May at Nila
Directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo
Matt Ordonez – 3/5
The film shows daring concepts and performances. The lead actresses displayed genuine chemistry and intimacy throughout their interactions. The lovers are named after two contrasting icons of Filipino women. They are Oryang, the warrior maiden of the Katipunan, and Maria Clara, the demure feminine archetype of Rizal’s novels. In the course of their evening affair, they discuss and openly critique how women are treated in Philippine society. Though the cast manages to make conceptual social critique sound somewhat natural, the allegorical commentary eventually becomes ham-fisted and bloated overall. The dramatic twist that separated them feels abrupt and unearned, making their reunion feel unearned and look like a commercial rather than a dramatic climax.
John Tawasil – 3/5
A cosmic, decades-spanning romance through time and space, May and Nila is brimming with ideas that the short form can barely contain, so much so that it feels more like a proof of concept or a supercut. It is ‘whole’ in the sense that yes, it does contain all the elements of the story it tells, but this feels like material that can benefit more when its ideas are left to sit. And the questions it asks – our long history of colonialism, of what freedom truly entails – are pertinent and valid. Let it cook, that’s what I say.
Roy Narra – 3/5
The sapphic romance between the two leads proves that love is not just timeless, but also bulletproof against various kinds of oppression (discrimination, war, occupation). It can be a little too much saccharine, especially with its ending but it delivers its hopeful intention of inspiring fearless same-sex love.
Jayson Laniba – 2/5
A time-jumping tale of a doomed romance, this latest work from Bernardo isn’t exactly a straightforward tale but rather a multilayered one filled with metaphors that needs to be dissected because of all the themes it touches. It touches on how we as Filipinos let our nation down in a never-ending cycle of oppression, not only from other nations, but from our own traditionalist views. In both timelines, both women are still on the search for true freedom: one from the Japanese forces that have taken over the country, and the other, from the undying disdain towards the queer community perpetuating the society, brought upon by its patriarchal, Catholic-based tradition.
I would have liked this more if its story got fleshed out even more, as a few minutes isn’t really enough to touch on all of that given the short’s scope and ambition.
threefor100: o ang tamang porma ng pag uukay at iba pang mga bagay-bagay, i think!
Directed by Cedrick Labadia
Matt Ordonez – 5/5
This film does so much with so little. It skillfully combines contrasting tones of pedestrian adult comedy with strange existential horror. It is reminiscent of shows like “Are You Afraid of the dark?” combined with some tropes of Chinese urban cinema. It also gives an excellent commentary on how women with different types of desires are not allowed to enact them. Chinese women especially struggle with being considered “left behind” if they are unmarried and childless by 27. Why was she punished for finding solace? This film leaves this as a valid point of moral reflection in the same way old parables or “alamat” morally educates our society. The supernatural aspects are also well-portrayed as if creating a gender-swapped version of the Greek myth of Galatea. Few students dare to experiment so boldly, and even fewer experiment successfully. This film is definitely the latter.
John Tawasil – 3.25/5
The film (the actual title is pretty long lol) leans into surrealism, depicting the humdrum life of Nida (Thea Marabut) as she tries to sell clothes for her Chinoy boss. Notable that her boss’ husband is dead, there are no heirs to take over, and Nida is ultimately replaceable. It can be seen as how people create stories: either borne directly from boredom, to stave off that boredom (and fail), or in the service of selling something (Nida complaining that she needs to make a backstory for each article of clothing she tries to sell). Or maybe things are just weird. Have fun with this one.
Roy Narra -3/5
It can earn merits for its ambitious storytelling of a coming-of-age story of a woman in a Binondo ukay-ukay store. There are parts of the story that needed to be emotionally fleshed out for me to appreciate and immerse with the lead character’s epiphany and quirky self-actualization.
Jayson Laniba – 3/5
Right from its very first frame, the film assaults the viewer with its vibrant, neon-drenched visuals, and what follows is a quirky twenty-minute oddity that is best not explained. From its hypnotic music, rich production design, a marvelous turn by Thea Marabut, sprinkled with a pinch of fantasy and streaks of body horror, this quirky short is overall an amusing, surreal experience. I like it.
Ballad of a Blind Man
Directed by Charlie Garcia Vitug
Matt Ordonez – 3/5
The film tackles a serious and complex topic of domestic abuse in the family. The performances are almost flawless with what they were given. However, there are some glaring plot holes and inconsistencies despite the short runtime. For instance, despite the father being supposedly blind, he can still paint portraits. Though this is acknowledged as impressive by his daughter, does this mean he is only partially blind or totally blind but extremely talented? In another scene, he takes time to view old family photo albums and confronts his daughter for stealing one of them. But why would a blind man take time to look at photo albums? The movie would have been more solid and cohesive if these inconsistencies were ironed out.
John Tawasil – 2/5
A vibe is all that Ballad of a Blind Man seems to offer. Its protagonist is a young woman who seeks to leave the confines of her home and the control of her disabled, abusive father (Joel Saracho). Perhaps it wants to comment on how abusive relationships linger, but how exactly does she break from the cycle? What drives her to leave? It doesn’t feel whole, and to make it worse, a much better film in the same set does everything that it ostensibly wants to do, but better.
Roy Narra – 2/5
Veteran actor Joel Saracho and Joyce Macalia carried the film’s heavy emotional weight with their sharp performances and apt chemistry as the troubled father and daughter. The screenplay, however, could use a little polishing in delivering its theme of overprotection and abuse.
Jayson Laniba – 1.5/5
The first thing one will notice with this short is the rich and gorgeous production detail – from the slick camera work in the first scene to the effective music. However, nothing much happens in the film, until its last few minutes. It’s got a very slow pacing that takes you away from the story as it keeps on leaving the audience these bread crumbs on what’s really going on. By the end, one is left wondering what just happened. It feels like it’s trying to say something, but it failed to translate it properly onscreen.
Ditas Pinamalas
Directed Adrian Renz Espino
Matt Ordonez – 2/5
The film’s comedy is understandably juvenile and genuinely fun at times. The cast gives enthusiastic performances. However, a large part of comedy is timing. When the performances lack the timing, this is remedied and assisted by editing, which is the weakness of the film. Certain scenes linger a little bit too long and others go too fast. Some shots are also unflattering to their cast. The moral of the story is also somewhat naive and simplistic and could have used a few more revisions in the scripting stages.
John Tawasil – 2.75/5
Ditas Pinamalas begins with its titular protagonist (Gillian Vicencio) stepping on shit. She isn’t the luckiest girl in the world (an understatement) as her partner is recently distant, her academics are down in the dumpster, and her parents are having trouble financing her education. But in a twist of fate, she comes across several pairs of her grandmother’s panties (not granny panties! a fashionable grandma?) that give Ditas an abnormal amount of luck. The moral lesson of the film makes it feel like a Dhar Mann skit, and the voice over isn’t doing the short any favors. Still. Gillian Vicencio makes the material better than it has any right to be, and it’s still one of the most fun shorts in either set.
Roy Narra – 2/5
I felt everyone involved in this project had a fun time and that in itself is already a plus for me when I was watching this student short film. The process of making a film can be cruel so have fun for a while! However, too much fun can sacrifice the tightness of the direction and the screenplay. The life lessons the film tried to bring came off as preachy instead of an epiphany or a good reminder.
Jayson Laniba – 3/5
The comedy is effective at times. It’s giving this sitcom vibe, particularly because it also features Pepito Manaloto actors John Feir and Mosang as Ditas’ parents. Gillian Vicencio is fun as the lead. The only thing I didn’t like is that there’s way too many voice-overs here, and that can be off-putting. Also, it loses its steam halfway through. Still, this was overall an entertaining watch.
Bahay, Baboy, Bagyo
Directed by Miko Biong
Matt Ordonez – 4/5
The film follows the friendship of two boys who come of age in an informal settlement community amidst its impending demolition. The film is divided thematically according to the words of a children’s game in the title. Out of all the entries that use child actors, this movie probably used them the most effectively. The casting of the two main characters was perfect as they chose a very scrawny boy to rely on and admire his taller and stronger friend. Their chemistry clearly shows innocence and tenderness which makes the ending more tragic when their lives are interrupted by external forces. The tenderness can be interpreted as budding young attraction but the film works in the ambiguity as the point is showing the precarity of young life in the middle of Manila slums.
John Tawasil – 3.75/5
My favorite short among the students’ lineup has to be Miko Biong’s Bahay, Baboy, Bagyo. It handles its subject matter (that of informal settlers) through the perspective of a child, concerned more than the constancy of a home and playmates (i.e. to live and play a child) than anything else. There is an omnipresent, looming threat always present, if mostly unseen: the creeping violence of urbanization, the removal of a warm home to be replaced by cold concrete. What right does anyone, here or abroad, in any position of power, have to take away one’s right to be free from arbitrary interference with one’s home, privacy and family? It’s not talky and it best shows rather than tells, which elevates the material.
Roy Narra – 4/5
Biong had a careful, delicate weaving of childhood experience and activism in Bahay, Baboy, Bagyo. It respects the autonomy of these kids as they unravel the cruel capitalist world we’re living in while still holding on to the innocence that is keeping them pure. I am excited for the director’s future career track.
Jayson Laniba – 3/5
In a matter of minutes, this short film manages to tell a heartwarming and poignant tale, maximizing its runtime. It’s beautifully acted, with sensitive portrayals from its two young leads, Arkin Torres and Don Rishmond Cerbito. It kind of reminded me of Hirokazu Koreeda’s Monster for some reason. Definitely one of the best student films in this festival.
Lumang Tugtugin
Directed by Pepe Diokno
Matt Ordonez – 5/5
A persistent problem in Philippine horror cinema is the tendency for filmmakers to overproduce, over-telegraph, and overcook their movies to scare the audience. They do not trust that the central topic or monster is scary enough. The secret lies in the choice of human fear, represented by a monster or phenomenon, and its execution on camera. Without spoiling the twist ending, let us say Director Pepe Diokno has chosen one of the core fears at the heart of all Filipino filial culture. He also chose to wield his chosen fear/monster with restraint, subtlety, patience, and precision. With this short demonstration, he has provided a potential template for all aspiring Filipino horror filmmakers to overcome its bad habits.
John Tawasil – 4/5
Pepe Diokno’s Lumang Tugtugin depicts the cycles of violence that consume multiple generations of a Filipino family. The title can either refer to the abuse that a family endures and inherits, or one’s reactions (or rather, non-reaction) to it. Also, the brunt of that abuse is dealt to a family’s women: mothers, grandmothers and daughters, all bearing scars direct and indirect. The film also speaks of the dangers of “utang na loob”, and how, when weaponized, leads to the perpetuation of violence. “There is no debt to be paid,” is the film’s refrain, and the cause for some of its characters’ emancipation. That’s some good shit.
Roy Narra – 4.5/5
Lumang Tugtugin didn’t allow me to breathe for a second and I’m grateful for that experience. Diokno did not waste time in meshing horror, history, and generational trauma with our three female leads. It’s a scary reminder of how our culture of utang na loob could cage us from progressing as a society. I want to leave the house in the film but I will never forget the atrocities it caused to its residents.
Jayson Laniba – 4/5
After the critical success of “Gomburza,” Pepe Diokno returns with one of the most effectively creepy local horror films this year with “Lumang Tugtugin.” Tackling themes of generational trauma in the guise of a horror film, this is one of my favorites from this year’s Manila Film Festival. The entire time I was watching this short, I kept whispering to myself: “Wow. Just wow.” Everything about this short is perfect, from the camerawork to the music. It’s brilliantly haunting, with effectively chilling and unhinged turns from Sue Prado and Lui Manansala. And Therese Malvar remains to be a very dependable talent.
Creepy. Atmospheric. Unnerving. Now, that is how a horror short is done.
SFFR 