From August 15-21, Filipino films from Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 will be taking over Philippine cinemas in celebration of Buwan ng Wika throughout the country. The movie festival organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines is now in its second year and continues to be widely received by Filipino moviegoers everywhere.
This year’s movie selection includes “Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wifi,” “The Day After Valentine’s,” “Madilim ang Gabi,” “We Will Not Die Tonight,” “Signal Rock,” “Pinay Beauty,” “Bakwit Boys,” and “Unli Life.” The entries were chosen by a committee comprised by director Jose Javier Reyes, director Carlos Siguion-Reyna, director Sheron Dayoc, editor Manet Dayrit, cinematographer Lee Briones, and actor Cherie Gil.
Aside from these eight full-length films, the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 also features 4 films from the Special Feature Section and 8 entries from the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition.
Movie Mix August 15: A Proudly-Pinoy Film Fest at its Best
“Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wifi,” tells the story of a teenage girl named Norma (Sue Ramirez), who is just so addicted to social media. When she finds out that she is allergic to WiFi, a condition called electromagnetic hypersensitivity, things drastically take a turn. She is forced to live in a place without a cell signal, far from her boyfriend and everything she was used to. At least, she has her best friend (Jameson Blake) to keep her sane. The film is directed by Jun Robles Lana.
“The Day After Valentine’s” is a film directed by Jason Paul Laxamana who also directed “100 Tula Para Kay Stella.” The movie is about Kai (JC Santos) who is still picking up the pieces from a breakup. He finds a sense of comfort in Lani (Bela Padilla) calling her “Ms. Repairman.”
“Madilim ang Gabi” is an indie political thriller directed by Adolfo Alix, Jr starring Gina Alajar, Philip Salvador, and Felix Roco. It is about a couple who survives by making a living out of selling drugs. When Oplan Tokhang becomes operational, they stop selling drugs but live in fear that one day their drug-addicted son will be caught. When he doesn’t come home one night, they search the city for him. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2017.
“We Will Not Die Tonight” is an action film that premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival last June. It is about a stunt woman (Erich Gonzales) who gets into a shady deal causing her to fight for her life. The movie is directed by Richard V. Somes.
“Signal Rock” is a family drama directed by Chito Roño. Christian Bables plays the role of Intoy who is a young man from a small town who tries to help his sister win a child custody battle in Finland. The movie’s title is based on a personal experience of the film’s creator where spotting a signal is only possible on a pile of rocks by the seashore.
“Pinay Beauty” is a comedy about a Filipina (Chai Fonacier) who will stop at nothing to look more caucasian, even if it means going through a series of surgeries. The film is directed by Jay Abello.
“Bakwit Boys” is another film directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. It is a musical film that centers around how four talented brothers are discovered by a wealthy city girl. The cast stars Vance Larena, Nikko Natividad, Ryle Santiago, Mackie Empuerto, and Devon Seron.
“Unli Life,” directed by Miko Livelo, is a comedy about Benedict (Vhong Navarro). Benedict is a podcast DJ who experiences traveling back in time to prevent his girlfriend (Winwyn Marquez) from breaking up with him at the present.
In addition, the four films from the Special Feature Section are “Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus” (by Dwein Baltazar from Cinema Filipino), “High Tide” (by Tiara Illenberger from TOFARM), “Paki” (by Giancarlo Abrahan from CinemaOne Originals), and “Tu Pug Imatuy” (by Arnel Barbarona from Sinag Maynila).
And of course, the eight short films included in the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition are “Alas Nuebe ng Tanghali” by Enalyn Legaspi, “Anonymous Student Vlog” by Christian Babista, and “Bahay-Bahayan” by Bryan Spencer Reyes. The other five are “Bato Bato Pik” (Lorys Plaza), “Isang Tula para sa Nawawala” (Rodemille Singh), “Koleksyong Pamalo” (Len Frago), “Masaya Ako” (Daniel Edwin Delgado and Tiara Angelica Nicolas), and “Runner” (Levi Jun Miscala).