When everyone else is watching the Batman movie,

I was at Cinemalaya to see three gala premieres. Warning: This is heavy on spoilers. If you’re planning to watch, I do not encourage you to read past this sentence so feel free to skip this and read on my past posts. 😛

• Ang Nawawala – This is indie film + indie music + vinyl records + vintage cameras + joint. I therefore like it but not as much as I like Rakenrol. This is a story about a boy meets girl, but you should know upfront that this is not a love story. Yes, a reminder to 500 Days of Summer, it is. Quite predictable that the boy with a self-inflicted selective mutism will utter his first words like “I love you” to his girl of interest. I feel like the reason for the boy’s choosing not to speak could have been shown in a much stronger sense as well as his love-induced breaking of silence after 10 years. I wish the growing love between Gibson and Enid was made more intense to credit an “I love you” as his first words. The film was not bad at all, the reasons were there, to/for me, it just had to be clearer. But more importantly you have to see the film yourself to find “What Isn’t There”. 
• Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino – Although I love tahong (especially when grilled), I didn’t expect to like a film shot in a tahungan. It is a love story without the conventional exchange of sweet nothings save for the last scene. Intoy is a hardworking mussel harvester while Doray is a simple girl turned whore prostitute to provide for her sisters. His slightly-holded-up and coy love for her was perfectly delivered. I like that they made their first romantic scene well-anticipated and almost didn’t happen until the end, when Doray admittedly avoided him to prevent him from acquiring her incurable and infectious disease.
• Kamera Obskura – This is about how a camera works and dirty politics combined, obscure combination noh? Juan was trapped in an enclosed dark room until one day he discovered a small hole that allows him to see the life outside as  invertedly projected on the wall. He eventually made a bigger hole out of it enough for him to escape. In a camera store he came across a magical camera that forced itself to him to hold, merely replacing his right hand. Rival political parties discovered him and his camera’s ability to absorb bad people so he was being urged each to run for councilor here and there. With the usage of the terms “pabaon”, “boksingero ng bayan” and “tuwid na daan”, one could easily identify the stinking inspiration to this movie. I forgot to mention, that this is a silent film.

It was so worth braving the stormy weather for these three. Oh no, I think I’m dropping my tickets for all these films, it’s such a pain to pick just one. Sigh. I’m in it again tomorrow, tara!

A Guide to Cinemalaya 2012 at CCP Theaters

July 20—Cinemalaya 2012 will open with the film by Mario O’Hara entitled Babae sa Breakwater as a tribute to the late filmmaker who succumbed to Leukemia a few weeks ago. To those who haven’t seen the film and will not be able to make it to CCP this Friday, poor you you can watch a poor copy of the film here. 

 

Cinemalaya has added its screening venues to—I think—reach out to more people who find traveling to CCP as too much effort just to see low-budget films. Or rather the more obvious, to increase their sales. It will now also be shown in two theaters in Greenbelt 3 (from just one last year), and one in Trinoma. However, this is a guide to watching Cinemalaya at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, because for one, you won’t need a guide if it’s in the malls, and two, the spirit of the festival is more felt in the main venue. At the CCP lobby, you’ll find posters of the competing films with photographs and the most remarkable mementos from the film like a maroon gown from Mayohan, a fake plastic halo-halo from Pink Halo-Halo and an orange campaign vest from Vox Populi. Cocktail party food (used to) be/is served too.

 

Here I’m supposed to make a guide in watching Cinemalaya films at CCP so before I lose track, let’s start.

 

Read the screening summary and watch the trailers and be able to identify favorites just by them (or research some more, your call). If you plan to watch all of them, rank them from the best to worst.  

• Screening Summary in PDF here.
• Trailer Round-up from lagarista.com here. 

 

Plot your favorites on the schedule of film screenings.  You prioritize gala presentations of your better list, you won’t regret that I swear. You can get a hard copy of the schedule from every corner of the CCP. 

• Schedule of Film Screenings in PDF here. 

 

Know the theaters. Why we need to know or at least get an inkling on the seating capacity of a theater is because firstly, it will determine the volume of tickets sold for each screening. Through the years of watching, I have developed a phobia on sold-out screenings. Give yourself a slack. Cinemalaya is no longer unknown to many. In fact, ticket sales skyrocketed to over 50,000 last year, the highest recorded so far. With the swarming of mainstream actors and actresses in the festival this year, the likes of Judy Ann Santos, Dennis Trillo, Jodie Sta. Maria, etc., it is expected to be record-breaking in terms of sales and heart-breaking in terms of crowd control.  Secondly, familiarizing yourself with the CCP theaters will let you identify which venue is most comfortable for you. If you like crowds and wide screens, choose the big theaters. For more intimate setting choose the smaller ones. Here are the CCP theaters sorted by seating capacity.  

 

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo or the CCP Main Theater 

• The largest of the theaters. It is advised (by me) that you select a seat anywhere in the orchestra to get a better view. Else, extend and strain your neck the whole time at the balcony. I’m not so sure about this, I may just be a little short in height, I don’t know. There are also boxes hanging left and right if you notice. I haven’t seen them used ever by the audience, although I see “CCP Authorized Personnel” or some sort getting in and out of it occasionally. 
• This is the theater you’ll first see when you use the ramp on either side of the water fountain to the entrance. The giant wooden sliding door at the center is the main entrance to the Main Theater. 
• Relevance to Cinemalaya: This is where Cinemalaya opens and closes the festival every year. Therefore, Babae sa Breakwater will be shown here and the awards night will be held here as well. All gala presentations are screened here too. I suggest that you choose as much gala presentations as you can, or as deemed fit to your sched. Not only that the tickets are less-likely to be sold-out, but it’ll allow you to hear it from the directors, writers, actors themselves before or after the screening. It’s more like a “premiere night” as called in the mainstream. 

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino or The Little Theater

• I think the capacity of this theater is less than half of the Main Theater. The first time I’ve been here was when I saw the play “Ang Mga Huwad” an adaptation of the novel The Pretenders by my favorite National Artist, F. Sionil Jose. Just a short addition to that, the playwright was Rody Vera, the Virgin Labfest festival director until last year.
• This one-level theater is perfect for theater plays that require ample space for actors to move but not sacrificing the  good audience-to-actors proximity. The screen is still relatively big for film screenings, but not as wide as what you’re used to at mall cinemas. 

Tanghalang Huseng Batute or The Studio Theater

• It’s a two-level theater, often used for experimental plays like Virgin Labfest. Fairly small but its variable seats are used practically to make adjustments for whatever the production requires. So in film showings, the stage is replaced by a few comfortable seats with additional monobloc chairs to maximize the space. While the bleachers, though looks moveable, have always been fixed to their places ever since. The latest Cinemalaya entry’s  I’ve seen here were Ranchero and Ang Paglilitis Kay Andres Bonifacio.

 

Tanghalang Manuel Conde or Dream Theater

• It’s comparable to half the size of an average classroom, much smaller than Huseng Batute. Trivia: This is where Eiga Sai or the Japanese Film Festival used to be shown back in the olden days when most viewers were Nihongo students and Japanese nationals. There were no falling in long lines here; viewers barely full the theater.
• The floor seats are inclined only by a small angle which is a no-go for me.

 

Bulwagang Alagad ng Sining or CCP MKP Hall

• It, being a multifunction hall, is understandably the smallest of all the venues. It is equipped with a huge flat screen TV and a pair of couch in front for VIPs. There are monoblocs scattered and stacked all over the place and viewers are allowed to get inside up to standing-room only.  I only go for this on desperate situations like when I watched the film about a gay reporter (played by Baron Geisler) entitled Jay.

 

Additional reminders:

• No cameras allowed. I hate them for this because they were never consistent about it. One day you can bring an SLR inside, the next you’ll have to deposit it in their baggage counter. What I notice is that they get stricter as the festival is nearing to close. And boy, you’ll discover that many have successfully hidden their digicams in their crotch once an artista emerges from the sea of people. This, applicable not only for Cinemalaya but for other festivals, events, theater plays etc.
• Keep your tickets, not for inspection, but for voting for your favorite film. You drop the other half of your ticket to their people’s-choice-award dropbox.

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Blogger’s Note: This is probably the lengthiest thing I’ve ever written on tumblr. I, myself, yawned by just looking at it. I hope I didn’t bore/tire you…much. Whatever kind of writing I did here please forgive me if you ever get to this part of the post. It’s just something you really need to know and I have to post it just before Cinemalaya starts…today. Haha. And I just made this post even longer with non-sense. Goodnight.

All photos from http://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph/page.php?page_id=56

A Guide to Watching Eiga Sai at Shangri-La

We still have until this weekend to complete all 10 entries to Eiga Sai this year. I think as an avid fan of Japanese films, it’s just right for me to write a short smart guide in watching Eiga Sai particularly in Shang. 

• To secure yourself a ticket, you must be in line an hour (weekdays) or two (weekends) before the film showing. I’m not kidding. This has been so commercialized and every year more and more people are anticipating this film festival. No wonder, films are getting more exciting every year. Tickets are distributed 30 minutes before the show starts. Strictly one ticket per person on a first-come, first-serve basis. Last year, when the fest was coming to a close, they distributed the tickets an hour before the show, perhaps to disperse the crowd at the Cinema lobby due to increased public demand. So it’s your call what/who to bring to kill boredom. I watched the first hour of Hunger Games when I was in line this afternoon. 
• Figure out how to get a VIP/Festival Pass. We just learned about this yesterday and today I saw what it’s like. Someone from the Shangri-La staff recognized me from yesterday and lent me his VIP pass. I was prioritized along with the other few VIP pass holders. Wow. No more waiting and falling in line. I was able to watch all three films when the maximum you can get as a regular viewer is just two (because you are most likely to be inside the cinema when the tickets for the next film are distributed). There was a hint of guilt looking to the people behind me who patiently waited but I convinced myself I deserved it because I never had used one in my many years of watching and that I didn’t asked for it instead I gladly welcomed an invitation. 
• Chance Seats, this is where you go when the line to the entrance was cut before you. You fall in line again (yes.) by the door of the dedicated festival cinema and wish that expected VIPs won’t make it until 10 minutes after the film starts. Don’t fret, there are usually just a few of them showing up. In which case, your wish will grant you the reserved seats for them. 
• You cannot bring your food inside the cinema unless you bought it from the Cinema Snack Bar. You can deposit your food to their staff before the cinema entrance in exchange for a reference number or just finish your food before you get inside. 
• Complete the survey. It is not required but in order for us to get better Eiga Sai cinema experience, we have to. A few pen strokes wouldn’t hurt. 

Related:

• My Review on the Movie Tomorrow’s Joe, an entry to Eiga Sai 2012 here.

Eiga Sai 2012 Entry: Tomorrow’s Joe

I can miss Cine Europa and many other international film fest in Shangri-La, but Eiga Sai (Japanese Film Festival), no. Never. Today’s plan was Virgin Labfest marathon but after learning that the tickets are sold out for all remaining shows, I  rushed to follow my good friend Grace to Shang, who’s early in line for the 4:30PM film. 

The film Tomorrow’s Joe is a story about two boxing rivals: The slum-dwelling amateur, Joe and a world class professional, Rikiishi. Powered with their strong will to destroy each other, each led different ways to make the most-awaited match happen in their boxing careers.

• The film, as most Japanese films I’ve seen, is very unpredictable. 
• Musical scoring is perfect. Different guitar distortions that adds excitement on every fight scene and a remarkable guitar riff every time Joe rises up from knockdown.
• They didn’t speak of boxing as a technical sport. Identifying weight limits of featherweight and bantamweight was the hardest. 
• Japanese films are seldom set in slum areas (this is actually the first I’ve seen) in around 1930’s or 40’s (personally identified as hinted the cameras used) That alone piqued my interest.
• The Japanese are excellent in creating a movie character personality, not necessarily a strong one, but always interesting. Keeping the consistency  of ones character (through gestures or/and dialogues) from start to end of the film is another great thing. In this film, Joe never laughed or cried. He speaks very little and there you’ll get yourself acquainted with him. The writer must have spared him the memorizing for he needs to learn boxing. 

Disclaimer: This is my personal review-reviewhan of this film, not a critic or anything expert on film reviews. To gain myself a little credibility, let me share that I have been watching Eiga Sai since 2007 when it wasn’t even shown in malls but in a small theater in CCP (Manuel Conde Theater). 

This also serves as my invitation to you to give Eiga Sai a try. This may mean combating a bigger crowd for me but may earn me more Japanese film buddies, right? By the way, the tickets are normally distributed 30 minutes to an hour before the film starts, be there an hour ahead, believe me, you don’t want to disappoint yourself. 

Related:

• Watch Tomorrow’s Joe full-length with English subtitle here. (If you can find all other entries from the internet, send me links please.)
• Download the Eiga Sai 2012 flyer/schedule here.