Wednesday, August 16, is a day to remember for local film buffs and moviegoers. Yesterday marked the start of the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) week-long tribute to Filipino cinema, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. For one week, no international films will be shown in partner cinemas. All the films in the festival were chosen for displaying high quality and unique storytelling with a bit of Filipino touch.
If you strongly and passionately supported the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival, you should also support PPP. This festival can, hopefully, start the meaningful journey to encouraging the public to support well-made Filipino films. Likewise, it can be a good venue for showcasing the world-class talents of our filmmakers and actors.
I have a copy of the complete screening schedule for all the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino movies. But first off, allow me to highlight the movies we should all be watching this week. All descriptions are from the films’ official summaries.
GENRE: Horror
RUNNING TIME: 92 mins.
ACTORS: Jessie Mendiola, JC De Vera, Joel Saracho, Karl Medina, Barbie Capacio
DIRECTOR: Sherad Sanchez
PRODUCER: CPI/ Cinema One
SUMMARY: A news crew is designated an unwanted assignment of covering news in rebel-ridden Mindanao where there have been rumors of Aswang killings. Following a lead that brings them into the remote barrio where the serial deaths began, a group of armed men in military uniform attempts to abduct the cynical team. And as they escape toward the forest, they go through a macabre journey where they encounter the convoluted surrealities of what it means to be salvaged.
GENRE: Comedy/Satire
RUNNING TIME: 90 mins
ACTORS: Jacklyn Jose, Melde Montanez, Chai Fonacier, Sheenly Gener, Vincent Viado, Olive Nieto, Mailes Angelina Kanapi
DIRECTOR: Victor Villanueva
PRODUCER: T-Rex Entertainment Production
SUMMARY: When Iyay (Jaclyn Jose, Cannes 2016 Best Actress) learns that Hesus, her estranged husband, has died, she gathers her children and tells them that they are going on a trip – an inter-island road trip smack in the middle of the Philippines, to be exact. No ifs or buts about it: they are attending their father’s funeral. Her children – Hubert, who has Down Syndrome; Jude, a lovesick trans man; and Jay, who is living the bum life – join her with varying degrees of reluctance as she drives them in her extra-mini mini-van.
GENRE: Dark Romance
RUNNING TIME: 1:22:00
ACTORS: Ryza Cenon, Martin Del Rosario, Vangie Labalan
DIRECTOR: Prime Cruz
PRODUCER: The IdeaFirst Company
SUMMARY: Jewel is a mysterious woman who lives alone in the city. She has a secret which has led her to settle into a lonely existence. That is, until she meets Nico, a broken-hearted, down-and-out guy who also feels unlovable like she does. Jewel is torn between wanting to love him and wanting to save him from herself. Will he accept her if he knew the truth about her? Can she ever find love, or is she destined to be alone forever?
GENRE: Anthology Film
RUNNING TIME: 140 mins
ACTORS: Albie Casiño, Joseph Marco, Kean Cipriano, Kylie Padilla
DIRECTOR: Miguel Franco Michelena
PRODUCER: Michelena Brothers Production
SUMMARY: A yuppie who “just got lucky” is struck by a string of unlucky circumstances; a male model’s life is upended because of evil boils appearing on his body; a folk singer’s romantic ideals are to the test as his beloved slowly changes into something he does not understand.
GENRE: Comedy/Drama
RUNNING TIME: 112 mins.
ACTORS: Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Kean Cipriano, Odette Khan
DIRECTOR: Kip Oebanda
PRODUCER: Tropic Frills, Inc.
LOGLINE: Four young men enter the dog-eat-dog world of Philippine Law School
SUMMARY: Four best friends enter law school and forced to make sacrifices along the way. They sacrifice sleep, love family and even their principles to succeed. However, the dog –eat-dog nature of the institution ultimately force them to sacrifice each other.
GENRE: Action-Thriller
RUNNING TIME: 75 mins
ACTOR: Gerald Anderson
DIRECTOR: Enzo Williams
PRODUCER: Skylight
SUMMARY: Lt. Abel Ibarra, team leader of ‘Musang’, an elite sniper group under the Philippine Army’s Scout Ranger division, wants out of the battlefield to spend more time raising his young and only daughter, Bea.
GENRE: Drama
RUNNING TIME: 100 mins.
ACTORS: Zaijan Jaranilla, Teri Malvar, Sam Quintania, Bor Lentejas
DIRECTOR: Ralston Jover
PRODUCER: CPI/ Cinema One
LOGLINE: A story of 4 children called ‘Batang Hamog’ who got hooked in 2 consecutive and unexpected events in their daily routine of crime and survival in the busy Manila streets.
GENRE: Romance / Drama
RUNNING TIME: 2 hours 2 minutes
ACTORS: Bela Padilla / JC Santos
DIRECTOR: Jason Paul Laxamana
PRODUCER: VIVA Films
SUMMARY: Throughout his four years in college, Fidel, a stuttering student, tries to finish 100 poems dedicated to Stella, an aspiring but frustrated rock star, to win her heart.
Check out all the trailers for the above mentioned films here:
For the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino schedules, here’s what Centrio Cinemas has lined up so far (schedules can change):
| Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Cinema 4 | |||||
| Running Time : | 2:20 | 1:15 | 1:25 | 2:05 | 1:35 | 1:50 | 1:40 | 1:40 |
| Intermission : | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 |
| Last Full Show : | 11:10 PM | 9:00 PM | 7:40 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| TITLE OF FILM : | TRIPTIKO | AWOL | ANG MANANANGGAL SA UNIT 23B | 100 TULA PARA KAY STELLA | SALVAGE | BAR BOYS | HAMOG | PATAY NA SI HESUS |
| 8.16,18,20,22.2017 | R16 | R16 | R16 | PG | R16 | PG | R16 | R13 |
| KYLIE PADILLA & KEAN CIPRIANO | GERALD ANDERSON & DIANE MEDINA | RYZA CENON & MARTIN DEL ROSARIO | BELA PADILLA & JC SANTOS | JESSIE MENDIOLA & JC DE VERA | CARLO AQUNO & ROCCO NACINO | ZAIJAN JARANILLA & TERI MALVAR | JACLYN JOSE | |
| 12:30 PM | 12:40 PM | 12:50 PM | 1:00 PM | |||||
| 3:10 PM | 2:25 PM | 2:45 PM | 3:00 PM | |||||
| 5:50 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:00 PM | |||||
| 7:25 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:00 PM | |||||
| 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | |||||
| END: 11:20 | END: 11:03 | END: 10:50 | END: 10:39 | |||||
| Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Cinema 4 | |||||
| Running Time : | 1:15 | 2:20 | 2:05 | 1:25 | 1:50 | 1:35 | 1:40 | 1:40 |
| Intermission : | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 |
| Last Full Show : | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 10:20 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| TITLE OF FILM : | AWOL | TRIPTIKO | 100 TULA PARA KAY STELLA | ANG MANANANGGAL SA UNIT 23B | BAR BOYS | SALVAGE | PATAY NA SI HESUS | HAMOG |
| 8.17&21.2017 | R16 | R16 | PG | R16 | PG | R16 | R13 | R16 |
| GERALD ANDERSON & DIANE MEDINA | KYLIE PADILLA & KEAN CIPRIANO | BELA PADILLA & JC SANTOS | RYZA CENON & MARTIN DEL ROSARIO | CARLO AQUNO & ROCCO NACINO | JESSIE MENDIOLA & JC DE VERA | JACLYN JOSE | ZAIJAN JARANILLA & TERI MALVAR | |
| 12:30 PM | ||||||||
| 2:05 PM | 12:40 PM | 12:50 PM | 1:00 PM | |||||
| 3:05 PM | 3:00 PM | 3:00 PM | ||||||
| 3:40 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:00 PM | |||||
| 6:20 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:00 PM | |||||
| 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | |||||
| END: 11:20 | END: 10:22 | END: 10:35 | END: 10:40 | |||||
| Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Cinema 4 | |||||
| Running Time : | 1:15 | 2:20 | 2:05 | 1:25 | 1:50 | 1:35 | 1:40 | 1:40 |
| Intermission : | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 | 0:20 |
| Last Full Show : | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:20 PM | 6:15 PM | 9:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| TITLE OF FILM : | AWOL | TRIPTIKO | 100 TULA PARA KAY STELLA | ANG MANANANGGAL SA UNIT 23B | BAR BOYS | SALVAGE | PATAY NA SI HESUS | HAMOG |
| 8.19.2017 | R16 | R16 | PG | R16 | PG | R16 | R13 | R16 |
| GERALD ANDERSON & DIANE MEDINA | KYLIE PADILLA & KEAN CIPRIANO | BELA PADILLA & JC SANTOS | RYZA CENON & MARTIN DEL ROSARIO | CARLO AQUNO & ROCCO NACINO | JESSIE MENDIOLA & JC DE VERA | JACLYN JOSE | ZAIJAN JARANILLA & TERI MALVAR | |
| 12:30 PM | ||||||||
| 2:05 PM | 11:40 AM | 12:50 PM | 1:00 PM | |||||
| 2:05 PM | 3:00 PM | 3:00 PM | ||||||
| 3:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:00 PM | ||||||
| 6:20 PM | 4:30 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:00 PM | |||||
| 9:00 PM | 6:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM | |||||
| END: 11:20 | END: 8:00 | END: 10:35 | END: 10:40 | |||||
Again, schedules are subject to change. Visit Centrio Mall’s Facebook page to verify screening times.
Let’s support Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino! Let’s go and watch some good movies!