Ano nga ba ang nangyari simula ng huminto ako sa pagba-blog?

1. Namatay si Cory.

2. Nanalo si Direk Brillante Mendoza ng Best Director sa Cannes.

3. Dinalaw tayo at hinagupit ni pareng Ondoy.

4. Tatakbo sanang presidente si Mar Roxas pero iniabot kay Noynoy.

5. Tatakbo rin sana si Chiz pero umatras.

6. Kumandidato si Estrada.

7. Nanalo si Paquiao laban ka Coto (laki ng kinita niya ah.)

8. Nanalo si Penaflorida bilang CNN Hero of the Year.

9. Maguindanao Masaker (dapat me ma-lethal injection).

10. Namatay si Johnny Delgado, pinakamahusay na aktor.

11. Nilalaglag ng Comelec si Perlas tsaka si Remoto.

12. Nagpapalakas sa survey si Villar (naranasan mo na bang...)

13. Kasalukuyang pumuputok ang Mt. Mayon ( wag sana masira ang perfect cone shape).

14. Namatay ako.

15. Nabuhay ako.

Namatay na ako pero ngayon nabuhay na naman. Iba talaga ang pusa, may siyam na buhay.

Kung iniisip mong ipapaliwanag ko ang nasa itaas na bilang 14 at bilang 15, hindi na siguro. Hindi na mahalaga. Ang mahalaga ayos na ulit ako. Aayos na ulit ako...

VIRGIN LABFEST 5

This is the fifth year of the Virgin Labfest. It showcases a harvest of new plays written by members and participants of the Writer's Bloc and other playwrights who also submitted entries for the upcoming Laboratory Festival. An annual joint-partnership project of the Writer's Bloc, the Tanghalang Pilipino and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, it aims to showcase a crop of new short/one act plays in full production with several added activities such as: public reading sessions of full-length plays and discussions regarding playwriting and theater practice.

SET A School of Life (Mga Dulang Walang Pinag-aralan)

MPC (Mababang Paaralan ng Caniogan)

(Job Pagsibangan)

Felix Bakat is already the brightest student in the sub- standard Mababang Paaralan ng Caniogan or MPC. He and his two other friends, Erwin & Didai, had the misfortune of being the only three students to report to their class one stormy school day. Their teacher, the terrifying Miss Magnaye, prepares them for her teaching demo which she and her students are scheduled to present before their visiting school superintendent, Mr. Catacutan.On the day of the teaching demo, Erwin & Didai plan to steal from Miss Magnaye’s stock of canned goods; a business the teacher keeps to augment what she earns from the profession she herself despises. But just when Mr. Catacutan is already enjoying the teaching demo, Erwin and Didai are found out. Miss Magnaye points to Felix as the one behind the conspiracy. How the children are eventually cleared of the mischief is no small help from the school’s legendary ghost, Pilita and the violent storm that ties Pilita’s fate to that of Miss Magnaye. Rating: 7/10

Ang Huling Lektyur ni Misis Reyes

(Tim Dacanay)

A high school music teacher at the crossroads of life decides to retire. She faces her class for one last session and improvises a lecture on a topic she considers most important for her audience: sex. Rating: 5/10

Isang Mukha ng Pandaraya

(Oggie Arcenas)

Isadora, a student who is about to graduate summa cum laude from a prestigious university is accused of cheating during an examination. The accuser is Amor, an underachieving student, and the campus slut. The two face-off before the Student Disciplinary Tribunal which is hearing the cheating case. As the hearing unfolds, secrets are revealed, and a jaded society’s value system takes the spotlight. Rating 7/10

SET B It's Complicated (The Buhul-Buhol Trilogy)

Salise

(J. Dennis Teodosio)

A laptop was stolen. In a desperate attempt to retrieve it, a soap opera writer discovers a life story that's stranger and juicier than the teleseryes he's been writing. Rating: 9/10

Ang Mamanugangin ni Rez

(Clarissa Estuar)

Enter Pinay’s world, which for most of the day is compressed into a small bag/shoe repair stall she manages at a mall. Here, even simple dreams seem out of reach, and simple Pinay constantly just fades into the background. She makes one last ditch effort for something she truly wants, or rather someone she truly wants only to question why she set her aspirations on that one man, of all people. Rating: 8/10

So Sangibo A Ranon Na Piyatay O Satiman A Tadman

(Rogelio Braga)

A story of love, lost and remembrance. Stella, a hooker from the university belt during the Martial Law years remembers the 1971 Tacub Massacre in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, Abdul Rahman who longs for a Ranao he left to pursue a dream in Manila, and Aling Ella a spinster who remembers a lost love that haunts her like a ghost. So Sanggibo a Ranon na Piyatay o Satiman a Tadman is both a story of how ordinary people struggle for love, self-respect, freedom and maratabat amid a nation that harbors a dark past and an invitation to a journey in one of the sordid histories of Filipino Nationalism against the Bangsa Moro people. Rating: 8/10

SET C Blood Sports (Trilohiyang Dinuguan )

Kitchen Medea

(Kiyokazu Yamamoto)

Modern version of Medea, an ancient greek tragedy wirtten by Euripides.The play tells the story of the revenge of a woman betrayed by her husband. Rating: 9/10

Doc Resurrecion: Gagamutin ang Bayan

(Layeta Bucoy)

With the desire to introduce positive changes to his community, Doc Resureccion ran for Mayor. Unfortunately, his cousin, Boy Pogi Resureccion ran as a nuisance candidate challenging Doc Resureccion's chances. Bearing gifts and promises of a better future, he tries persuading his cousin to withdraw his candidacy only to find out that the community he so wanted to help desires a different path for itself. Rating: 8/10

Asawa/Kabit

(George de Jesus III)

Two middle-aged women, Via and Vanessa, confront each other about the man they both loved for more than 25 years. Through a scathing conversation, resentments and regrets surface like land mines forcing both women to evaluate the immutable choices they made in the name of love, the unbearable burden of hope, and the contentiousness of believing in a man's fidelity.

Rating: 8/10

SET D The Family That _______s Together (Tatlong Dulang Walang Diyos)

Boy-Girl ang Gelpren ni Mommy

(Sheilfa Alojamiento)

Two kids, caught in adult infidelity games, took time off away from their errant father's house and spend a vacation one summer in their divorced mother's place in another city and get to know her and her girlfriend.

Rating: 8/10

Maliw

(Reuel Molina Aguila)

How does one close a chapter still to be written? Five years after the forced-disappearance of her eldest daughter, a mother confronts this question. The play is set after her family celebrates her eldest daughter’s 30th birthday.

Rating: 9/10

Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White

(George Vail Kabristante)

This is a document of the times when club entertainers in Japan used to pick yen from the walls of clubs to be remitted to their families back home for saving or for squandering. It zeroes in on former entertainers husband and wife Jay-Ar and Leizl and their dream to go back to Japan which has become an impossibility, given that the Japanese government has absolutely made it difficult now for anyone to work there as club entertainer. Hinting at Chekovian absurdities & humor , the characters continue dreaming and role-playing to relive the good old days. In laughing at themselves and acting “up” and “out” the dark humors and their memorable past in Japan, these two characters find their plight less painful to bear.

Rating: 7/10

SET E Life is a Trap (Three Plays in Search of Escape)

Isang Araw sa Karnabal

(Nicolas B. Pichay)

Zaldy and Toni, two friends whose family members have been the victims of forced disappearances, amble along a jologs Peryahan. They grope in the dark shadow of a world weighed by uncertainties and fear. Engaged in the ritual of forgetting, the two friends' undefined relationship adds a nagging ambiguity in their lives making it difficult for them to define a future. Hope, for them can be a tricky sleight of hand; a slow and treacherous rickity ride to hell. Rating:9/10

Paigan

(Liza Magtoto)

An Afro-American soldier who deserted his camp to fight side-by-side with the Filipino revolutionaries, is wanted by the Americans for the price of $600-- a hefty sum at the time. Desperate for money, Pedring captures Fagen and is set to behead him when Tacio, a former comrade, and the Filipina wife of the captive beseech him. The play explores a possible scenario posed by historical essays on the true-to-life story of the guerilla fighter who defected to our side during the Filipino-American War. Rating: 8/10

Hate Restaurants

(David Finnigan)

This play follows the trials and tribulations of a small pancake restaurant during the biggest breakfast of the year. Head chef and restauranteur Louise is incapacitated after an unfortunate encounter with a giant rat, leaving waiters Louise and Billy and mild-mannered kitchen-hand Toby to handle a booking of 70 businessmen who are suspiciously picky in their requirements. Rating:8/10

CINEMALAYA CINCO: BIG, SMALL FILM FESTIVAL

The 2009 Cinemalaya independent film festival and competition, now on its fifth year and billed Cinemalaya Cinco, will unveil 20 new digital films that will compete on July 17-26, 2009 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Some 25 new independent films will also be premiered during the Festival.

Ten films will compete in the full length category. These are 24K by Ana Agabin, Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe by Alvin B. Yapan; Astig by GB Sampedro; Colorum by Jon Steffan Ballesteros; Dinig Sana Kita by Mike E. Sandejas; Engkwentro by Pepe Diokno; Last Supper No. 3 by Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel; Mangatyanan by Jerrold Tarog, Nerseri by Vic Acedillo, Jr. and Sanglaan by Milo Sogueco.

Competing in the short film category are: Behind Closed Doors by Mark Philipp Espina, BLOGOG by Rommel “Milo” Tolentino, Bonsai by Alfonso “Borgy” K. Torre III, Hulagpos by Maita Lirra Lupac, Latus by John Paul S. Seniel, Musa by Dexter B. Cayanes, Si Bok at ang Trumpo by Hubert Tibi, Tatang by Jean Paolo “Nico” Hernandez, Ugat sa Lupa by Ariel Reyes and Wat Floor Ma’am by Mike Sandejas and Robert Seña.

Winners of each category will be announced during the awarding ceremonies on July 26 at the CCP. The winner of the full length feature category will receive the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy and an additional grant of P200,000. Each full length feature category finalist was given an initial P500,000 production grant. The winner of the short feature category will receive P100,000 and Cinemalaya Balanghai Trophy.

Cinemalaya Cinco, which is being tagged as the “big, small film festival”, is featuring the following sections, namely,
Competition, World Premieres and NetPac films, Lino Brocka Retrospective, Kids’ Treats, Gay/Lesbian films, The City in Focus, Women in Indies, Off Center, Documentary and Ani: Best of Last Year.

In the Brocka Retrospective, among the films to be screened are Wanted: Perfect Mother, Tubog sa Ginto, Stardoom, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Tatlo Dalawa Isa, Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Insiang, Bona, Bayan Ko, and Macho Dancer.

Another major event of Cinemalaya Cinco is the Cinemalaya Film Congress on July 21-22 at the CCP Little Theater. With the theme Linking Digital Highways, the Cinemalaya Film Congress aims to discover the major centers of independent filmmaking in the country, assess the artistic achievement of cinematic works produced in the last five years, to invite indie filmmakers from the different regions to speak about the state of indie filmmaking in their areas, and to establish a network of indie filmmaking centers to consolidate all efforts to create, promote and market indie films both here and abroad.

A new advertising campaign for Cinemalaya Cinco was created by Black Pencil Advertising Inc. The ad campaign celebrates the fifth year of Cinemalaya which has become a major event in local filmmaking today. The ad campaign tags Cinemalaya as the “big, small film festival”, conveying the importance and impact of Cinemalaya on Filipino independent cinema.

Cinemalaya opens on July 17 and runs until July 26, 2009. Films will be shown at all CCP venues, namely the Main Theater, the Little Theater, Dream Theater, Tanghalang Huseng Batute, Silangan Hall and the MKP Hall.

Cinemalaya Cinco is presented by the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Econolink Investments Inc. Cinemalaya is an all-digital film competition aimed at discovering new Filipino filmmakers.

For ticket information, please call the CCP Marketing Department at 551-7930 or 832-1125 local 1800 to 1808 and the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or 832-1125 local 1409.

The 1st Cinekabalen Philippine Film Festival

Holy Angel University Center for Kapampangan Studies,

Kalalangan Kamaru,

andCircle of Young Angelenos

present

The short film competition seeks to explore, criticize, promote, empower, and/or describe the Kapampangan experience through independent cinema.

We are looking for short narratives that tell the story and perspective of the Kapampangan people, who, since their pre-Hispanic participation in the affairs of Asia, have been leading diverse lives up to the contemporary times—from the humble rural folks of the riverbanks to the dehumanized drones of highly urban areas, from resilient survivors of the Pinatubo eruption to the aggressive players in national industries, from sun-worshipping dwellers of the mountainside to the strong devotees of Roman Catholicism, from the protesters of social inequality since ancient times to the culturally overloaded youth of the nation, from the migrants forced to live elsewhere for greener pastures to the politically maturing residents making waves in mass media, from the craftsmen who balance business and art to the brown tillers of the plains, etc....

Rules and mechanics of the short film competition:

1.The contest is open to everyone, student or professional, Kapampangan or non-Kapampangan, living in the country or abroad, etc. except members of the core organizing committee

2. any topic is allowed, as long as it expresses "The Kapampangan Experience"

3. entry must be a narrative; no music videos or documentaries

4. no limit of number of entries- because promoting the Kapampangan language is one of the aims of the festival, the dialogues, if any, should predominantly be in Kapampangan. The occasional use of non-Kapampangan languages is allowed as long as used in proper linguistic context.

5. setting of the story does not necessarily have to be in Pampanga or other Kapampangan-speaking regions like Tarlac and Bataan

6. film must have readable English subtitles

7. strictly 10-20 minutes in length; for animated entries, minimum of 5 minutes is allowed- in digital format (submit final work in playable DVD)

8. extreme violence and obscenity and unnecessary abuse of foul language are discouraged, but not prohibited

9. use of copyrighted music is not allowed, unless permitted to by the owner of the material- deadline of entries (final DVD, registration form) will be on July 31; they must be shipped or submitted in person to the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, Angeles City; the registration form will be downloadable beginning mid-March-

10. 8 to 12 finalists will be chosen (depending on the quantity of submissions) to compete in the festival; cash prizes and trophies are at stake for the top three best short films, which will be selected by a Board of Judges consisting of experts from the industry; special awards (best male performer, best editing, best screenplay, etc.) will also be given; the competing films will be screened during the actual Cinekabalen Philippine Film Festival in August at the Holy Angel University Theater in Angeles City; an Awards Night will follow

For inquiries: text JASON @ 0918 699 2459 or email sisig_man@yahoo.com.phAmateur filmmakers are welcome to consult the organizers regarding their entries

http://www.cinekabalen.multiply.com/

Sundo (2009)

Directed by: Topel Lee
Produced by: Jose Mari Abacan & Topel Lee
Written by: Aloy Adlawan
Starring:
Robin Padilla, Katrina Halili, Rhian, Ramos, Hero Angeles, Mark Bautista and Sunshine Dizon
Music by: Carmina Robles Cuya
Cinematography by: J.A. Tadena
Editing by: Marya Ignacio
Distributed by: GMA Films
Release date(s)
March 18, 2009

Sundo is a 2009 Filipino suspense-thriller film from director Topel Lee, with screenplay written by his Ouija screenwriter Aloy Adlawan. The film stars Robin Padilla, Katrina Halili, Rhian Ramos, Hero Angeles, Mark Bautista and Sunshine Dizon. The film is set to be relased on March 18, 2009.

_______

In Sundo, Romano (Robin Padilla), a retired military operative who goes into seclusion, discovers that he has the uncanny ability of seeing ghosts around people who will soon encounter sudden, disastrous deaths. Worried of his brother, Romano’s blind sister Isabel (Rhian Ramos) persuades him to return to Manila with the help of Louella (Sunshine Dizon), Romano’s childhood friend who harbors affection for him.
An aspiring actress, Kristina (Katrina Halili), a widow, Lumen (Glydel Mercado), and his son, Eric (Hero Angeles) hitch a ride with Romano, Isabel and Louella along with Louella’s driver, Baste (Mark Bautista). On their way back to the city, the group manages to avoid a fatal accident on the road and their respective “sundo” by a twist of fate. Unaware that their sudden brush with death would cause them the most ruthless battle they will ever come to face.
In Romano’s hands lie the fates of his companions as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his premonitions. Will he be able to find the missing link of the puzzle and save the rest of the passengers before it’s too late?

____

The film opened with favorable reviews, obtaining a B grade from the Cinema Evaluation Board, and a PG-13 rating from the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) - the country's film rating system. Critic Nitz Miralles described the film as "a high octane horror", she continuous to praise director Topel Lee for his ability to genuinely scare the audience, as like from his previous horror film efforts like Ouija and Yaya. However, the film is criticized for being "too violent" for a PG-13 movie by critic Veronica R. Samio, whilst praising the film for its fast pace and screenwriter Aloy Adlawan's "shocking" twist ending.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundo

Queeriosity International Film Festival 2009

By: Oscar Atadero

The love month of February this year is pink with queer love as Filipino directors come together to launch the first Queeriosity International Film Festival (QIFF).

The chosen films will be screened in Robinsons Galleria Movieworld and the University of the Philippines Film Institute in Diliman, Quezon City.On February 4, two screenings will soft launch the festival at the UP Film Institute. At 7 pm, four short films are sewn together under the omnibus title The Longest One Night Stands. The anthology presents the vignettes with titles: "Wait Waiter Wait" and "Tutok" by Cris Pablo; "Balot" by Harvey Estradough; and "Ang Pinakamahabang One Night Stand" by Eduardo Roy Jr.By 9 pm on the same day, newcomer Monti Puno Parungao, will showcase his first full-length feature titled Sagwan (The Paddle). This indie film features six members of the hot hunks of Cappucino, an eight-man all-male group like the Viva Hot Men and Men of Provoq.Produced by Rocca Productions, Sagwan features Ryan Dungo as Alfred, Dennis Torres, Martina Wilson, Heherson 'Giggle' Esmeralda, Alexander 'Tsoknat' Castillo, and Arnold Mendoza. Introducing Genesis 'Gino' Cabrillas, Mark Portus, Adrian Campos, Anton Vincent Malco and Erie Obsena.The QIFF will then proceed to Robinsons Galleria on February 11-17 and will screen Hikbi (Cry of Redemption) by Felbert Go. The gritty indie production is directorial debut of Go who was encouraged by director Lav Diaz to retell his crisis-filled gay life on film.The festival will also offer once again queer selections such as Paolo Villaluna's male prison romance Selda, Aureus Solito's coming of age in the slums story Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros and the ground breaking tale of a male masseur in Brillante Mendoza's Masahista. Other titles include Kurap and Love Birds by Ronnie Bertubin; Jay by Francis Pasion and Dose by Senedy Que.Foreign titles to be screened in the Queeriosity IFF include Feeding Boys, Ayaya from China and A Very Natural Thing from the United States.

The launch of the QIFF aims to complement the community activities of clans and groups of bisexuals and gay men such as the Fabulous 30s & 40s, Panget Clan, HBOX, School Boys Society, Bi Males Clan, Bi-Pilipinas Charity, Elite Mens Circle, Binatang Pinoy, New Age Community, Quatros Elementos Clan and many others in promoting acceptance of homosexuality in society.According to Cris Pablo, president of the indie film proponent Sinehan Digitales and QIFF founder, the Queeriosity event is their way of paying homage to the original grand dame of queer Pinoy fests, the Pink Film Festival, which traces its roots back to 1999.

"The present generation of gay and lesbian film makers and actors owe a huge debt to the indie film giant, Mr. Nick Deocampo, because his Pink Film inspired us to come out of the closet and present our community to public screenings. His example encouraged us to openly discuss queer sexuality without shame," said Pablo.While not as grand as the original Pink, Pablo said the LGBT community should be proud of the humble contributions the QIFF can do to reinvigorate the Philippine cinema industry and the emerging pink video market.For tickets, venues and other information, visit www.tagged.com/queeriosity

Source: http://www.pep.ph/guide/3315/Queeriosity-International-Film-Festival-2009-kicks-off,-Feb-11-17

10 TIPS FOR YOUNG FILMMAKERS

1. WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT. Don’t write that epic crowd scene unless you know there’s a festival happening next week that you can steal as a backdrop. Play to your strengths. There’s probably something unique that you or your family have access to that you can use in your movie. If your dad has a tractor, write a movie around that. If he doesn’t, don’t.
2. YOU CAN’T BEAT HOLLYWOOD. Tempting as it may be to try to imitate the style and gloss of your favourite blockbusters, let’s face it; the game is rigged in their favour. You can try, and your failure may be unique and interesting (or at least funny) in its own right—but you can also just do your own thing, and try something that the studios wouldn’t have the balls or the imagination to do in the first place.
3. STUDY FILMS. A lot of the mistakes that young filmmakers make could be avoided if teenagers actually just paid attention to their favourite films. Pick a movie you love and watch it with the sound down; look closely at the camera angles, the editing and the lighting. Watch short films on Youtube and see how an effective story can be told in five minutes. You won’t be able to match the production value of these films—and you don’t need to, anyway—but oftentimes the craft of good filmmaking doesn’t cost any money. You just have to actually watch films.
4. PUSH YOURSELF. Every film you make should teach you something you didn’t know before, and achieve something you didn’t know you were capable of. This doesn’t mean you have to go out every time and do something that you have no idea how to do. You should draw on the skills and techniques you’ve already learned—but if you’re not building on them, if you’re not pushing yourself further in some way, you’re playing it safe. It will show.
5. KEEP IT SHORT.
6. TEST SCREEN. Showing your film to an audience is one of the most important ways of figuring out what you’re doing right or wrong as a filmmaker—but that isn’t the same as saying that you always have to try to please the audience, or make a film that you think “they” will like. A lot of the time just seeing your film with other people in the room will help you see it more objectively. And if you’re still thinking your film has to be 20 minutes long, just imagine how long that 20 minutes is going to feel when 300 people are sitting beside you watching it…
7. DON’T NEGLECT THE BASICS. Audiences will forgive a lot of technical flaws in your film if your story is compelling, your actors are engaging or your jokes are funny—but there’s still a threshold point where the technical mistakes start to get in the way. That point is usually when they’re no longer able to clearly see, hear or follow what’s going on. So get to know your equipment, and practice with it. Learn the basics of shot composition. Do your best to record quality sound, and if that’s beyond your means, make a silent movie—there’s too much talking in most movies anyway.
8. EMBRACE LIMITS. The limitations of teenage filmmaking can often be discouraging. How the hell are you supposed to make a great film when all you’ve got is this crappy camera and your stupid friends? Well, the first step is to change your attitude. There’s an old French filmmaker named Robert Bresson who said, “Someone who can work with the minimum can work with the most. One who can with the most cannot, inevitably, with the minimum.” In other words, you should be celebrating the fact that all you’ve got is a crappy camera and some stupid friends: that means all your solutions to the problems you encounter are going to have to be creative ones, and as Robert Rodriguez wrote, “that can make all the difference between something fresh and different and something processed and stale.”
9. DON’T GIVE UP. If you haven’t failed at filmmaking yet, then you probably weren’t being ambitious enough. If you have, congratulations; you’re on way to becoming a great filmmaker. Just keep at it, and as Beckett put it, “fail better” next time.
Finally, the über-rule which contradicts all the other ones:
10. DON’T LISTEN TO ANYONE. Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman famously said of the film world that “nobody knows anything”; and it’s true. That doesn’t mean you should ignore everything anyone tells you, but if you’re really passionate about a project, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Make the film that you want to make—not the film you think people want to see, or the film your teachers or your parents want you to make. Most of all, don’t listen to people who say that you can’t do something, or that what you’re aiming for isn’t possible. I’ve argued above that limitations are your friend, but the types of restrictions that really get in the way are the ones that you let get stuck inside your own head. Who says films have to cost a certain amount, look a certain way, be made a certain way, or contain this element or that one?
Hint: they don’t.

This article was published in the magazine for the 2009 Fresh Film Festival.
© Text Copyright 2008 by Donal Foreman. All rights reserved
_____________________________________________________
Donal Foreman has been making films for 12 years now—that is, since he was 11 years old. In those 11 years, he has written, directed, produced and shot dozens of short films, ranging from comedy to cinema verite documentary, and from drama to experimental.

As a freelance film critic, Donal has been published in Cahiers du Cinema, Film Ireland, Experimental Conversations, Estudios Irlandeses, Karnival, Start Magazine, Filmmakers Alliance Magazine in LA, the Berliner Zeitung in Germany, and the Manilla Bulletin, the largest daily newspaper in the Phillipines. He has also worked as a film workshop facilitator for young people, a lecturer in the Dublin Business School, a promo director for Irish Modern Dance Theatre, and as a film programmer for Dublin’s recently established Experimental Film Club.

Source:
http://www.donalforeman.com/writing/freshadvice.html

2009 Top Twenty Independent Artists of Young Filmmakers of the Philippines (YFMP)

No.1 Abalos Jason
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008)
Rakenrol(2008) , Motorcycle (2008)Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film CreditsEndo (2007)

No.2 Aguilos Kalila (Actress)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2007):
Sinungaling na Buwan (2007), Haw-Ang (2007), ), Death in the Land of the Encantos (2007) FROU FROU, Shhhh!....'Wag Mong Sabihin Kay Itay' (2008)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits: Inang yaya (2006), Ligalig (2006),

No.3 Aquino Angel (Actress)
PhilippinesIndependent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2007):
God Only Knows (2008))
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Crying Ladies (2003), ICU Bed #7 (2005), Ebolusyon ng PamilyangPilipino (2005), Ina, Anak, Pamilya (2006), Nasaan si Francis (2006), Kaleldo (2006), Donsol (2006), Pamana, Ang (2006), Faces of Love (2007), Siquijor: Mystic Island (2007), Kadin (2007),

No.4. Bayani Angeli (Actress)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Melancholia (2008), Adela (2008), Kolorete (2008), Aurora(2008)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo (2006), Kwarto (2006), Mga Lunes ng Hapis (2007), Endo (2007), Death in the Land of the Encantos(2007) ,

No.5. Calzado Iza (Actress)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Kusina (2008) , Adela(2008),
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Pinoy Blonde (2005),Blackout( 2007), Mona: Singapore Escort (2007), Batanes (2007)

No.6 Camañag Roeder (Actor)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Melancholia (2008), Kolorete (2008)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Baryoke (2005), Ebolusyon ng Pamilyang Pilipino (2005), Kagat ng Dilim(2006), Heremias (2006), Pandanggo (2006), Death in the Land of the Encantos(2007) ,

No.7 De Castro Glaiza (Actress)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Rakenrol(2008) , Hula (2008), Ultraelectromagneti c Love (2008) , Ang Manghuhula, (2008),
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Twilight Dancers (2006), Still Life (2007), Batanes (2007),

No.8 Dizon Mylene (Actress)
September 6, 1976Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Ploning (2008), 100 (2008)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Utang ni Tatang (2002), Tulad ng dati (2006), Rome and Juliet (2006)

No.9 Domingo Eugene (Actress)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Ploning (2008),100 (2008),
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Tuli (2005), Foster Child (2007), Pisay (2007)

No.10 Escaño Perry (Actor)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Ranchero (2008), Magkaibang Direksyon (2008), Jojo (2009)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Sitak (2005), Mathew, Mark, Luke and John (2005), Geegee & Waterina(2006) , Compound (2006), Siyudad (2006), Butas (2006), Pinoy Postcard (2006), Abadeha (2006), Stop Over (2007), Transition (2007), Elliptical Road (2007), Baliw (2007), Stiryo (2007), Walang Paraiso (2007), Graveyard Shift (2007), Baliw (2007),Ala Suerte Ala Muerte (2007), Sinungaling na Buwan (2007)

No.11 Galura Alcris (Actor)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Baby Angelo (2008)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Babae sa Breakwater (2004),Lagusan (2005), Sarong banggi (2005),Pusang Gala (2005), Batad sa paang palay (2006), Seroks (2006), Endo (2007),Maikling Kwento (2007)

No.12 Geisler Baron
PhilippinesIndependent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008): Jay (2008)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits: Durog (2007), Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo (2006), Taxi ni Pilo (2001)

No.13 Lucero Sid (Actor)
Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Aurora (2008), Bulong (2008),, Selda(2008), Independencia( 2009)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Donsol (2006), Tambolista (2007), Siquijor: Mystic Island (2007), Tagapagligtas (2007),Tukso (2007), Batanes (2007),Selda (2007)

No.14 Malahay Diana (Actress)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Baby Angelo (2008), Condo (2008)
Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Tukso (2007),Durog( 2007), Pain Things (2007)

No.15 Martin Coco (Actor)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Serbis 2008, Daybreak (2008), "Condo" (2008), Next Attraction (2008), Jay (2008)Previous Years Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits: Pitong Tagpo (2007), Nars (2007), Tambolista (2007), Tirador (2007), Ataul For Rent (2007), "OFW" (2007), "Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan"(2007) , "Box Office" (2007), Siquijor: Mystic Island (2007)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Masahista (2005), Kaleldo (2006),

No.16 Reyes Arnold
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Condo (2008), Barako(2008) , Adela(2008), Imoral(2008) ,
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Pisay (2007), Huling araw ng linggo, Ang(2006), Kagat ng dilim (2006) Big Time (2005)

No. 17. Sese Neil Ryan (Actor)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits (2008):
Huling Pasada (2008)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Mathew Mark Luke and John (2005), Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros(2005), Kubrador (2006), Graveyard Shift (2007), Seroks (2006), Hawang (2007)

No. 18. Servo, Yul (Actor)
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Brutus, ang paglalakbay (2008), Dose (2008)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Sa Ilalim ng cogon (2005), Ilusyon (2005), Kagat ng dilim (2006), Siquijor: Mystic Island (2007), Graveyard Shift (2007),

No.19 Soriano Meryll (Actress)
PhilippinesIndependent Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Boses (2008), Concerto (2008), Ploning (2008)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Room Boy (2005), In Da Red Corner (2006), Rotonda (2006), Numbalikdiwa(2006), Rekados (2006)

No.20 Jodi Sta.Maria Lacson
Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits(2008) :
Sisa(2008), Cul de sac(2008), Manila (2008)
Previous Independent Short/ Full Length Film Credits:
Nars (2007), Maling akala (2007)

Source:http://youngfilmmak ers.multiply. com/

TOP 20 FILIPINO FILMS FOR 2008

Top Pinoy Films According to Box-Office Mojo

1. A VERY SPECIAL LOVE - P179.23 million(Star Cinema/Viva Films)
2. ANG TANGING INA N’YONG LAHAT - P171 million(Star Cinema)
3. CAREGIVER - P139.54 million(Star Cinema)
4. FOR THE FIRST TIME - P134.7 million(Star Cinema)
5. ISKUL BUKOL…20 YEARS AFTER - P107 million(MZET/APT)
6. MY BESTFRIEND’S GIRLFRIEND - P101.24 million(GMA Films/Regal Films)
7. DOBOL TROBOL GET REDI 2 RAMBOL - P90.51 million(Octoarts Films)
8. WHEN LOVE BEGINS - P89.38 million(Star Cinema/Viva Films)
9. MAG-INGAT KA SA KULAM - P85.46 million(Regal Films)
10. MY ONLY U - P79.18 million(Star Cinema)
11. MY BIG LOVE - P68 million(Star Cinema)
12. SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL X - P68 million(Regal Films)
13. SUPAHPAPALICIOUS - P66.98 million(Star Cinema)
14. ONE TRUE LOVE - P62.47 million(GMA Films/Regal Films)
15. DESPERADAS 2 - P 49.3 million(Regal Films)
16. BALER - P35.8 million(Viva Films)
17. MANAY PO 2: OVERLOAD - P30.4 million(Regal Films)
18. MY MONSTER MOM - P 29.2 million(Regal Films)
19. SCAREGIVERS - P 26.07 million(APT Entertainment)
20. IKAW PA RIN, BONGGA KA BOY! - P 24.66 million(Viva Films)
21 to 30: I.T.A.L.Y. (I Trust and Love You), Urduja, Ploning, One Night Only, Dayo, Loving You, Torotot, Magkaibigan, Ate & Ang Lihim ni Antonio.

Source:
http://www.starmometer.com/2009/01/20/2008-philippine-box-office-according-to-sm-robinsons-and-box-office-mojo/

100 Opens Today in the Following Theaters:

Gateway Mall

SM North Edsa

SM Megamall

Robinson's GalleriaRobinson's

Ermita

and

Glorietta 4

Film Development Council of the Philippines

CINEMA EVALUATION BOARD

Summation of CEB members’ comments on“100”

Grade: A

Martinez-Rivera Films

Joyce (Mylene Dizon) finds out that she is on the brink of death. Her cancer has spread to other organs of her body and there is nothing much that can be done. What does a person in the prime of her life do in this instance? How does one face death? How can one make her dying a graceful exit? Joyce does not want to be a burden to anyone and so she makes a list of things to do – from the more mundane ones, like packing her things in the office, making funeral arrangements and “shopping” for a casket, to the more personal ones, like telling her mom and finding Emil, her long lost ex-boyfriend. Her Post-It’s, things to do that must have added to a hundred, are taken off the wall one by one, except for the difficult task of telling her mom.100 is an entry in the 2008 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, is well written piece. The members of the board rave over the screenplay – “finely crafted story,” “painfully beautiful,” “the scenes are touching without being too melodramatic,” “funny and moving,” “believable characters in a believable drama.” One member, though, notes that the story is moved by the characters singular acceptance of her condition from beginning to end, making the series of scenes look like routine. However, the dramatic moments are examples of excellent writing, notably the scene between Joyce and her mom (Tessie Tomas) when the mother finds out about her daughter’s condition; the funny and equally tender scenes between Joyce and her best friend (Eugene Domingo); the hospital scene between Joyce and her brother (Simon Ibarra); the hospital scene with Joyce and Emil, her ex-boyfriend (Ryan Eigenmann); even the scene with Joyce and her secretary, as Joyce bequeaths her laptop, is funny and touching. These good scenes flow from a well-written screenplay.Working on his own screenplay, Chris Martinez has directed this film with certainty and control. The members of the board are unanimous in complimenting his measured direction – “brilliant,” “excellent,” “impressive.” One member writes that Chris Martinez manifests in “100” a “sensitive and imaginative” direction, “admirably disciplined.”The production elements, like cinematography, music, sound, production design, and editing, all contribute to the over-all accomplishment of this film. However, the cinematography of the Hong Kong scenes and the Enchanted Kingdom sequence suffers in comparison to the main body of the film. The music score reinforces the dramatic moments without getting in the way: but, one member notes, the song for the end credits seems too mainstream.The performances are excellent. Eugene Domingo as the best friend and Tessie Tomas as the mother have their dramatic moments which they accomplish beautifully. But “100” is without a doubt, Mylene Dizon’s film. Joyce, the cancer stricken woman, lives on the screen as a complex person. Dizon’s performance, one member writes, is “outstanding in every aspect of cinema acting, to level rarely seen."

"100” is a beautiful piece of work, a fine cinematic experience. The Cinema Evaluation Board is unanimous in granting it an “A” grading.

Source:http://cdmartinez.multiply.com/journal