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Shot by Jaime Pacena II, who drew from his decade-long journey as a visual artist in Tohoku, Japan, witnessing the resilience of Rikuzentakata, a city profoundly altered by the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, “This Place” was one of the big winners in this year’s Cinemalaya, netting awards for Best Direction, Cinematography, Production Design and Actress for Gabby Padilla.

Ella, a 28-year-old Filipina anthropologist, travels to Rikuzentakata City for her estranged father Emman’s funeral. Finding herself in an environment where most do not speak Tagalog or English, and retaining a frustration for the fact that her father had a second family while abandoning her, she is obviously in a bad mood from the get go. That she has to stay in the same house with the rest of his family, and even more, the opening of the will which essentially demands from her to share with her newfound sister,...

Winner for Best Script in both Cinemalaya and QCinema, Jopy Arnaldo's feature debut is a film that stands out for an unusual aspect, the subtitles, which are truly implemented here in a rather unique way. Let us take things from the beginning though.

Gitling screened at Qcinema

Jamie, who works as a Japanese translator, has just called off her engagement. Makoto, a film director, is not sure yet how to handle his relationship with a wife who cheated on him two years ago. When he is invited for a film festival in Bacolod, their paths cross, as Jamie is hired to be his translator. As they spend more and more time together, the two become friends, bonding over their heartbreak stories and a language that Jamie made up. Eventually, Makoto decides to add additional subtitles to his film, and the two head into a cabin to work on them.

The Hallyu Wave has swept over the world in the last few years, with South Korea exporting quality entertainment on every level from music to movies. But while groups like BTS and films like Parasite have become mainstream enough to receive awards on a global scale, the magic of K-dramas is still often talked about in hushed whispers. Not so at Viu, the leading on-demand streaming site for Asian content in the region, however. K-dramas are especially popular in the Philippines, where they not only number among the most popular shows in the country but have also inspired original content modeled after them.

As Head of Originals for Viu Philippines, Corinna Vistan recently created and produced a Filipino drama called K-Love that is based entirely on the phenomenon of Korean dramas inspiring fans. Currently a Viu exclusive, the series is an homage to K-dramas that stars some of the hottest...

Filipino filmmaker Jun Robles Lana has bagged the Best Director Award for his 12th feature film “Kalel, 15” at PÖFF|Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, that also brings him a grant of 5000€. The film had its world premiere in the Estonian capital where it was screened in the official selection marked by a very strong presence of Asian films. In their statement, the jury quoted, among other, Lana’s ability to make a passionate and concerned film about lives we never see in the West.

“Kalel, 15” is screening at Tallinn Black Nights

When he gets diagnosed with HIV, the 15-year-old Kalel (Elijah Canlas) is with his mother Edith (Jaclyn Jose) who is more concerned about what the neighbours would say if they found out than about her son’s health. Riding back home on the coach, the boy is sitting silently through a wave of his mother’s insults, refusing to answer any of the questions.

Samantha Lee is a filmmaker who advocates for a better representation of women and the Lgbtq+ community in the local cinema. Her first film, “Baka Bukas” has won various awards both here and abroad, most notably winning the “Emerging Talent Award” at Outfest 2017- the biggest Lgbtq+ film festival in the world. It has screened in festivals in New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, Osaka, Melbourne, Madrid, and Hamburg.

“Billie and Emma”, her sophomore feature screens at the 13th Slovak Queer Film Festival (16 – 21 October 2019).

You say “Billie and Emma“ is – as well as your debut “Baka Bukasa“ – a film you wished to have a chance to see in cinemas as a teenager. What kind of films did you watch as a teenager?

I grew up in the mid-90s so there wasn’t a lot of access to media back then in the same way that we have now with social media,...

There’s no stopping Mikhail Red right now. Just days after we shared the first images for the Filipino filmmaker’s upcoming zombie shocker Block Z, we now get an exclusive first look at the teaser trailer for his teen abduction thriller, Dead Kids. Written by Red’s younger brother Nikolas, Dead Kids marks the 27-year-old’s first foray into dark comedy. It tells the story of a gang of beat-down high schoolers who plot to kidnap the class jock, who happens to be the son of a corrupt politician, and hold him to ransom. Produced by Globe Studios, and boasting a gutsy young cast that includes Khalil Ramos, Vance Larena, Kelvin Miranda, Jan Silverio, Gabby Padilla, Sue Ramirez and Markus Paterson, Dead Kids is just about...

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