately. But what he did when he did, in the mid-2010s is enough to feel his aesthetics looming over almost every film that we may encounter moving forward. I think the time is ripe for a second look into his work but this time with a critical eye, crossing every other intersections with technology, populism and PR-driven global capitalism.”
Engelbert Dulay, reviewer
“Lav Diaz, for sure. He’s crafted most of the best Filipino films of the last decade and had been consistent in the thematic constructs of his ‘sine.’ The way he presents national awakening and moral understanding through his cinematic work, regardless of their lengths, speaks massively to how seasoned of a craftsman he is. He has a vision and he puts his vision into his work. And the messages he write and brainstorm have never failed, not even once.”
Matthew Escosia, reviewer
“Antoinette Jadaone played a significant role in shaping the resurgence of a more reflective cinema (what many would refer to as “hugot” films) in the Philippines through her That Thing Called Tadhana, which remains one of the more influential films of the last decade. Being able to seamlessly cross the bridge from independent to studio filmmaking, Jadaone is arguably the most successful Filipino filmmakers of the 2010s (financially, etc.) and could be in the ranks of the most successful female Filipino filmmakers of all time.”
Hannah Espia, filmmaker
“Bianca Balbuena – for producing internationally acclaimed films to box office hits, bringing recognition to Filipino films around the world. For being the youngest awardee of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) FIAPF Award.
Antoinette Jadaone – for being instrumental in creating a wave of ‘hugot films’, inspiring and redefining pop culture through cinema.”
James Espinosa, reviewer
“I nominate Bianca Balbuena, who in the past decade has seemingly been on a mission to shed light on the nitty-gritty of producing a film (especially to those whose notion of “producer” is still associated with the financier or distributor). She has produced countless significant contributions to Philippine independent cinema, is a champion of regional films, works with both beginners and experts, and values the importance of discourse (i.e., she understands if you don’t like some of her films).”
Lee Fonte, reviewer
“Antoinette Jadaone – For reinvigorating the romcom, stimulating the local tourism industry, and paving the way for other directors to follow in her footsteps, for better or worse. An army of strong female characters who are unburdened with fugly wigs – that’s her legacy.”
Paul Grant, academic
“Teddy Co. Teddy’s work on regional cinema and the organization and promotion of Cinema Rehiyon has inspired a new generation of Filipino filmmakers to create films in their own languages and dialects as well as organize film festivals dedicated to their local cinemas. To my mind this is the most important intervention in Philippine cinema of the 2010s, if not the 2000s more generally.”
Chuck Gutierrez, filmmaker
“I believe there is no single personality that defined Filipino cinema during the last decade. The output is a mixture of all tastes and schools of filmmaking. It’s very diverse and, dare I say, dynamic. This makes our local cinema unique compared to others. We should just embrace this idea and strengthen our craftsmanship in the next decade.”
Emil Hofilena, reviewer
“Jerrold Tarog isn’t the film person of the decade just because he directed six films (and a handful of shorts) over the last 10 years. He has remained committed to his independent style of filmmaking—successfully experimenting with a slew of genres, and approaching every project as a music composer rather than as a studio executive. Even his bigger financial hits (Heneral Luna, Goyo) actively work against the kind of tropes that other filmmakers continue to indulge in. Be it a coming-of-age film (Senior Year), a psychological thriller (Bliss), or a romantic comedy (Sana Dati), a Jerrold Tarog film will always display a commitment to craft and an honest interest in exploring the human condition.”
Kayo Jolongbayan, reviewer
“I could name at least three people who are deserving of this title, but my ultimate choice would be Antoinette Jadaone for reinventing the romantic genre not once but twice this decade with That Thing Called Tadhana and Never Not Love You. In Tadhana, she gave the Pinoy romcoms a fresh take through the film’s dialogue-driven screenplay, which made the characters more human and relatable to the audience. Years after that, Jadaone then introduced a more adult romance in Never Not Love You, which argued that romance is a reality and not a fantasy, and that love doesn’t have a happy ending all the time. Special mention to the late great Eddie Garcia, who continued to work hard in both independent and mainstream productions for years until the end of his life.”
Ralston Jover, filmmaker
“Armando ‘Bing’ Lao, the unsung hero & auteur behind the ‘real time’ film movement, that eventually became the ‘Found Story’ films of Brillante Mendoza and other filmmakers (me included) who were once, and some are still, workshoppers of Bing. Although most of the output films attracted arthouse film festivals abroad, they equally challenged conventional/Hollywood storytelling, that catered new perspectives for the discriminating local cineaste hungry for a fresher film approach.”
Skilty Labastilla, academic
“In terms of influencing the aesthetic of Filipino film in the 2010s, I can think of a couple of names, but from the audience’s perspective it’s hard to deny the power of Vice Ganda in driving moviegoers to theaters beginning 2010 (with the Petrang Kabayo remake) until 2019 (with The Mall, the Merrier). Working with the late Wenn Deramas in the first half of the decade and with Joyce Bernal after Deramas’ untimely demise in 2016, Vice starred in hit after hit every year of the decade and eventually headlined 6 of the 10 highest-grossing Filipino films of all time. The fact that some of these blockbusters feature problematic content (e.g., LGBTQ and unattractive characters are often made laughingstocks) reveals a lot about who we are as a society even in the decade where “wokeness” and call-out culture has been magnified in social media. It’ll be interesting to see how Vice’s movies will evolve in the new century.”
Wowie Lagman, reviewer
I am actually really torn between two renowned directors for this category simply because they both have a line of work that has defined this decade and the one that came before.
One has a prolific line of work that is not afraid of going beyond conventions to tell a story. He knows the stories he wants to tell and does it in a way that’s not restricted by time limitations or any method. The stories he want to tell are intricate and he doesn’t hold back in ensuring they get the message across.
The other has created classics that filmmakers that came after can take inspiration from. Her films are among those referenced by other directors and actors.
Over the last decade, Laurice Guillen’s influence transcended filmmaking and helped pave the way for directors with interesting stories and those with unique voices to be more accessible to the audience through her extensive work in Cinemalaya.
The film festival has been a vital force in blurring the lines between mainstream and independent films so that more filmmakers are given opportunities and, at the same time, moviegoers are exposed (and appreciate) to more movies that entertain and provoke the minds.
My film person of the decade is Laurice Guillen.”
Moira Lang, screenwriter/producer
“Rodolfo Vera, (co-)screenwriter of Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan, Badil, Signal Rock, Die Beautiful, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, and the underrated and underseen Juana C. The Movie. (Full disclosure: I produced Norte and Juana.) The 2010s were a cinematic springtime for Mr. Vera, a long-time giant in the theater scene. His output is proof that the personal is political, tragedy is comedy, and you don’t have to pen romcoms to make a living out of screenwriting.
Nicol Latayan, reviewer
“Lav Diaz. For the way he maximized the medium of cinema as a vessel of narrating important and worthy stories. And in the process, challenging the convention of Filipino movie-watching experience with his films. Bonus points for that coveted Golden Lion Venice win in 2016.”
Noy Lauzon, film programmer
Kidlat Tahimik for his elevation to the country’s order of National Artists and finally releasing his groundbreaking feature that took decades in the making.
Jaclyn Jose for simply winning at Cannes and accomplishing the feat that no other screen actor in the country may be able to duplicate.
Jon Lazam, filmmaker
“Ricky Lee. Through his workshops, he took under his wing some of our most promising screenwriters, shepherding their work into the world, a good number ending up in these lists.”
Richard Soriano Legaspi, filmmaker
“Lav Diaz. Aside from being labelled as the ‘the ideological father of the New Philippine Cinema’ by the Venice Film Festival, ang mga pelikula ni Lav ay tumatagos sa kaluluwa, nagdurugtong sa kasalukuyan at nakaraan. Binibigyan tayo ng pagkakataong hanapin ang ating mga sariling halimaw, kahinaan at kabutihan. Mga obrang yumayakap sa oras at panahon.”
Miko Livelo, filmmaker
“JOEL FERRER – kasi mula 2010 hanggang 2019, nakikisabay lang ako sa kotse niya papunta sa mga screenings at festival. Bilang lang sa sa daliri ko kung ilang beses ako nag ambag pang gas. Tapos tuwing may mga film people gathering at pagod nako makipag usap, si Joel hinaharap ko sa kanila tapos tatakas nako para umuwi
Hindi kami close ah, kahapon ko nga lang nakilala yan.
Nominate ko na din si JET LEYCO. Sa kanya ako natuto mag French exit sa mga parties.”
Macky Macarayan, academic
“The film person of the decade should be none other than Professor Nick Deocampo for a lot of reasons. To begin with, he tirelessly works for the preservation of our cinematic heritage through his writings on the history of Philippine Cinema, coupled with his seminars and lectures on various film topics, such as queer cinema, alternative filmmaking, and political economy of Philippine cinema.
In the previous decade alone, he was able to publish Film: American Influences on Philippine Cinema (2011) and Eiga: Cinema in the Philippines during World War II (2016), the second and third volumes of his five-volume history of Philippine Cinema. Early Cinema in Asia (2017), which he edited, also came out during said period.
At present, he is the Faculty Coordinator for Academic Programs and Research for the University of the Philippines Film Institute, helping shape future filmmakers, film historians and academics.
Prof. Deocampo also released the film Cine Tala (2018) to mark the Centennial Year Celebration of Philippine Cinema. In it, the late Tony Mabesa played an alter-ego of Deocampo, as a film historian watching over the bygone years of Philippine cinema.
A professor, filmmaker, film historian and an uncompromising artist, Deocampo helped preserve our cinematic history through his work. The idea is that there would be more like him, pursuing film history and historiography, but there is simply the one and irreplaceable Nick Deocampo.”
Teng Mangansakan, filmmaker
“Lav Diaz for putting Philippine cinema in the world map not only because of the social context of his films (that has already been brought to international attention by Lino Brocka and further by Brillante Mendoza) but by articulating a cinematic language that reflects his deeply personal cinematic temperament rooted in the specific understanding of the spatio-temporal nature of the world he navigates.”
Stephanie Mayo, reviewer
“Antoinette Jadaone. Her That Thing Called Tadhana is that one seminal film of the decade. She strongly influenced later films of the genre, bringing indie cinema to mainstream tastes. She also pioneered the dialogue-heavy rom-coms à la Before Sunrise in the country.”
Adrian Mendizabal, reviewer
“Lav Diaz for being Lav Diaz himself.”
Pam Miras, filmmaker
“The Pinoy Cinephile. Our industry thrives because of them. Watching and supporting something like 9 film festivals year round plus other releases & special screenings, writing and discussing these films is truly laudable.”
Bor Ocampo, filmmaker
“Jerrold Tarog was instrumental in defining the decade of Philippine cinema with his film Heneral Luna. The success of his film was like a force to reckon with, as it transcended the Filipino audience’s expectations during the last decade. He is among the few distinct filmmakers who considerably revitalized the stale state of the movie industry. The film has helped reawaken our sense of patriotism and dormant desire to change ourselves as a nation. It has echoed and reminded us of the noble qualities of a genuine Filipino hero.”
Carla Pulido Ocampo, filmmaker
“I think I can’t pinpoint any one person, pero siguro mas itutuon ko ang pagpupugay ko sa isang unit: The People Behind QCinema. QCinema was a game-changer. Malaking bagay sa aming mga pasibol na filmmakers ang pagtiyak na 100% ng copyright ng mga pelikulang aming ilalabas sa ilalim nila — ay sa amin: walang kahati, walang kondisyon. Hindi rin sila nangingialam sa casting, ni hindi rin sa kalakhan ng creative decisions. May limitasyon nga lamang sa TRT (total running time) ng mga pelikula, pero ito rin ang nagtutulak sa mga editors at mga direktor na maging mas maparaan pa sa kung paano ikukwento ang kanilang punto sa mas maiksing oras.”
Kip Oebanda, filmmaker
“Moira Lang. As the producer of Zombadings and Patay na si Hesus, she was a trailblazer in crafting independent films that crossed over into mainstream and box-office success. And as a producer of Norte, she helped bring Lav Diaz to the local audience. She also wrote Smaller and Smaller Circles. She faced so many personal struggles in her desire to reform the industry. A true fighter and a brave and consummate artist.”
Carl Papa, filmmaker
“Ricky Orellana for championing Filipino animation.”
Jim Paranal, reviewer
“Hindi maikakaila na si Vice Ganda ang namayagpag sa pelikulang Pilipino sa nagdaang dekada 2010. Sino ang mag-aakalang isang bakla ang magiging box-office darling sa nagdaang dekada? Siya lang naman ang bida sa mga pelikula niya kung saan nabigyang pagkakataon ang bakla para magkaroon ng puwang hindi lang sa napapanood natin pati na din sa lipunang ating ginagalawan. Dati-rati ang mga bakla ay confidante o supporting o di kaya ay negatibo ang pagganap sa pelikula.
Lahat ng pelikula ni Vice Ganda ay tinangkilik ng masa. Patunay na isa siyang bankable actor. Sa kabila nito, critical failure o flop ang kanyang mga pelikula. Umaani ng batikos mula sa kritiko ang tema at offensive jokes sa kanyang mga pelikula. Napapansing parang extension ng kanyang noontime show o kanyang karanasan sa comedy bar ang kanyang pagpapatawa. Sa comedy, maituturing na pinaghalong sarcastic at slapstick comedy ang kanyang linya. Maimpluwensiya din si Vice dahil malakas ang impact niya sa ating lipunan pati sa mga kabataang manonood.
Tunay ngang binago ni Vice ang tingin natin hindi lamang ang telebisyon pati sa pelikulang Pilipino. Binago ni Vice Ganda ang ating viewing experience.”
Jombits Quintos, academic
“Arnel Mardoquio for writing, producing, and directing compelling and relevant films such as Sheika (2010), Crossfire (2011), Ang Paglalakbay ng mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim (2012), Riddles of My Homecoming (2013), Tu Pug Imatuy (2017, writer), and Alma-ata (2019). His craftsmanship and nuanced articulations of Mindanao’s lifeworlds, social geography, and decades-old conflicts are highly absorbing and convincing. His films exhibit masterful use of the resources of cinema, rigorous ethnographic engagements, and discursive theoretical underpinnings that are particular and have organically sprung from the Philippine and Mindanawon postcolonial conditions and realities. Mardoquio is also one of the key figures in the Mindanawon New Wave Independent Cinema Movement that possibly started in the 2000s.”
Lilit Reyes, filmmaker
“Lav Diaz. He has an uncompromisingly consistent and solid stand on a most confusing era in Philippine politics and society. Churning out masterpieces like a lone voice and guiding light in the dark wilderness, but he will be heard years from now as a prophetic voice of wisdom, warning and lament. Lav made his messages clearer with his latest creations, and continued to triumph in foreign lands, lauded for his substance and style. His films of the 2010’s mark an unflinching courage in our time when bravery is tested, as our tumultuous #NeverAgain past repeats itself in the present, like a stubborn citizenry that never learned from its fights and failures, and as new predators rule still behaving that they are above the law. His films will be our most relevant snapshots of a country moving five steps back to a darker path, and significantly, as historic pieces for future generations to come.”
Ronald Rios, archivist
“From the mockumentary SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM LILIA CUNTAPAY, Antoinette Jadaone revitalized the rom-com genre via the groundbreaking THAT THING CALLED TADHANA.She maintained her audience via LOVE YOU TO THE STARS AND BACK, NEVER NOT LOVE YOU and ALONE/TOGETHER. Prior to those films, she also wrote excellent teleseryes on the small screen.”
Bernard Santos, reviewer
“Lav Diaz – for his artistic contribution and recognition in prestigious international film festivals like Cannes, Venice, & Berlin Film Festival.”
Rod Singh, filmmaker
“Antoinette Jadaone. For breaking the line between indie and mainstream and for the strong politics of her films which cater to a wide range of audience. Truly, a filmmaker for everyone.”
Nazamel Tabares, reviewer
“Baby Ruth Villarama. The director of the first documentary film to be an official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival. That’s a huge deal. There’s just so much to celebrate in that edition of the MMFF and Sunday Beauty Queen’s win felt like a win for Philippine cinema.”
Robby Tantingco, screenwriter
“Jason Paul Laxamana represents all the young filmmakers who start with arthouse films, then realize they must make mainstream movies too not only because they can do it, but also because they want to experience the pleasure of seeing their films appreciated by the crowds and not just the critics. And after their commercial success they realize their heart is really with arthouse films. I think all filmmakers must try both paths but must always follow their heart in the end.”
John Tawasil, reviewer
“My person of the decade when it comes to film is not one single person, actually, but more of an idea of a person:
The Filipino moviegoer entered the 2010s on the tail end of some pretty big films. They had heard of this ‘indie’ movement and was curious what it was all about. They’d seen some films on VCD or DVD or occasionally in cinemas, small breaks amid scores of more common Hollywood fare. They started to see films that were sophisticated, beyond formula, outside the box, even though deep down they still craved for familiarity.
The Filipino moviegoer’s tastes started to diversify during the 2010s. They started to see more stories that weren’t theirs, from places other than Metro Manila, from social classes other than the ultra rich and the very poor, from sexual and gender identities outside the traditional dichotomy.
The Filipino moviegoer began to discover films that deviated from the norm. They started to see films that went beyond the normal 2-hour mark; some took it as a challenge, while some avoided it. The idea of watching an eight-hour movie would probably have been unheard of in the 2000s, but here they were in the 2010s, lining up and selling out screenings of just such a film. They started seeing films without linearity, without plot, seemingly without coherence.
The Filipino moviegoer started seeing the film festival as something different than just an event to go to with relatives during holidays, and these festivals started sprouting like mushrooms. Audiences started to build for film festivals that would previously only have had handfuls of people attending. Screenings started to get sold out. Even institutions like the MMFF got short-lived iterations that strayed from the norm, and it was good, if only for a short time.
The Filipino moviegoer still kept on spending their money on movies as a way to escape, or as a means to be scared, or as a means to laugh, or as a means to cry or feel sentimental about loving or having loved, or as a means to feel patriotic. They used the memetic capital of movies to create culture and express themselves in new and imaginative ways. They learned the power of truth and propaganda, and the difference between merely watching versus reading a film. They began to make their own films about films, either to pay tribute or to parody.
The Filipino moviegoer used the tools of social media to express their opinions on film in ways that they couldn’t have done in the past decade: through videos or long winded posts or rants, poorly written or elegantly constructed, well thought out or rashly considered.
The Filipino moviegoer discovered new personalities to latch on to, new filmmakers to watch out for, new celebrities to admire, all within and beyond the confines of chismis culture.
The Filipino moviegoer started watching movies in venues other than the cinema, from VCDs to DVDs to streaming services, from TVs to Laptops to cellphones, wherever and whenever they wanted.
The Filipino moviegoer exited the 2010s having borne witness to a shift in the medium of cinema, perhaps more aware of the ability of the medium to change minds or to speak truth to power. Perhaps some will have found a newfound appreciation of the cinema of the decade that was, eager for the decade to come.”
Mauro Feria Tumbocon, programmer
“Men and women behind SAGIP PELIKULA/ABS CBN FILM ARCHIVES. For their painstaking work in archiving, preservation and restoration of Filipino films, they are finding new audience for our films, their work which would have been the government’s responsibility.”
Tito Valiente, critic
“The Film Person of the Decade are the Persons behind the Cinema Rehiyon. These are the Filmmakers and Festival Directors from the regions, which for 12 years now, continue to define what is regional cinema, contesting the distorted notion dominant for many decades about the Tagalog cinema as national cinema, struggling against Manila-based and Manila-oriented critics, film scholars and film curators in setting the standard and rubrics for films that portray the Filipinos at the peripheries, providing not an alternative but different and altered perspectives heretofore ignored and/or unknown by those living in the comfort of the False Center. The 12th edition that will take place in Naga City in February will once more be the site of contestations and even conflicts among the regional filmmakers and the curators but these confrontations reflect the correct way of appraising regional cinema – it is a continuing pursuit and not a rigid academic search for an assumed national identity just for the sake of having one and accepting the illusion of a non-existent nation and with it, national art.”
Victor Villanueva, filmmaker
“Teddy Co. He has always been on the lookout for regional films, and one of the exciting film festivals in the PH, Cinema Rehiyon, that celebrated films outside Metro Manila, grew over the decade with his guidance and passionate championing of regional filmmakers.”
Jerome Zamora, screenwriter
“Edward Cabagnot. For being a staunch supporter of Philippine independent cinema for the last decades. And for his unwavering commitment in the film criticism and evaluation of local film festivals in the country(especially MMFF) in terms of quality and artistic excellence.”
“Juan Alamat”, filmmaker
“Liza Diño-Seguerra. For me, she’s been doing great as FDCP chairperson. Marami siyang mga projects na sinusubukan para sa film industry, yung iba nagwo-work, and yung iba kahit hindi nagwo-work, binabawi naman agad. The point is, kahit na hindi siya perfect eh willing siyang makinig and lumaban for the industry.”
For our 2019 poll, we have invited 37 film reviewers to name their favorite scenes of 2019. Below is the first part, featuring behind-the-scenes commentaries of the filmmakers.
The Scene of the Year will be revealed in the last installment.
Warning: The notes from the filmmakers and reviewers include details of important scenes in the cited movies. Read at your own risk.
The ending (Ulan)
Nicol Latayan, reviewer: “Actress Nadine Lustre described Ulan, her first movie since her award-winning performance in Never Not Love You, as a movie about self-love. That in order for someone to love another, she has to love herself first more than anything. This was perfectly encapsulated in the film’s final scene.
It’s a new day after the heavy storm. Maya walks home, and suddenly it rained. She’d always have a strong dislike of the rain since her Lola says the rain is a reminder of man’s sins. We can’t blame her after all; the rain was present when she couldn’t play outside, when she missed her first kiss, or when she realized that her young love isn’t what it really was. But then, she sees younger Maya playing under the rain and Maya joins and celebrates the rain with her younger self.
This ending is beautiful… literally. There’s the slow motion rain of a post-storm garden with the two Mayas running to meet in the middle, as Janine Teñoso’s haunting stripped down version of the Rivermaya classic plays in the background. Irene Villamor directs this scene so delicately that there’s a lot to unpack in it if you analyse it per frame. It was the young Maya who invited the older one to play in the rain, but it was the latter who first extends her arms to touch her mini-me. I honestly don’t know if these were deliberate directorial choices, but they’re surely impactful in the said scene.
But what makes the ending a perfect one is by looking at it in the course of Maya’s story, it’s the complete full circle moment of her journey in discovering her path to loving herself. Maya has experienced a lot – to love, to hurt, to heal, to love again, to accept – not necessarily in that exact order. Truth can really be stranger than fiction. It’s not the fairy tale closing her younger self had hoped for, but it’s one that her current self will consider a happy ending.”
Neil Daza, cinematographer: “The final sequence of the film was shot with a Phantom High-Speed camera. We shot the whole scene at 2,000 frames per second practically freezing rain drops in midair and then manipulated the movement of the young and old Maya giving a visually poetic ending.”
Irene Emma Villamor, writer/director: “Ulan had its beginnings nung college pa lang ako sa UP Film. Short story pa lang siya nun. At 8 years old pa lang si Maya. Wala pang version na magdadalaga siya. Nag-evolve yung character at yung kwento as I got older. Kaya tumanda rin si Maya kasabay ko. First screenplay ko ito kaya dala-dala ko for 15 or more years bago siya nabuo bilang pelikula. Pero kahit ano ang nangyari sa lahat ng drafts, that ending, hindi nagbago. Magkikita si older Maya at ang batang Maya at maglalaro sila sa ulan. Nag-iba na lahat ng pananaw ko sa pagpe-pelikula as I got to know the industry, from the idealist film student that I was, to a pragmatic filmmaker in terms of production, themes, lahat. From a child to a woman. Kaya sobrang importante sa akin ng last scene na ‘yan. When we were doing it, last shooting day na rin ni Nadine. Kaya buong-buo na sa kanya si Maya. It was a very emotional scene para sa aming dalawa pero yung execution kasi ang hirap, dahil napaka-technical. We were filming at 2,000 frames per second. Tapos kelangan mauna ang luha ni Nadine bago pumatak sa mukha niya ‘yung ulan. Sana makita ‘yun. At hindi siya daya. Ayaw ni Nadine dayain. So she had to cry for real, every take. So may timing lahat, saan ang marker, ilang steps, kelan tutulo luha niya, cuing ng rain effect. Lahat dapat ma-achieve within 10 seconds only. Kasi yun lang ang amount ng slow-mo na pwede namin gawin per card per take. E palubog na ang araw. So we spent three takes for that walk. And had to move on for the playing under the rain sequence. Mabilisan na lahat. Gusto pa namin abutan ‘yung sunset sa likod nila while they’re playing so everything moved fast. For a scene I’ve waited years and years to do, nawala lahat ng emotion, puro “let’s go! let’s go!” Buti na lang, talagang may bonding na sina Nadine and Elia (the child Maya). Pareho silang magaling. Pati ‘yung staff and crew, walang araw na madali ang shooting eh. But that day, anlaki (ang mahal) ng at stake. So everybody knew it’s make or break.
Tapos nung pinapanood ko na sa premiere night, dun na bumalik lahat, nostalgic na ulit. Bumalik ulit ako sa pagkabata ko, the scenes of my childhood, kapit-kamay kami ni Nadine. Worth it ang slow mo. Kahit ilang segundo, tumigil ang mundo at masarap lang. Masarap lang ‘yun feeling. Kahit ano’ng hirap at tagal na ginawa ‘yung movie, o anuman ang kahinatnan niya, ok na kami ni Nads.”
In the car with stranger (Sila-Sila)
Jim Paranal, reviewer: “Hindi ko makakalimutan ang eksena kung saan may nakilalang misteryosong estranghero (Boo Gabunada) si Gab (Gio Gahol) at sinamahan pa niya ito sa loob ng kotse.
Sa mga eksena bago ito, makikita nating magkahalo ang emosyon ni Gab na harapin ang kanyang mga kaibigan (Dwein Baltazar at Phi Palmos) at kanyang ex na si Jared (Topper Fabregas). Reluctant at halos ayaw niyang harapin ang mga taong malapit sa buhay niya.
Napilitan din siyang sumama sa reunion ng mga high school classmates niya na inorganisa ng mayamang karakter ni Adrienne Vergara. Dahil na din sa hindi niya matiis ang sa tingin niya ay pagpapanggap at pressure ng mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya ay binalak niyang tumakas.
Dito, inakala niya na ang misteryosong estranghero ay isang Grab Driver na kanyang na-book. Nang maamoy niya na nagma-marijuana ang binata ay sinamahan niya ito at nag-usap sila.
Madalas kong mapanood ang mga ganitong eksena sa mga stoner films sa Hollywood. Kaya siguro para sa akin ay kakaiba ito. Sa una, aakalaing hindi ata kunektado o angkop ang eksenang ito sa kabuuan ng pelikula. Pero sa huli, napagtanto ko na dito natin mas nakilala si Gab.
Sa una, may pagka-angas ang estranghero. Nang samahan siya ni Gab ay naging kumportable sila sa isa’t isa. Sa eksena ding ito, mas naging relax si Gab na makausap ang estranghero. Dito niya nabanggit na ang mga taong dating kilala niya ay hindi na tulad ng dati. Mga salita at saloobing hindi niya masambit sa kanyang mga kaibigan. Kung ano-ano na rin ang napag-usapan nila. Hanggang sa mabanggit at nilinaw din ng estranghero na straight siya.
Tulad ni Gab, may mga sandali sa buhay natin na gusto nating tumakas at mas may tiwala tayong sabihin ang saloobin natin sa isang estranghero at pagkakatiwalaan natin dahil para sa atin ay hindi na natin sila makikitang muli. At sino ba naman ang tatanggi kung isang tulad ni isang estranghero na karakter ni Boo Gabunada ang mapaghihingahan mo.”
Gio Gahol, actor: “Prior to beginning production on Sila-Sila, Gian set up a workshop for the actors to get acquainted and work on some of the crucial scenes that highlight the distinct and varying relationships of Gab; figuring out who and how he is depending on who he’s with. Boo wasn’t invited to this workshop.
We’d had a month-long break from shooting the day we shot this scene. All the scenes with “the Grab driver” were first on the callsheet and Boo was running late, coming from another shoot.
I know Boo personally but the suspense of finally seeing him on the set made me nervous. It was gonna be a full day, many big scenes to cover, very little time to sit down and chat about how to go about our scene, and, conveniently, he was running late.
Boo arrives. We talk a bit over breakfast but then we needed to do makeup, get dressed and grind stat. He asked me about the scene which meant he was not briefed. Good, I wasn’t alone.
We get on the set and nada. No briefing from Gian. We were thrown in without a clue how to go about our scene. Okay.
Finally, the scene inside the car. Long take, long dialogue, very short allowance of time to run through the lines and…action!
Nobody was prepared for this scene. And that’s just how it was supposed to be done, I guess. Nobody knew what was going on. Nobody but one—Gian. And that’s just pure evil genius. Evil. But genius.”
Theo Lozada, cinematographer: “Yung araw na isho-shoot namin yung scene na yan, sobrang daming delays, medyo nagmamadali na, medyo crunchtime na agad kahit umaga pa lang. I wasn’t getting the light I wanted for the scene, kaso di ko na afford na magtagal pa sa set-up kasi may one day lang kami to shoot everything sa location na yun at marami pang kukunan.
Nasa labas ako ng sasakyan for most of the shots habang nag-ooperate; may physical barrier kami ng actors, di ko sila naririnig, nakikita lang through the glass. All throughout ang naiisip ko lang, ampangit ng ilaw.
After the scene, habang nag-uusap kami ni Gian, nabanggit niya how much he loved the scene ‘tas di ko gets kasi nga for me andami kong mali sa scene na yun. Noon lang nakita ko siya as a scene in the film naintindihan ko.
Sa akin, nag-serve siya as reminder na at the end of the day, di importante kung perfect yung shot mo, kung maganda yung dolly move, kung astig at cool ang ilaw. At the bottom of everything, direction at performance pa rin talaga ang nagdadala ng kwento. It’s amazing na in this small scene pinakanagco-connect ang mga tao. At the end of the day, yung magic of cinema yung connection.”
Giancarlo Abrahan, director: “The film for me was ultimately about making connections. Gabriel trying but finding it difficult to reconnect with his old life—his ex, his best friends, and his other friends. Sometimes it’s easier to connect with strangers, to be suddenly vulnerable people who know nothing about you.
It was very clear to me that this will be the major turning point of the film. It is the midpoint of the entire film, the midpoint of the reunion. It was—by design—really the heart and center. A film about relationships glued by a stranger.
I personally wanted to feel like a stranger to the character played by Boo Gabunada. And so it was one of those rare times, without meeting him in person, I cast him in the role and only met him on the day of the shoot. No time to get to know him except through his potrayal of stranger inside a car mistaken for a Grab driver. We started shooting the scene with barely an introduction. We let the scene do that for us.
On the other hand, we shot half of the film with Gio prior to this. But after shooting for an entire week, we took a month-long break before shooting this reunion at the house. And I thought it was perfect, to have had this rhythm and connection then to suddenly lose it and try to reconnect it that day.
We spent the entire morning for this scene. And almost the entire time, Boo and Gio were isolated in the car. They’d barely be able to get out, forced to chat in the car in between takes and while setting up the cameras and light diffusers. People on the set could not hear them and had no idea what was going on. There was a viscous intimacy building up between Boo and Gio. But I wanted that feeling na nakikisilip lang tayo sa moment.
And so the shot where the camera was closest to their faces, we would suddenly be behind them—their faces obscured by the headrests except for that sliver of a smile and their eyes locked into each other. Just enough para masilip natin. Kasali tayo pero nararamdaman nating may something na para sa kanilang dalawa lang…Tipong mapapatanong ka talaga kung may nangyari nga sa kanilang dalawa—kasi nakita mo iyung tingin at ngiti nila, nakaka-high maki-join sa pagka-high nila—pero at the end of the day, sa kanilang dalawa na lang iyun.”
The ending (John Denver Trending)
Engelbert Dulay, reviewer: “The last few minutes of John Denver Trending were among the most suffocating and maddening moments of 2019. Within those few minutes, we get a glimpse of what’s revolving around John Denver’s mind: the fear, the shame, the guilt, the desolation. He’s had enough of being both the suspect and the victim. In doing so, he runs away from everyone, away from the police who’s wrongly accused him of something he did not do, away from the society who’s so quick to judge and belittle him without knowing all the sides of the coin, away from the school who’s never defended him just because he did some bad things in the past, and away from his mother who’s seen him at his best and at his worst. He finds no sense anymore in fighting a fight that he knows he will not be able to conquer in the end. He escapes. Intentionally. And in his escape, he’s setting himself free from the hatred and the negativity surrounding him. Many people would think that such a scene would be a glorification of self-harm, but sometimes we need a dose of reality for us to understand the importance of mental health and the repercussions of our everyday actions. The shots were framed in a raw and nihilistic way, without ever trying to romanticize John Denver’s situation. It’s the truth. And there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Rommel Sales, cinematographer: “Originally shot as a single take. 2nd cam: Arbie Barbarona took over this scene kasi mas mabilis siya tumakbo kesa sa akin. Arden wanted the camera to act like a monster chasing John Denver. Bahala na kung magulo at shaky kasi nung pinanood namin siya sakto naman para sa isa sa mga huling eksena ng John Denver Trending.”
Arden Rod Condez, writer/director: “Aaminin ko, dito talaga ako pinakanahirapan. Hindi ganito ang original ending. Yes, the boy still committed a tragic act but after that, something else happened. But this changed when we joined the FDCP-sponsored First Cut Lab, a post-prod mentorship by some industry experts from abroad. Matthieu Taponier, the editor of Cannes-winning and Oscar-winning Son of Saul, suggested our final ending.
The image of a mother coming home without her knowing what’s waiting for her was indeed very troubling. Ito rin ang imahe na hinding hindi nawala sa utak ko simula no’ng una kong narinig ang isang balita tungkol sa isang magsasakang nanay na umuwi mula sa trabaho at nadatnan sa bahay ang isang trahedya. Ito ang imaheng nagtulak sa akin na isulat ang kwentong ‘to. The start of that radio news was the ending of our film.
Tama naman ang iba, it was too nihilistic. But in my opinion, it had to happen. Parang hindi ko binigyang respeto ang trahedyang sinapit ng binatilyong isa sa naging malaking inspirasyon ng kwentong ito kung hindi ko ‘yon ipapakita. Kailangan ito para suntukin tayo’t magising. Oo, nagsimula ang pelikula presenting a social problem and it ended very psychological. Pero ‘yon ang gusto kong tumbukin. That what is social for us can indeed be very personal to some. When we move on to the next viral video, some people are left behind to still deal with the misfortune.”
