Erik Matti’s Mamasapano Film Wins In Macau

Filipino filmmaker Erik Matti won the biggest prize at the recently concluded Crouching Tigers Project Lab in Macau, for his upcoming film, “Pintakasi.” The film won the Crouching Tigers Award for best pitch at the event, which was actually a venue for pitching stories for movies that have yet to be made.

The forum was held as part of the International Film Festival and Awards Macau and involved movie producer Todd Brown and the website Screen Anarchy (formerly known as Twitch), according to an Inquirer report.

Telling The Story of Mamasapano

With the Crouching Tigers award, Matti’s film about the Mamasapano incident will get a $10,000 boost in order for the filmmaker to start the production of the film. “Pintakasi” has been in development for over a year, according to the report, with Matti working with his producer Dondon Monteverde for his outfit, Reality Entertainment.

Matti says that he wants to follow what they did with his previous film “On the Job” and this is to gather different stories and perspectives about the incidents. He mentioned that there is a Filipino angle, the Malaysian angle and the American (FBI) angle.

The Mamasapano incident that happened in January 2015 involved the death of 44 Special Action Force policemen, as well as 18 MILF and BIFF combatants, and five civilians. It was originally a mission to capture a known Malaysian terrorist and his cohorts who was hiding out in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

He also plans to get mainstream actors like Piolo Pascual (who played the lead role in “On the Job”) or Dingdong Dantes for the movie, as well as a Hollywood actor for the American role.

Making Waves In The International Film Scene

Matti has been making waves in the international film scene as well. Before arriving in Macau for the awards, he was attending the international premiere of his other movie, “Seklusyon.” The film was also part of the Macau International Film Festival.

According to a film review in The Hollywood Reporter, the film is true to its horror genre, while at the same time making a political commentary about what is happening in the Philippines. The review says that the film “drips with a ferocity about how false messiahs manipulate meek minds, who, as the film’s finale suggests, then propel even more malicious pretenders onto the pedestals of power. The film is Matti’s call for an awakening, and it certainly stirs with spine-tingling moments aplenty.”

Featured Photo Source: Erik Matti Facebook page

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