Yehey! Lilipat na sa UP ang Cinemalaya entries for the year. Tara let's, tara tara tara let's! :D
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UP Film Institute hosts this year’s Cinemalaya anew
The UP Film Institute holds move-over screenings for this year’s Cinemalaya. All the competing entries both for full-length and short film categories are in hallmark.
This year’s edition of “Cinemalaya Goes UP” organized by the Cineastes Studio also includes prime showcase of Cinemalaya’s past winners of Best Picture and choice titles for respective tributes to icons of Philippine independent cinema of yesteryears, namely, master director Manuel Conde and veteran actress Anita Linda. For providing this year’s Cinemalaya opening film at the CCP, Adolf Alix is honored with the exhibition of his two previous films made for Cinemalaya.
Further UP Film Institute screenings complement Cinemalaya principal selection.
A rundown of UP Film Institute screenings is as follows:
For main cinema engagement
July 28 Mon
Manuel Conde Retro: Genghis Khan 2:30 p.m.
Baby Angelo 5 p.m.
Concerto 7:30 p.m.
July 29 Tue
Cinemalaya’s Past Best Pictures Showcase: Pepot Artista 2:30 p.m.
Jay 5 p.m.
Huling Pasada 7:30 p.m.
July 30 Wed
Cinemalaya’s Past Best Pictures Showcase: Tulad ng Dati 2:30 p.m.
Brutus 5 p.m.
Namets 7:30 p.m.
July 31 Thu
Cinemalaya’s Past Best Pictures Showcase: Tribu 2:30 p.m.
100 5 p.m.
My Fake American Accent 7:30 p.m.
Aug 1 Fri
Ishmael Bernal Gallery Night with Film Premiere of Adolf Alix’s Imoral 7:30 p.m.
Aug 2 Sat
Endo 2/5/7 p.m.
Aug 4 Mon
Anita Linda Tribute: Tambolista 2:30 p.m.
Boses 5 p.m.
Ranchero 7:30 p.m.
Aug 5 Tue
Manuel Conde Retro: Krus na Kawayan 2:30 p.m.
Cinemalaya 2008 Competing Shorts A 5 p.m.
Cinemalaya 2008 Competing Shorts B 7:30 p.m.
Aug 6 Wed
Anita Linda Tribute: Sisa 2:30 p.m.
Cinemalaya 2008 Special Jury Prize Winner 5 p.m.
Cinemalaya 2008 Best Picture 7:30 p.m.
Aug 7 Thu
Donsol 2:30 p.m.
Kadin 5 p.m.
Anita Linda Tribute: Sisa 7:30 p.m.
The Cinemalaya 2008 Competition Films
FULL-LENGTH
100 by Chris Martinez is about a stern, uptight and exacting woman with a terminal illness who tries to accomplish a list of 100 things to do before she dies. Her tasks vary from the simple to the complicated, from the practical to the mundane, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. In the process, she accepts the truth that even if death is something personal, dying never is.
BABY ANGELO by Joel Ruiz and Abi Aquino centers on an investigation that ensues when an aborted fetus is found in the dumpster of a run-down apartment complex. The lives of the tenants—a reclusive old man with curious ramblings, a landlord with overzealous thirst for justice and a young couple whose past threatens to unravel their marriage—are suddenly exposed in the hunt for the perpetrator of the baby's death.
BOSES (VOICES) by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil is the story of a musician, who regains back his humanity by giving violin lessons to a child of the slums.In turn, the child, through the instrument, is able to get back his voice from a muted, abused and desensitized existence. This is a story of a friendship founded on the sublime beauty of music.
BRUTUS by Tara Illenberger tells the tale of two Mangyan children, hired by illegal loggers to smuggle wood from the mountains of Mindoro, as they embark on a dangerous journey to deliver the goods to the lowlands. In the process, they discover a world run by the greed of men, a world governed by ideologies that bring about the armed conflict that plague the Mindoro highlands, the home of their own people.
CONCERTO by Paul Alexander Morales is about how, in the last part of World War II, a special piano concert is held in the forests of Davao. In these boondocks, a displaced Filipino family becomes acquainted with a group of Japanese officers, similarly camped nearby. Based on true stories from the director's family, Concerto celebrates a family whose reverence for life, expressed through their love of music and friendship, can survive even war, and shows how beauty and compassion can grow in even the harshest of situations.
HULINGPASADA (FINAL STOP) by Paul Sta. Ana follows the creative process of Ruby, a prolific writer, abandoned wife and protective mother. She writes about Mario, a taxi driver and father figure to a street child. As she tries to resolve Mario's story, she seeks refuge in her own creative output and the line between reality and fiction is blurred. Mario's past becomes entangled with her own inevitable future.
JAY by Francis Xavier E. Pasion is the name of the two protagonists in the film, one is living, the other dead. The living Jay is producing a documentary of the dead Jay, a gay teacher who was brutally killed. As Jay recreates and examines the life of his subject, his own life is affected when he unravels his subject's hidden life and secret love.
MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT by Onnah Valera and Ned Trespeces is a slice-of-life workplace comedy following the lives of technical support call center agents in the span of six months. Speaking with a fake American accent is a prerequisite for the job. This ensemble comedy is an inside look into the maddening, sleep-deprived, caffeine-fuelled lives of those who ply their trade in the call center industry.
NAMETS by Emilio “Jay” Abello is a colorful celebration of food as well as love, and the love of food above all, which is central to being Negrosanon and being Filipino. It follows the flirtation between Jacko and Cassie, two Negrenses who grew up in Bacolod, and whose lives revolve around food. The film will be shot on location in Negros Occidental and will be primarily in Hiligaynon, the language spoken in that region.
RANCHERO by Michael Christian Cardoz is the story of convicts who serve a special role inside the jail - they prepare the meals everyday. But in a jail where some inmates see no reason to continue living, what is the role of food? Is the food's role to extend life or to prolong the pain of those who don't want to live?
SHORTS
Cinemalaya 2008 Shorts Programme A:
ANDONG by Rommel "Milo" Tolentino is a story about a six-year old boy's obsession, family dynamics, and the real value of a hard-fought twenty pesos.
ANG IBANG MGA PAMILYA (THE OTHER FAMILY) by Joel P. Ruiz is about a woman who overcomes the grief of losing her adopted son.
ANGAN-ANGAN (DREAMS) by Sheron R. Dayoc centers on a mute nine-year-old girl named Satra, whose determination to secure a good education reverberates clearly amid the strictness of her Yakan culture. The Yakan are one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines. They mainly reside in Basilan, Mindanao.
DIAMANTE SA LANGIT (DIAMOND IN THE SKY) by Vic Acedillo, Jr is about two brothers' journey to compete in a kite flying contest. But getting there takes some time. In the end, they face something unexpected and discover something more precious than winning.
GOD ONLY KNOWS by Mark V. Reyes focuses on the disturbing and gut wrenching tale about the realities of life in the sprawling metropolis of Manila.
Cinemalaya 2008 Shorts Programme B:
HULING BIKTIMA (THE LAST VICTIM) by Vitaliano A. Rave is a film noir style about a detective's last minutes.
MY PET by Anna G. Bigornia is a 7-minute animation about an 8-year-old girl and her relationship with her first pet, a chick, the subject of a class experiment.
PANGGARIS by Dexter B. Cayanes is about a prostitute whose life changed when her mute sibling learned to talk, uttering only the word "panggaris."
TRAILS OF WATER by Sheron R. Dayoc is an experimental film about a young boy's emotion as seen through his make-believe story.
TUTOS (COST) by L.A. Yamsuan tells about the dynamics and complexities of a single father-daughter relationship in a postmodern patriarchal Filipino society.
Got this from Libay. Wala lang, trip-trip lang. :) Pero in fairness, totoo siya. Haha! :)
You are 3:15 p.m.
You are the moment when the last bell rings and school lets out for the day. You are resistant to schedules and obligations, so you love feeling like you're in control of your life again. You are the very moment when the second hand hits the 12, and the halls fill with noise and motion. Even if your after-school time is packed with activities, lessons, or a job, somehow, you just feel freer in the late afternoon than you do earlier in the day. Maybe it's all that blue sky and afternoon sunshine? Nah -- even on rainy days, 3:15 is always a beautiful time.
Built into the knees are a pair of crotch rocking speakers, around the back you have the added convenience of a back pocket for your “mouse”, and for you gamers, there is a joystick controller located just behind the front zipper.
My yesterdays are all boxed up and neatly put away But every now and then you come to mind 'Cause you were always waiting to be picked to play the game But when your name was called, you found a place to hide When you knew that I was always on your side
Well everything was easy then, so sweet and innocent But my demons and my angels reappeared Leavin' only traces of the man you thought I'd be Too afraid to hear the words I'd always feared Leavin' you with only questions all these years
But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear Easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear Or are you left to wonder, all alone, eternally This isn't how it's really meant to be No it isn't how it's really meant to be
Well they say that love is in the air, never is it clear, How to pull it close and make it stay Butterflies are free to fly, and so they fly away And I'm left to carry on and wonder why Even through it all, I'm always on your side
But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear Easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear Or are you left to wonder, all alone, eternally When this isn't how it's really meant to be No it isn't how it's really meant to be
Well they say that love is in the air, never is it clear How to pull it close and make it stay Butterflies are free to fly, why do they fly away Leavin' me to carry on and wonder why Was it you that kept me wandering through this life When you know that I was always on your side
If you guys are interested in eco-friendly body care, please check out ORGANIC FINDS, a new online store that a friend of mine runs. ORGANIC FINDS is run by The Shopkeepers, a group of friends who believe in saving the environment by consuming only what they need, and making sure what they consume is good for the planet, too.
Since they've only started operating recently, the site only lists a few products in their inventory, but what they have so far is very intriguing. Most products come from the Serf to Surf company which specializes in natural, organic body care. Here's a random sampling of what's on offer:
Endemic Premium Natural Body Balm Collector’s Edition series (in photo: Philippine Eagle Special Edition Tin)
Blended with 10 essential oils and plant extracts, this body balm is a rich natural moisturizer perfect for your hair to the tip of your toes. It also soothes the burning itch of bug bites!
Adios bug repellant. DEET-free and 100% natural!
Free from chemicals but packed full with all natural ingredients, this thick stick is the nightmare of mosquitoes and black flies! It’s also a sunscreen and a moisturizer so your skin is not only bug bite-free, it’s also soft and supple all day long.
Beachsex: The ultimate surf and sun molded tanning butter Note: This is a tan enhancer. It does not contain SPF. Please be smart about protection from UVA/UVB exposure.
Beach lovers rejoice! This yummy smelling tanning bar is perfect for the beach—no need to worry about sticky and messy lotions. The butter enhances your deep tan and replenishes the body’s essential oils lost due to sun and surf exposure. This one comes with a free naughty gift, but I won't tell you what it is. You'll have to visit the site to find out! :D
ORGANIC FINDS also plans to offer organic hemp and cotton blend t-shirts in the future, so do check the site periodically for updates.
Applications are now being accepted for the fourth offering of the Diploma in Photojournalism, the latest program of the Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University (ACFJ). Deadline is March 15.
The program, a distance learning program using a hybrid of online and face-to-face methods, will run from April 2008 to Mach 2009. Admission is limited to 12 students from all over Asia.
A joint project of ACFJ and the World Press Photo, the Diploma in Photojournalism seeks to raise the bar for photojournalism in Asia by providing comprehensive training primarily to working photojournalists. The Netherlands-based World Press Photo, the world's leading venue for competitions and training in professional press photography, brings into the program, among others, consultants from its international network of teachers and practitioners. Among the recent guest lecturers were: Barbara Herrmann, photo editor, Stern Magazine; John Echave, senior editor, National Geographic, D. J. Clark, Panos Pictures; Alison Morley, head of the documentary photography program, International Center for Photography (N.Y.) and Shahidul Alam, founder of Drik Gallery and the Chobi Mela Festival of Asian Photography.
The one-year diploma program will provide students a mastery of the photographic, visual and newsgathering principles and skills as well as the ethical foundations of photojournalism. Comprising the curriculum are three core courses, three specialized courses and a final output which is a portfolio. Each course takes about two months.
Some courses are taught entirely online, while others are taught using a blend of online and classroom teaching methods-- a strategy ACFJ has been using successfully since 2001 to bring its programs to media professionals. The hybrid strategy lends flexibility to the course schedule and allows working journalists to attend classes from their homes or workplace.
Only 12 students will be admitted to the program. Five full scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis.
In its three offerings the program has attracted young and talented photographers and photojournalists, including those from wire agencies and prestigious Philippine newspapers.
Established in 2000 by Ateneo de Manila University and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, ACFJ is dedicated to the continuing professional training of Asian journalists. Among its major programs is the M. A. in Journalism program, also a hybrid distance learning program.
I was rummaging through some old CDs and found a compilation album I made years ago for myself and a few friends. Since I don't make a habit of writing titles and artists on my burned CDs, I'd forgotten most of what was in this compilation, and decided to refresh my memory by giving it a spin. Was pleasantly surprised to find this gem by Aimee Mann on it, she of the Magnolia soundtrack fame. The string arrangement for this song is exquisite and Aimee gives the lyrics a sweet and slightly melancholy quality that makes me smile and breaks my heart at the same time. This song also holds many memories for me of college afternoons sitting outside the Main Library in UPD with my friends and a guitar, singing the day away, all cares forgotten. Good times. Very good times.
Credit goes to Thor for introducing me to Aimee's music (indeed, for introducing me to a lot of good music), and credit goes to Aimee's music for introducing me to Vince. Thanks, you guys. :)
Cheers, friends. Enjoy.
Mr. Harris Aimee Mann
So he's retired Lives with his sister in a furnished flat. He's got this suit that He'll never wear outside without a hat. His hair is white but he looks half his age. He looks like Jimmy Stewart in his younger days.
And honestly, I might be Stupid to think love is love But I do. And you've waited so long and I've waited long enough for you.
My mother's calling From where shes living up in Troy, Vermont. She tries to tell me A father figure must be what I want. I've always thought age made no difference. Am I the only one to whom that's making sense?
And honestly, I might be Stupid to think love is love But I do. And you've waited so long and I've waited long enough for you.
The day I met him he was raking leaves In his tiny yard.
Of course I know that We've only got ten years or twenty left. But to be honest I'm happy with whatever time we get. Depending on whichever book you read Sometimes it takes a lifetime to get what you need.
And honestly, I might be Stupid to think love is love But I do. And you've waited so long and I've waited long enough for you.
And honestly, I might be Stupid to think love is love But I do. And you've waited so long and I've waited long enough for you.
For you.
(Edit: Sorry but I can't seem to attach the song. Must be my net connection. I'll see what I can do when I find a faster connection.)
For all those who have been asking about football schedules, here is the official list of games for the second round. Mainit pa iyan, kaka-email lang sa akin ni Sir Jospeh of Ateneo. Championships are on 17 Feb. 2007.
Wag ka nang umiyak, sa mundong pabago-bago pag-ibig ko ay totoo ako ang iyong bangka, kung magalit man ang alon, ng panahon, sabay tayong aahon
[chorus] Kung wala ka nang maintindihan Kung wala ka nang makapitan Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin Di kita bibitawan
Wag kang umiyak, mahaba man ang araw uuwi ka sa yakap ko wag mo nang damdamin kung wala ako sayong tabi iiwan kong puso ko sa yo at kung pakiramdam mo’y wala ka nang kakampi isipin mo ako dahil puso’t isip ko’y nasa yong tabi
Simple Lang, PLEDGE FOR THE PLANET! The Philippines is very much vulnerable to climate change. With sea-level rise and extreme weather conditions that we are experiencing now…who can deny that climate change is already happening? Yes, it’s here now and global warming will worsen if we don’t do something. Blame it on coal and those who consume too much energy…isa ka ba sa kanila? Greenpeace challenges each of us to be energy-conscious. Being energy conscious is integrating positive, climate-friendly habits to one’s lifestyle while still getting the desired output. At present, the Philippines' main electricity source comes from coal-fired power plants, which produces millions of tons of greenhouse gasses that contributes to global warming. Kaya ayaw natin sa coal! But as an individual, you can do something. Simple energy-conscious acts can save the planet from dangerous climate change. The less energy we use, the less greenhouse gas the coal-fired power plants produce! Starting this June, Greenpeace challenges you to do something really simple - Simple lang, Pledge for the Planet!
As soon as you sign up and become part of Simple lang, Pledge for the Planet, we’ll send you 7 challenges over months. Each challenge is a simple act you can do everyday— like switching-off your lights and unplugging your computers & appliances when they’re not in use or getting involved in pushing our government to work towards climate solutions. O diba, Simple lang! Nakatipid ka na sa kuryente, naka-tulong ka pa sa environment!
Climate change is the biggest threat that our planet faces today but by doing even the smallest things, each one of us can make a difference. Collectively, we can ensure our survival, we can save the world.
Let’s support Greenpeace. Let’s work together and be part of the solution and not the problem.
Got this from starshuffler's blog. Tama siya, bullet day magiging blue lahat 'yan!
Biyahe na! :D
(Note: I retook the test after consulting my Lonely Planet guide and added some places I've been to but forgotten over the years. From a C+ I got upgraded to a B-. Not bad! :D)
My Lakbayan grade is B-!
How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Talk about being sad and frustrated. I found an old set of negatives in one of my old journals and decided to have a few of the shots developed to see if the roll was still okay. I was really hoping that the pictures would turn out fine, but unfortunately the gelatin coating on the roll had already been damaged. I was only able to salvage a few pictures from the roll.
I also checked my other negatives and found the same damage on most of them. Called the Fuji Shop in Blue Wave and they said that they could try to work on the negs for me if I bring them in. I'm still trying to find a particular roll that contains a shot of Bell Church in La Trinidad, Baguio that I want to give to my sister as a housewarming gift. I hope that shot hasn't been affected by the damage, but I'm not holding out much hope right now.
I am so pissed off right now, I swear. I feel like half a decade's worth of memories just went down the drain. I guess it's my fault for not storing the negatives better, especially since I live in a very humid and wet farm, but it still really sucks. Hay. Nasa huli talaga ang pagsisisi.
One of the black and white rolls that Kuya Jimmy processed for me is still in excellent condition, though, owing to the custom-made acid-free paper sleeves that he put them in after getting them back from the lab. I just need to find a photo lab that can process black and white negatives to see if there's anything in there worth salvaging. Wish me luck.
Guys, if you know of any remedies for this problem, please let me know. Thanks.
I want you to understand that the virtue in your experiences will not be based on self-denial, but by the manner in which your actions embody your soul's desire... in the embrace of his beloved, a man forgets the whole world -- everything both within and without. He who embraces himself knows neither within nor without. -- Nick Bantock
Ack! Starshuffler tagged me with the classic seven questions meme! Hmm, let me think...
Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
My seven:
1) I can listen to the same song/album over and over and over again beyond normal human tolerance. Case in point, I actually listened to EBTG's acoustic album for an entire week without changing the cd once when I was finishing my entries for the UP Writers Workshop a long, long time ago.
2) I luuurrrrvvvee Fibisco Choco Mallows. I'd be ashamed to tell you how many of these little babies I can consume in one sitting. Suffice it to say that, if anyone were to cut me open, they would most likely find that my insides have mutated into choco mallows. Hehe.
3) Unlike most people, I can do Number 2 in any bathroom in the world. Hindi namamahay ang pwet ko. Wahehe.
4) I love to cook and/or bake when I'm in a bad mood. Bread is a great pacifier when I'm feeling especially combative, since it involves a lot of punching and kneading. Anything that involves beating and maybe food processing also works. My favorite thing to cook right now is Banoffie Pie because it's so easy, and I love making the caramel to go inside it. :)
5) I'd like to learn to cook more Tagalog dishes such as kare-kare and embutido. Coming from a Visayan household, those things were never on our menu when we were growing up. We had other more exotic dishes all the time, though. That is, if you consider Thai and Singaporean dishes exotic. :)
6) It took me all of a decade to finish college. I was too busy revelling in my new-found freedom to actually buckle down and study, plus I was away from uni for five years to work for various NGOs. At my college graduation, the professors and staff of my department reportedly cheered and clapped when they heard my name called. Feeling rockstar ako! Hehe. Too bad I missed it, though; I had work that day. :P
7) My room is a big old mess. I'm actually afraid to clean because I might uncover a nest of snakes underneath one of the piles of books and dvds. It's so quiet in here even when I'm around that various fauna find it conducive to raising their young. My cat actually gave birth in here while I was away on a trip. I wouldn't be surprised to find myself face-to-face with a monitor lizard on my way to the bathroom one of these days. Seriously.
Having recently volunteered to help my friend Danny, Genetic Engineering Campaigner for Greenpeace in the Philippines, with his new blog on rice, I decided to take some photos of the black rice biko that my dad and our helpers made last week. Little did I know that my quest for the perfect shot of the biko would lead me on a quest towards learning to style food and take appetizing pictures.
Prior to taking these shots, the little I knew about food photography and styling were confined to the following key principles: find a place with a lot natural light and make the food and props look pretty before shooting. I was also in a hurry, so I figured I would just plate the stuff up, set in on the table, shoot a few frames, download and email them, and run off to do my other errands.
Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as it seemed.
For one thing, the black biko had been sitting in the fridge for a day so even with the magic of the microwave oven, it was hard to revive the look and feel of a fresh batch. Frankly, it looked like a big old sorry mess. "It's okay," I thought. "I'll just put it on a nice plate and make the shot look pretty with some props and flowers."
Off went my naive self to rummage in our cupboards for some plates and flatware. After a few minutes of searching, I managed to turn up a couple of pieces that looked okay. One of them, a discolored white saucer with blue and yellow flowers on it, was discarded in favor of a green, white and gold Sampaguita pattern saucer that looked much more presentable. The biko was transferred to the saucer in short order and a plain drinking glass filled with water and a dash of instant coffee to simulate iced tea, as there wasn't any to be had in the house. A quick trip to the patio to borrow one of my father's flower arrangements left over from a dinner party the night before and I was good to go.
I dragged the patio table over to the brighter side of the garden and proceed to set up the shot. The flowers were inspected and the side with the least amount of wilted petals was positioned towards the camera. The biko, still looking rather forlorn on its green Sampaguita saucer, was positioned with a fork just in front of the flowers, and the glass of iced tea placed off to the side. Looking at the setup, I was almost optimistic that things would turn out fine, though to be honest I was already starting to have misgivings about the state of the biko. A nervous glance at my cellphone's clock function showed that it was getting rather late, so I thought,"Better a bad shot than none at all," and set about photographing the whole shebang.
An hour or so later, I found myself staring in dismay the photos I had downloaded to my laptop. The whole sorry, soggy mess that the biko looked like in real life translated to exactly
Since I've received three separate invitations in as many days this
week, I've decided to go ahead and give this Multiply thing a try. The
only thing is, even given the amount of time I spend online everyday,
I'm still not a big fan of uploading and waiting (and waiting and
waiting and waiting...) for my pictures and journal entries to show up,
so you'll have to bear with me if I don't update this site very often.
Having said that, I'll still try my best to post any new stuff I have
as soon as I can. Let's just hope that my perpetually slow PLDT Vibe
connection is up to the challenge. :)
Cheers, everyone, and hope you enjoy what little content I have on this site! Hehe! :)
