Award-winning FEU Short Films Compete in California

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Four student films from Far Eastern University will vie for the Best Short Film at FACINE 25: The 25th Annual Filipino International Cine Festival, considered the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in North America.

Boyet Loves You and Caterwaul, both directed by Josel Fajardo, Pua Iyam by Juan Pablo Pineda III and Touch Move by Frances Louise Giner made it as finalists in the event organized by the Filipino Arts and Cinema International in San Francisco, California. Fajardo, Pineda and Giner are all alumni of the FEU Film Society.

The silver anniversary of the film festival will open with the short film competition on October 18 at the San Francisco Main Library and the SF Philippine Consulate while the main competition will be held from October 19 to 21 at the historic Roxie Theater.

In Boyet Loves You, which is also a short film finalist in the CineFilipino Film Festival 2018 Open category, Gab (Sari Estrada) wants to introduce her best friend Mari (Kat Galang) to Boyet. The problem is, only she can see Boyet. The comedy-horror flick bagged the Best Film, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Performance awards at Sinepiyu 2017's Golden Reel category.

Caterwaul is a film where painful secrets are revealed at two girls' sleepover. While watching an R-rated movie, a girl (Andrei Eunice Osano) shares her first sexual experience and re-enacts it to a friend (Quennie Abuyuan), who does not know that she's in for a dark revelation. The seven-minute drama won the Gold Prize in the Viddsee Juree Philippines Awards.

In Pua Iyam (Coming Out), a young Filipino-Chinese student (Rowi Du) comes out to his childhood friend (Raphael Cruz). The short film brought home Best Screenplay and Best Actor in a Lead Role at the 9th Largabista Film Festival in Tacloban City, Leyte; a special citation on gender sensitivity from the first Palawan International Film Festival; Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance and Best Poster at Sinepiyu 2017's Black Reel category; Gold Award for Best Picture, Outstanding Direction, Design Excellence and Technical Excellence awards at CineSB 7: The Main Installment's Sibol category; Best Cinematography and another special citation from Piling Obrang Vidyo XIV; and Cardinal Bronze Film Award, Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography at CineMapúa 2018's intercollegiate category.

With characters as chess pieces, Touch Move depicts the difficulty of moving on. The film won Best Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Sound and Second Prize at Sinepiyu 2017's Black Reel Category. It also garnered different awards from the Ateneo Video Open, Pelikultura: The CALABARZON Film Festival and 9th Largabista Film Festival.

The short film finalists, which were selected out of 125 submissions to the competition, have a wide range of format, genre, style and subject, all 45 minutes and less in length, both student and professional works, including works by non-Filipino filmmakers with Filipinos as subject. The best short film will be awarded a $100 cash prize and Certificate of Recognition. Special citations will also be awarded in any category upon the discretion of the Jury.

Meanwhile, FACINE relaunches its main competition section with nine full-length films vying for awards in different categories. The finalists are 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten written by Jason Paul Laxamana and directed by Petersen Vargas, Bomba (The Bomb) by Ralston Jover, Kita Kita (I See You) by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Meet Me in St. Gallen by Irene Emma Villamor, Melodrama/Random/Melbourne by Matthew Victor Pastor, Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha (The Family That Never Weeps) by Mes de Guzman, Pauwi Na (Pedicab) by Paolo Villaluna, Tale of the Lost Boys by Joselito Altarejos, and Tu Pug Imatuy (Right to Kill) written by Arnel Mardoquio and directed by Arbi Barbarona.

FACINE is a nonprofit media arts organization that aims to promote and develop Filipino cinema as a social document of cultural heritage, and as medium of artistic expression. Dedicated to empowering artists and audiences on films that speak about Filipino communities globally, FACINE has organized the festival for the past 25 years and it also hosts film-related events in the SF Bay Area.

TransCo Fast and Free Internet is in Sight

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Communication and Telecommunications (DICT), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) signed last Friday, June 8 a Memorandum of Agreement that will make internet speed faster at no charge in selected public places nationwide. From L-R: DICT Usec. Denis Villorente, TransCo President Atty. Melvin Matibag, DICT Acting Sec. Eliseo Rio, NGCP President Anthony Almeda, TransCo General Counsel Atty. Noel de Leon, and NGCP Chief Admin Officer, Atty. Bryan Co.

The National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) said that fast and free internet is in sight following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement among DICT, NGCP and TransCo on the National Broadband Project.

TransCo President Atty. Melvin Matibag the country is well on the road to accomplishing the promise of President Duterte in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) to give fast internet speed at no charge in selected public places including parks, plazas, public libraries, schools, government offices, hospitals, train stations, airports and seaports nationwide.

“This is major milestone. We are very happy that this MOA was finally signed. This will also help hasten the processing of licenses, permits, clearances and other government issuances nationwide,” Matibag added.

Matibag thanked Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi for their steadfast support to the national broadband project. “They were always helping us overcome our challenges.”

Matibag also congratulated DICT Acting Secretary Rio for DICT’s major accomplishment.

“DOST started this project seven years ago, which was continued by DICT following its creation in 2016. Secretary Rio had been tirelessly pushing for this agreement, fixing things, overcoming obstacles.”

President Matibag gave special thanks to NGCP President Anthony Almeda for allowing the free use of the dark fiber in the transmission lines for the use of government.

“I am happy that despite our differences, NGCP and TransCo, as the concessionaire and the owner of the transmission facilities, have partnered to deliver this gift to the Filipino people. This is a fine example of government and the private sector joining hands to spur progress and development in the countryside.”

Finally, Matibag said all this would not have happened if not for the leadership and political will of President Rodrigo Duterte. “Our president created the environment to make this happen.”

New OPM Musucak Geegee at Waterina Set to Open on August

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Artist Playground proudly announces the staging of an original Pinoy musical “ GEEGEE AT WATERINA ” with book and lyrics by J. Dennis C. Teodosio in August 2018 at Arts Above, Artist Playground II, 112 West Venue Bldg., West Avenue, Quezon City.

The roles of GEEGEE AT WATERINA will be portrayed by Norman Penaflorida and Roeder Camanag respectively.

GEEGEE is an entertainment actor, radio host and a counselor of Pasay City. More than 60 years old.

WATERINA is a ‘comfort gay’ during Japanese Occupation in the Philippines. More than 70 years old. She is one of Gee-gee’s Golden Gays.

With original music composed by Jesse Lucas, and choreography by Lezlie Dailisan, GEEGEE AT WATERINA will be directed by Andrew de Real.

“ Geegee At Waterina ” was first presented at the CCP Virgin Labfest in 2005. A short film version was produced for Cinemalaya in 2006.

The performance schedules of GEEGEE AT WATERINA are as follows:

August 18 (3pm & 7pm)
August 19 (3pm & 7pm)
August 25 (3pm & 7pm)
August 26 (3pm & 7pm)

For further inquiries, please call or send SMS to Ms. Kimberly Somoza at 0975-9193179.