The Japan Foundation Asia Center launched …and Action! Asia: Exchange Program for Students in Film Studies in 2014 fiscal year with the aim of encouraging a new generation of filmmakers from Asia to achieve a greater understanding of filmmaking in other countries, expand their networks in the region, and utilize their experience for their studies and future careers.

For its third edition, the program was co-organized with the University of the Philippines Film Institute, in cooperation with the Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and held in the Philippines from late February to early March for 13 days. This was the first workshop held outside Japan, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, one of the Asia’s undisputed movie capitals.

At the workshop, 19 students in film studies from Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia made three short films and received special lectures by film professionals who lead Filipino film industry, Bianca Balbuena, Carlos Siguion Reyna and Armando “Bing” Lao. The works the participants made were screened at Cine Adarna of the University of the Philippines and reviewed by the audiences and the professionals.

These colorful three short films were revealed online. (Source: http://jfac.jp/en/culture/news/and-action-asia03-170330/)

Watch  KELLY AND THE TV HEAD

Synopsis: It is Kelly’s birthday and her best friend, Jade, would like to surprise her. Instead of taking Kelly to shopping, she takes Kelly to a local stand alone cinema that offers Kelly an unexpected cinematic experience which reminds her of her past.

Production Team: Nur Ikmar Bin Sarbini, Katrina May B. Banaag, Egha Muhammad Harismina, Supakit Sonsee, Kento Fukuda, John Peter Cadiz Chua, Gilan Paolo P. Ilagan, Yow Chong Lee (Instructor)

Watch  TASTE OF LIFE

Synopsis: Nam, a Thai Muslim food blogger, is assigned to write an article about Filipino food. She meets Lilly, a dismissive local guide assigned to help her. After mistakenly feeding Nam pork, Lilly tries to make amends by making her review Bulalo. Over the course of the meal, they eventually bond and start an understanding each other. They develop something more than a friendship.

Production Team: Attawut Intagoon, Lorenzo Miguel B. Hilario, Evan Secunda, Nehemiah Yap Jia Sheng, Koichiro Ishii, Alphonzo C. Alegrado, Nuntanat Duangtisarn（Instructor）, Yusmita Akhirul Latif（Instructor）

Watch RED

Synopsis: A university student faces a confusing situation. He tries to define his color. When he tries to find it, he faces some obstacles.

Production Team: Kenji Hayashi, Brainard Bill Barrinuevo, Anthony Saleh Ngau, Katrina Ysabel Villarosa, Herry Setyadi,Tin Chanabangkaew, Makoto Watanabe (Instructor)

To read other related news about this event, check the following online articles:

Shapes of filmmaking to come http://www.philstar.com/arts-and-culture/2017/04/10/1689336/shapes-filmmaking-come

Art That Transcends Barriers http://lifestylenetwork.tv/lifestyle-network-fun/art-that-transcends-barriers

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Screenings UPFI Film Center
April 2017

Eduardo Roy Jr: Trio of Breakthroughs/Joseph Israel Laban: Lives at the Edges
April 4 Tue
2:30 p.m. Bahay Bata
5 p.m. Quick Change
7 p.m. Pamilya Ordinaryo

April 5 Wed
5 p.m. Bahay Bata
7 p.m. Pamilya Ordinaryo

April 6 Thurs
5 p.m. Cuchera
7 p.m. Bahay Bata

April 7 Fri
5 p.m. Pamilya Ordinaryo
7 p.m. Quick Change

April 8 Sat
2:30 p.m. Pamilya Ordinaryo
5 p.m. Happy New Year/Ulilang Lubos
7 p.m. Nuwebe

April 10 Mon
2:30 p.m. Bahay Bata
5 p.m. Quick Change
7 p.m. Pamilya Ordinaryo

April 11 Tue
5 p.m. Nuwebe
7 p.m. The Sister

Apichatpong Weerasethakul Presented by MCAD
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
April 17 Mon 5 p.m.

Cemetery of Splendour
April 18 Tue 5 p.m.

Back-to-Back First Features: John Paul Su/Ice Idanan
April 19 Wed
5 p.m. Toto
7:30 p.m. Sakaling Hindi Makarating

April 20 Thurs
5 p.m. Toto
7:30 p.m. Sakaling Hindi Makarating

April 21 Fri
5 p.m. Sakaling Hindi Makarating
7:30 p.m. Toto

April 22 Sat
2:30 p.m. Sakaling Hindi Makarating
5 p.m. Toto
7:30 p.m. Sakaling Hindi Makarating

Encore for Cinema One Originals Best Picture
Petersen Vargas’ 2 Cool 2 be 4gotten
April 27, 28, 29 Thurs-Sat 2:30/5/7:30 p.m.

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UPFI congratulates Adrian D Mendizabal for being chosen as one of the fellows in this year’s 8th Kritika
National Workshop on Art and Cultural Criticism on May 3 to 6, 2017 at University of San Agustin, Iloilo, West Visayas, Philippines. Dr. Rolando B. Tolentino, esteemed cultural studies scholar and BNSCWC Associate for Criticism, is workshop director.

 
KRITIKA is envisioned to give young scholars who want to commit themselves to art and cultural criticism a forum where they could discuss their work and concerns with established art critics and culture experts in the country. The workshop focuses on critical writing in the following arts and cultural practice: literature, architecture, theatre, film, dance, music, visual arts, multi-art, and popular culture.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/dlsu.bnscwc/posts/1279152532140228

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UPFI Faculty member and filmmaker, Asst. Prof. Joni Gutierrez’s thesis film, Lifeworld Series (117 minutes, 2017) composed of 10 short films will be screening on 7 April 2017, 2:30-5:30pm at 10/F, Communication and Visual Arts Building, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.

Lifeworld Series (Joni Gutierrez, 2017, 117 minutes)
Official website: http://jonigutierrez.com/lifeworld_series
Composed of ten short film episodes, Lifeworld Series is a result of Joni Gutierrez’s cinematic experimentations on the realist film theory of Siegfried Kracauer. Drawing from the Husserlian concept of the Lifeworld (Lebenswelt), Kracauerian cinematic realism, particularly with its affinity for the quotidian, fortuitous and the indeterminate, belongs to the larger ‘phenomenalist-realist’ tradition of film theory (Aitken, 2016, p. 34). In the post-screening Q&A session, Joni Gutierrez will expound on the general idea of the phenomenalist-realist film, describe how the relevant findings of each episode in the series led to the next, and finally – enriched by the comments and insights from the audience – attempt to formulate preliminary conclusions on his investigation of Kracauerian cinematic realism through film practice.
Reference
Aitken, I. (2016). Introduction. In I. Aitken, The Major Realist Film Theorists: A Critical Anthology (pp. 1-40). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

SHORT BIO:
Joni Gutierrez is a PhD Candidate (Film) at the Hong Kong Baptist University and an Assistant Professor (on study leave) at the University of the Philippines Film Institute. His films have been screened at the Filipino International Cine Festival in San Francisco, California in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He featured his photography in his solo exhibition, Home for Now: Two Studies on the Hong Kong Lifeworld which was held at the Hong Kong Baptist University Library and the Gallery of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong in 2016. He obtained his MA in Media Studies (Film) and BA in Psychology from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. His official website is www.JoniGutierrez.com

FULL MOVIE AVAILABLE ONLINE: http://heritage.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/view.php?id=11179

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Congratulations, Dr. Rolando Tolentino on your appointment as the new Director of the UP Institute of Creative Writing at the College of Arts and Letters.

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UP Film Institute congratulates UPFI lecturer, Baby Ruth Villarama for bagging the  Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at the 10th CinemAsia film festival in the Netherlands, for her film, “Sunday Beauty Queen.”

The documentary that won best picture at the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) follows Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong.

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The UP Film Institute congratulates Sam Manacsa’s short film, “Kung Wala Nang Tulad Natin” as its enters an International competition at the 39th Clermont-Ferrand Int’l Film Festival. The film tells the story of a grieving widow’s attempt to find the missing piece of her husband’s remains.

For more details, go to this link: http://www.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php?&m=426&c=3&id_film=200064247&o=178

You can watch the short film’s trailer here: https://www.facebook.com/upfilikhaadarna/videos/1011858848849279/

Good luck and break a leg!

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Congratulations to the winners of the Pelikultura 2017: CALABARZON Film Festival in UP Los Banos last March 10, 2017.

Steven Paul Evangelio’s “Processions” won numerous awards namely Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Performance (Ensemble).

On the other hand, Gilb Baldoza’s film, “Nandito Naman Tayo Para sa Isa’t Isa, ‘Di Ba?” won the Jury Prize Award.

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Congratulations, Antonne  Santiago for bagging the Special Mention award at the Dance on Screen Award 2017, for his film, “JUANA AND THE SACRED SHORES”.

Check the film’s trailer in this link: https://www.facebook.com/upfilikhaadarna/videos/1158382380863591/

Read more here: http://valentinamoar.com/?p=1489

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The UP Film Institute congratulates the production team of the film, “Aliens Ata” led by UPFI Student (MAMS Film Program) Karl Glenn Barit and UPFI Alumna Che Tagyamon, for winning the Best Short Film at the recently concluded SinagMaynila International Film Festival 2017.

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