Philippines goes to 24th Far East Film Festival

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The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is the national agency under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines responsible for film policies and programs to ensure the economic, cultural, and educational development of the Philippine film industry. It aims to encourage the film industry to create quality films – from development to production, to distribution and exhibition - and to conduct filmrelated events that enhance the skills of Filipino talents. The agency also leads the film industry’s participation in domestic and foreign film markets and local and international film festivals to promote and position Philippine cinema to be globally competitive. It is also tasked to preserve and protect films as part of the country’s national cultural heritage through film archiving.

WHAT IS THE FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL?

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PHILIPPINE FILM SELECTIONS AT FEFF 2022

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MANILA AT THE MOVIES

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FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL CAMPUS

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TIES THAT BIND

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FOCUS ASIA

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WHO TO CONTACT IN FDCP

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FAR EAST FILM FSTIVAL 24 OFFCIAL POSTER

An annual film festival held in Udine, Italy, the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) is one of the most important events promoting Asian Cinema in Europe. The Festival focuses mainly on films from East Asia and intends to be a strategic launching platform, a place of exchange and networking, a window of visibility and promotion of Filipino cinema and its industry internationally.

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IN COMPETITION

Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the Filipino film industry after creating a string of successful action films, but now her household struggles to pay the bills. When she reads an advertisement looking for screenplays, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about the quest of young, noble Ronwaldo, forced to avenge his brother’s murder at the hand of thugs. While her imagination provides some escape from reality, she goes all-in after an accident involving a television knocks her out, sends her into a coma, and transports her inside the incomplete movie. Now Leonor can play out her wildest dreams firsthand and discover the perfect ending to her story.

26th April, 19:30 | Teatro Nuovo

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IN COMPETITION

Reroute is a story about a couple, Trina (Cindy Miranda) and Dan (Sid Lucero), who are having marital problems after Dan accuses Trina. While having this problem in their relationship, they decide to travel down south to visit Dan’s dying father. As they try to reach their destination, they encounter a roadblock, advising all vehicles for a reroute. Tired from driving, Dan gets frustrated after finding out that it would take them another hour if they change their course.

He then decides to continue their journey on a nearby shortcut, passing through a rough and deserted road. To add mishaps to their evening, their car suddenly broke down, and here they stumble upon a strange, barefooted man named Gemo (John Arcilla). Gemo offers to help and invites them to stay overnight at his house and then help in fixing their car in the morning.

Exhausted from the long travel they had, the couple accepts his offer, even if Trina senses something odd and unusual about Gemo.

As they arrive at his house, they meet Gemo’s wife, Lala (Nathalie Hart), a young woman who also seems strange and seldom speaks. As Trina and Dan get comfortable in their stay, Gemo continuously interviews them. And when his questions become personal, they know something is wrong.

29th April, 11:15 | Teatro Nuovo

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RABID

A pandemic, economic recession, oppression, natural disasters, accidents and countless deaths -- sometimes it feels like the world could just fall apart at any minute. And our human minds are prone to being overburdened with fears and paranoia that could ultimately push us to the edge.

This current reality of fear, danger, and uncertainty is the inspiration for RABID, an omnibus film featuring four distinct but interwoven stories that revolve around the different ways this world can drive us human beings to the brink of madness: ’Kami Lang Ang Ba Pwedeng Malasin (Bad Luck Is A Bitch)’’ “Shit Happens’’ ‘’Iba Pa Rin Ang Karne (Nothing Beats Meat)” ‘’HM’’ Some would say we are living through dark times. Sometimes we see a flicker of hope, while many times we just follow our instincts and hope for the best. But only one thing is for sure following our human nature could take us to even darker places. Because human nature can be profoundly RABID.

26th April, 9:00 | Teatro Nuovo 8

Inspired by true events, “The Missing 8” chronicles the story of Sisoy Salas, a corrupt journalist seeking justice for his colleagues, and convict Roman Rubio, a hired gun who is regularly brought out of prison to perform assassinations.

Sisoy has always been staunch defender of the government and the popular local mayor Pedring Eusebio. But when his colleagues from the local newspaper - including his long-time friend Arnel Pangan and his innocent son - go missing, Sisoy is forced to rethink his allegiances and confront his own political beliefs.

Meanwhile, the prisoner and occasional assassin Roman gets sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime that he did not commit. Unwilling to spend the rest of his life as a hired killer, Roman begins plotting to take back his freedom by any means possible.

Battling against dirty bureaucracy and a surge of fake news manufactured against the victims, Sisoy persistently investigates about the fate of the Missing 8. Slowly, he inches closer to the truth, earning him the ire of Mayor Eusebio and his powerful political machinery.

But Sisoy and Roman’s paths are set on a deadly collision course when Sisoy becomes Roman’s next target.

22nd April, 15:00 | Teatro Nuovo 9

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Under Manila’s alluring yet harsh nightlife, the spotlight untangles eight lives entwined in unimaginable ways. Bea (Rio Locsin), a blind masseuse working in a massage parlor meets Kano (Cherie Gil), a lesbian drug dealer and user who falls in love with her. Shoving aside her feelings for Bea, Kano pimps her out to Alex (William Martinez), a college party animal. He catches the attention of Manay (Bernardo Bernardo), a gay couturier, whose lover is Pebrero (Osestes Ojeda), a taxi driver openly pursuing Baby (Lorna Tolentino), a probinsyana who moved to the city to work as a waitress. Pebrero also acts as a stepfather to the children of Ade (Alma Moreno), his domestic partner who secretly works as a prostitute to support them.

As Virge (Charito Solis), Alex’s worried mother, searches for her son, she encounters Manay, who coincidentally knows about he past as a prostitute, completing a bizarre web of tales and intrigue.

25th April, 8:30 | Teatro Nuovo

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Julio Madiaga, a simple fisherman from the province, travels to Manila to find Ligaya, the woman he loves, after she went away with a mysterious woman promising a better future in the city. When he arrives, he becomes immersed in the city lifestyle and gets involved with its inhabitants experiencing extreme poverty,hard luck and the overbearing need to grind for daily sustention. While Julio relentlessly searches for Ligaya, the city changes him little by little, becoming like an animal doomed to live only for survival in a wild jungle with no way out.

25th April, 19:15 | Cinema Visionario

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Seeking a brighter future in megacity Manila, Oscar Ramirez and his family flee their impoverished life in the rice fields of the northern Philippines. But the sweltering capital’s bustling intensity quickly overwhelms them, and they fall prey to the rampant manipulations of its hardened locals. Oscar Ramirez catches a lucky break when he’s offered steady work for an armored truck company and gregarious senior officer Ong takes him under his wing. Soon, though, the reality of his work’s mortality rate and the murky motives of his new partner force Oscar to confront the perils he faces in his new job and life. The movie portrays how far a man can go for his family.

26th April, 14:00 | Cinema Visionario

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As a violent war on drugs is waged in present day Manila, a notorious vigilante death squad recruits a teenage orphan named Toto. The orphan soon forms a maternal relationship with the vigilante group’s matriarch Irma, who also works as a pest exterminator during the day. Irma and Toto’s loyalties are ultimately put to the test when one of the targets in their kill list turns out to be a familiar face.

27th April, 14:00 | Cinema Visionario

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About a month after the Holy Week, a major national election will take place. What future does it hold for a motley group of TIRADORS--local slang for petty thieves—whose daily survival depends on fast fingers and yearly atonement on divine grace? The tiradors all live in an old dilapidated tenement building in the slums of QUIAPO, a busy business district of Manila where they ply their trade.

28th April, 14:00 | Cinema Visionario

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The FEFF CAMPUS is a training project for young aspiring journalists from Europe and Asia, which is organized by the Far East Film Festival.

The initiative was born from the need to strengthen the link between the Festival, and therefore Asian cinema, and the new generation of cinema lovers and film critics.

The participants, 5 Europeans and 5 Asians under 26, combine the didactic part with a real job, within a program that will include seminars, interviews and workshops focused “on writing about cinema”. The lessons and meetings, all in English, are held under the supervision of a group of professionals from the audiovisual and communication industry, led by journalist Mathew Scott. Students play an active role in what is the global community linked to the FEFF.

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AUSTIN TAN

STELLE LAGUDA

For its 13th edition, TIES THAT BIND (TTB), the leading workshop programme connecting professionals from Asia and Europe, selected 25 participants including directors coming from 14 countries.

TTB takes place over a year through 2 workshops offering comprehensive knowledge of the European and Asian film industries and markets. The first workshop took place online last November 29 – December 3 and December 6 – 10, 2021. The second workshop will take place in Udine between April 25 – 29, 2022. The participants will work together in a group led by EAVE graduate Jonas Weydemann (Weydemann Bros., DE) and TTB graduate Bianca Balbuena (Epicmedia Productions, PH).

Stelle Laguda, KT House Productions Project: RA 8491 OR HOW WE RECALL LOST MEMORIES IN TRANSIT by Austin Tan

One of the leading markets exclusively dedicated to film professionals from Asia and Europe keen to strengthen their industry and artistic connections. The three-day industry event is now a unique platform where producers, sales agents, film distribution companies, television broadcasters, VOD platforms and Internet Player Companies from Asia and Europe have the opportunity to exchange views and further develop their relations.

FilmPhilippines at Focus Asia 14:30 | April 26, 2022

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On the Job: The Missing 8 | Screening 15:00 | Teatro Nuovo

Manila by Night Premiere 8:30 | Teatro Nuovo

Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag | Screening 19:15 | Cinema Visionario

Philippine Cinema Night Palazzo Kechler

Rabid | Screening 9:00 | Teatro Nuovo

Metro Manila | Screening 14:00 | Cinema Visionario

Leonor Will Never Die | Screening 19:30 | Teatro Nuovo

Neomanila | Screening 14:00 | Cinema Visionario

Slingshot | Screening 14:00 | Cinema Visionario

Reroute | Screening 11:15 | Teatro Nuovo

MARY LIZA B. DIÑO

RIA ANNE RUBIA

JO ANDREW TORLAO

MARTINA MACALANDA

MIRASOL CRUZ

HANY CAPISTRANO

Chairperson and CEO chairliza@fdcp.ph

Technical Manager, Distribution jotorlao@fdcp.ph

Executive Director III riarubia@fdcp.ph

Program Supervisor, Distribution martinamacalanda.fdcp@gmail.com

Executive Director, FilmPhilippines Manager, Global Industry Support ceb@fdcp.ph hanycapistrano.fdcp@gmail.com

MICAH BACCAY

Program Supervisor, Distribution micahbaccay@fdcp.ph

ISSABELLA VER

Unit Supervisor, FilmPhilippines Incentives issabellaver.fdcp@gmail.com 19

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