CinemaOne Originals Film Festival

Ah, when it rains, it pours. In the recent years, Manileños have developed a taste for "art house-y" types of films, thanks to the many foreign film festivals we've been bombarded with in the past few years. The French (running for some seven-eight years now) and the Pink Film in June, the Cinemanila in August, the Cineuropa in September, the fledgling Japanese, Spanish, Italian, German, Canadian and Portuguese festivals. A film buff's orgasmic delight.

Film fest season in the Philippines welcomed the recently concluded all-Filipino Cinemalaya festival. Quick to follow suit is the new CinemaOne Originals. If you missed the SM Megamall screenings, you can still catch them this week at the UP Film Center in Diliman.

August 2 Tuesday
5:00 PM Anak ng Tinapa by Jon Red
7:30 PM Dilim by Topel Lee

August 3 Wednesday
5:00 PM Sitak by Liza Cornejo
7:30 PM Ang Anak ni Brocka by Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez

August 4 Thursday
5:00 PM Sandalang Bahay by Denisa Reyes and Mark Gary
7:30 Sa North Diversion Road by Dennis Marasigan

DILIM by Topel Lee
Action Thriller. Dilim is an enigmatic creature that roams the streets at night and does vigilante work, saving innocent victims by literally devouring the villans. Conflict ensues when a do-good policeman goes hot on his trail.
Cast: Rica Peralejo / Archie Adamos / Emilio Garcia / Mario Magallona / Hermie Concepcion

SA NORTH DIVERSION ROAD by Dennis Marasigan
Ten scenes, each one involving a man and a woman in a bantam car traveling northward along the North Diversion Road. The recurring theme: infidelity of the man.
Cast: John Arcilla and Ms. Irma Adlawan

SITAK by Liza Cornejo
Jack, a middle-aged guy, is fired from his human resources job of 20 years. This prompts to contemplate on suicide but he chances upon a taxi driver whose stories encourage him to get into the cab business and succumb to the probable dangers that come with it. Even if it means shame in the culture he belongs to, he will get what he desires, privacy. And hopefully, death.
Cast: Chanda Romero, Lou Veloso, Gerry Cornejo, Reno Romero and Jam Rodriguez

SANDALANG BAHAY by Mark Gary & Denisa Reyes
Is about the dramatic and sometimes humorous life and times of the Sandalang family. It's a film about facing the past and owning up to the truth that resides in the bleakest corner of the soul. This is seen in the interetwining lives of the 3 Sandalang sisters.
Cast: Albert Martinez / Ronnie Lazaro / Mads Nicolas / Nonie Buencamino / Hermie Concepcion / Gilleth Sandico / Sharmaine Buencamino / Adriana Agcaoili

ANAK NG TINAPA by Jon Red
Anak ng Tinapa is a story about small fish: framing-up and killing small fry instead of the big fish in a society ruled by sharks. Two crooked cops get a kick out of framing up hapless people by planting illegal drugs on them. Unknown to these rogue policemen, a group of loony and ambitious student filmmakers is watching and documenting their every move. In the end, a brutal killing spree of individuals occurs.
Cast: China Cojuangco / Ryan Eiganmann / Atong Redillas / Ting Medina / Soliman Cruz / Hector Macaso

ANG ANAK NI BROCKA by Sigfried Barros-Sanchez
Ang Anak Ni Brocka is a mockumentary. It is about a group of investigative journalists from a sub-par TV station who accidentally scores a scoop that a twenty-year old boy is looking around for his identity. What's very controversial about the boy's identity is that he claims to be the son of the late famous director Lino Brocka, a known gay filmmaker.
Cast: Nonie Buencamino, Roence Santos, Bombi Plata, Raul Morit, Adrian Ramirez, Raph Hernandez, Ronald Tupas and Soliman Cruz.
With special appearances by Gina Alajar, Bembol Roco, Joonee Gamboa, Christopher de Leon, Phillip Salvador.