Archive for October, 2008
Moving out, part one
| October 27, 2008
The office is finally moving to a bigger place.
We started boxing stuff Thursday afternoon, and Saturday was the second day of organizing the gazillion things we’ve accumulated in the five years we’ve stayed in CPT. Tracy was in charge of boxing the Kitchen stuff. Popo and Mildred started with the archives, and I helped box the tapes.
Who would have known we had that many stuff? Betacams and VHSes, DVDs, mini-DVs and CDs, Raw shooting tapes, wedding-themed music collections. Candles. We have lots of leftover candles from two shoots, one of which was two years ago. WT?
Some stuff we threw away without question, others we boxed as “por kilo” items. The operative word was “reckless”. I preferred “with impunity,” but it didn’t matter. Goodbye KB playback tapes, thermos jugs and about 50 worn but functional CD cases. Lucky waste collectors.
The next round will be for the remaining office items and paperwork. Last will be the editing bays on Tuesday, which I volunteered to supervise. If things go well we should have moved out by Wednesday night or Thursday afternoon.
Thus passeth an age.
Project in Focus: Alabama
| October 27, 2008
This man sent me to college, as he had sent countless others to high school, to their dream jobs, to better lives. Sec. Alfonso Yuchengco has always been one of those cool, rich folks who like doing their bit for the rest of us who need a little push. This month of October, Yuchengco will be going to Alabama University to receive a very prestigious award: The Global Humanitarian Award. It is in recognition of successful philanthropists around the world. Arkeofilms is proud to produce the tribute video that will be shown during the awarding ceremonies before the man makes his big speech. It is our way of saying, thank you for your big heart!
Filipinos make big waves in Pusan
| October 24, 2008
Filipinos make big waves in Pusan
By: Rianne Hill Soriano
Acknowledged as one of the biggest film festivals in Asia, the 13th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in South Korea interestingly described the Philippines as “The newly emerged Mecca for Independent Films.” More than 10 Filipino films graced the festival– and two of them garnered awards: “100” by Chris Martinez and “Andong” by Milo Tolentino won the KNN Award (Audience Award) and the Sonje Award (Best Short Film Award) respectively. And the success went on as one Filipino attended the festival’s Pusan Promotion Plan. Another one gets a grant from the Asian Cinema Fund. Three Filipinos were chosen for the Asian Film Academy. And another one attended the Asian Film Professionals Training Program.
Voted by the audiences during the festival, the KNN award was presented by the KNN Foundation to the most popular film in the New Currents section (the category for competition films). US$ 20,000 was awarded to the film’s director. The Sonje Award was given to the best Korean and Asian short films in the Wide Angle section (in competition categories for Korean and Asian short films). US$10,000 was given to each winning filmmaker.
The Pinoy works screened at the festival include: “100” by Chris Martinez, “Andong” by Milo Tolentino, “Serbis” by Brillante Mendoza, “Confessional” by Ruel Dahis Antipuesto and Jerrold Tarog, “Jay” by Francis Pasion, “Baby Angelo” by Joel Ruiz, “Adela” by Adolfo Alix, “The Old Fool Who Moved the Mountains” by Joanna Vasquez Arong, “Darna, Ang Pagbabalik” by Lore Reyes and Peque Gallaga, “Urduja” by Ramon Entienza, “Captain Barbell” by Mac Alejandre, “The Last El-Bimbo” by Aureus Solito (PIFF music video collection of Asian filmmakers).
Margie Templo was part of the Pusan Promotion Plan for Arkeofilms’ next film project entitled “Pinoy Sunday,” a Taiwan-Philippines co-production. Monster Jimenez received a grant from the Asian Cinema Fund/Asian Network of Documentary for her documentary film “Kano: An American and his Women.” Ed Cabagnot was a jury member for the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award and was a speaker for the festival’s Special Program in Focus: Superheroes in Asia. Armi Rae Cacanindin, Maisa Demetillo, and Sheron Dayoc participated at the Asian Film Academy 2008 (AFA) where Brillante Mendoza also took part as film instructor. AFA 2007 fellow Carlo Mendoza also visited the program this year. Rianne Hill Soriano attended the festival as the Filipino fellow of the Asian Film Professionals Training Program 2008 of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).
The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) also attended the festival and participated at the program of the Busan Film Commission (BIFCOM). There were also a number of film reviews and recommendations for the Filipino films gracing the festival including write-ups from Hollywood Reporter and The Pusan Daily.
The Philippines truly made a mark in this year’s festival with a very large Philippine delegation whose attendance covered almost all the major programs and events of PIFF. A Filipino party at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Busan was hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Korea and the Film Development Council of the Philippines to celebrate the successful wave of Filipino films and filmmakers in the festival.
Reposted with permission from author.
