Notes on Cinemalaya 2013: Who’s going to watch this stuff? Everybody. (Updated)
Leo Abaya, writer and director of our favorite New Breed entry, Instant Mommy.
As for the devotees and supporters, it was one of the few occasions when they could feel like part of a community rather than freaks who care too much about characters who don’t really exist. Half the fun of attending Cinemalaya are the post-screening discussions in which friends pass judgment on the works: “Uma-Apitchapong”, “It’s one act, where are the other two?” and “Sana di na lang ako nag-sssshh doon sa mga katabi kong maingay, mas exciting yung kuwento nila kaysa sa pelikula.”
Read our (long delayed) column, Notes on Cinemalaya 2013: Who’s going to watch this stuff? Everybody. at InterAksyon.com.
From the archive: The Soul-Sucking Reality of Indie Movie Distribution.
The second installment: Indies try to cross over, at InterAksyon.com.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
August 7th, 2013 at 14:09
What makes me wonder is why some of these directors, producers, and writers (the good ones, of course) aren’t given a chance in the mainstream.
True, the spectre of creative meddling is there, but if they are given freedom, and with the right marketing, these folks deserve to release films outside of these festivals.
As can be seen, many of them have the power to bring in money as well. When it comes to Filipino films, I would rather see these films regularly than the nth iteration of “My Neighbor’s Wife” or a Vice Ganda formula comedy.
August 7th, 2013 at 14:44
Just as engaging as the post-screening discussions was the audience reaction while I was watching Instant Mommy in Trinoma. Collective gasp upon seeing “Kris Aquino Production” on the screen with a shala girl beside me saying, “WTF?!” Can’t Kris Aquino produce an indie film, I wanted to ask (but didn’t). My favorite character in the film is Eugene’s gay friend who owned a salon. I want a friend who would offer to sing Broadway songs, too, if I need some cheering up! Oh, and her Japanese fiance is kawaii!
August 8th, 2013 at 00:09
allancarreon: Chris Martinez, Jade Castro and Marlon Rivera. 100, Endo, and Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank. Here Comes the Bride/Temptation Island (the remake), My Big Love/My Kontrabida Girl, and the forthcoming Ang Huling Henya/the Ryzza Mae MMFF movie.
August 8th, 2013 at 00:17
ruth: Yuki Matzusaka who plays the Japanese fiance in Instant Mommy was in the Clint Eastwood film Letters From Iwo Jima. He has appeared in The Last Samurai and in the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, as well as Heroes and The Newsroom on TV. Unlike his character, he speaks English perfectly.
August 22nd, 2013 at 10:49
Sana Dati is awesome and amazing to look at!!! but not watch. imo.
from the start of the movie, there was this annoying magician with a rabbit in his hat who is constantly teasing us with a pertinent detail here, interesting detail there and then pull it back denying the rabbit from us that i cant help but feel like a very annoyed carrot. and then, halfway through the film, the magician morphs to a condescending physics professor who explains to us what the hell he was doing with those visual pastpresent acrobatics and calls it singularity — just in case we didnt get it — when all it reminded me of was einstein’s relativity. the movie literally felt like 2.5 hrs.imo.
August 22nd, 2013 at 17:28
cheezmiss: All comments are opinions that belong to the person who posted them, so there’s no need to add “in my opinion” or “just saying” or “just putting it out there”. They’re just the passive-aggressive way of saying, “I disagree, don’t hit me.”
Yes, cleverness is a nerd disease. We suspect that Sana Dati appeals to the nerdy viewer because it is constructed like an equation with missing variables. And since we are a nerd: The general theory of relativity predicts singularities. Relativity is the theory; singularity is the place where space-time ends and past, present and future are all happening at once.
One thing that threw us off: When Paulo Avelino showed up wearing that jacket, we assumed his character was gay.
August 22nd, 2013 at 20:14
“Don’t hit me”. lol! ye, thats what i meant.
more than being a physics term, i feel “singularity” is a fundamental experience everyone goes through specially emotionally – having it explained to me as if i were a 3yr old — i just dont get.
cleverness – to me it was more egoic. imo =P
August 22nd, 2013 at 20:23
cheezmiss: You just proved that the explanation was necessary.
Again with the nerdiness: There is no “egoic”. “Egoistic”: Believes self-interest is the foundation of morality. “Egotistic”: Overly high opinion of one’s self.
Don’t watch Ang Huling Henya, it’s awful. Not awe-filled, awful.
August 23rd, 2013 at 12:45
Why awful, di pa sya palabas dito sa Davao.
August 23rd, 2013 at 20:30
Louie: As in “terrible”. As one friend put it, the mentally-challenged child of a genius. Oh well, terrible happens.
August 24th, 2013 at 11:39
Looking forward for his follow up movie after “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank” then ???. Panoorin ko pa rin.
August 24th, 2013 at 12:21
Louie: Continuing with the nerdiness, do you mean “So much for looking forward to the follow-up movie to Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank”? (Add emoticon)
Natuwa naman ang kaibigan namin sa cameo dahil napagsabihan na namin siya dati na ang “pictorial” ay hindi pangngalan.
August 24th, 2013 at 16:25
just like Peque Gallaga ” Oro, Plata, Mata” followed by ” Bad Bananas sa Puting Tabing” hahaha
August 26th, 2013 at 00:34
Nakakatawa ang Bad Bananas sa Puting Tabing. Stoner movie yon.