Films
Chicago Filipino American Film Festival 2011 Schedule
FRIDAY
OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION sponsored by ALLSTATE
Friday, November 4, 7:00 PM FREE
Come kick off the Eighth Annual Chicago Filipino American Film Festival with refreshments and meet special guests Bessie Badilla and Lyca Benitez-Brown (DANCE OF MY LIFE) and other filmmakers whose works will be featured at CFAFF 2011. Presented by Allstate.
OPENING NIGHT FILM: DANCE OF MY LIFE
Friday, November 4, 8:00 PM $10
Directed by Lyca Benitez-Brown, featuring Bessie Badilla. DANCE OF MY LIFE chronicles Bessie’s rise from poverty, her success as an internationally renowned Filipina supermodel, and the personal battles that led Bessie, now a mother of two living in Connecticut, to her triumph as the Queen of Brazilian Carnivale. DANCE OF MY LIFE star BESSIE BADILLA and filmmaker Lyca Benitez-Brown will be in attendance at the Chicago Premiere, followed by a Q&A session with Bessie Badilla and Lyca Benitez-Brown.
SATURDAY
THE LEARNING
Saturday, November 5, 12:00 PM $10
Ramona Diaz, director of the acclaimed documentary, IMELDA, returns with an engaging and thought provoking documentary that follows four Filipino schoolteachers who are recruited to teach in the Baltimore school system. Diaz captures the classroom experience as well as the personal lives of her subjects, the sacrifices they make, the loved ones left back home, and their daily endeavor to make a difference in the lives of their students.
DANCE OF MY LIFE (repeat)
Saturday, November 5, 2:00 PM $10
Q&A session will follow.
BAKAL BOYS
Saturday, November 5, 4:30 PM $10
Directed by Ralston Jover, BAKAL BOYS (Children Metal Divers) is the story of a group of boys who dive for scrap metal in Manila Bay in order to provide for their families, and what results when one boy does not return. Co-produced by Bessie Badilla, who will be in attendance for a Q&A session.
RAKENROL
Saturday, November 5, 7:00 PM $10
LA-based indie filmmaker Quark Henares brings the story of two friends Odie and Irene and their attempt to turn their love of music into a bid for rock and roll stardom. RAKENROL is both a satire and a tribute to the Pinoy indie rock scene. Director Quark Henares will be in attendance for a Q&A session.
A WEEK IN METRO MANILA: UP DHARMA DOWN
Saturday, November 5, 9:00 PM $10
A Chicago-based filmmaker travels to the Philippines to document the Filipino indie musical group Up Dharma Down, offering an inside look at this up and coming band, and a rare glimpse of Metro Manila and the Pinoy music scene. World Premiere. Filmmaker Tony Rago in attendance.
SUNDAY
CFAFF DOC PRESENTATION
Sunday, November 6, 12:00 PM $10
Three films featuring diverse topics examining the Filipino and Filipino American experience: THE HIDDEN DREAM— Directed by Sheila Duenas Imme and Jon Imme, THE HIDDEN DREAM is a historical documentary recounting the Filipino and Filipino American experience, touching upon key events including the Bataan Death March and the Rescission Act of 1946. PROVINCIAL POLITICS— This brief documentary provides and outsider’s attempt to decipher the inner workings of local politics in the Philippines. Directed by George Clipp. AGOS (WAVES) —An engaging portrait of a veteran surfer, her day to day life and her efforts to pass on her traditions to a young protege. Directed by Samantha Lee.
LEFT BY THE SHIP
Sunday, November 6, 2:00 PM $10
A documentary by Emma Rossi-Landi and Alberto Vendemmiati, the film chronicles the story of a Filipino journalist who comes to terms with his own roots by reaching out to Filipino Amerasian children of American military personnel, and giving voice to their struggles with identity and alienation.
CFAFF SHORT FILM PROGRAM
Sunday, November 6, 4:00 PM $10
Join us to watch the finalists of the CFAFF SHORT FILM PROGRAM. Be there as we announce the winner of the COMCAST SHORT FILM AWARD
EDEN, Director: Ziggy Chicano
CLANDESTINED, Director: Claro
YOUNG LIGAW, Director: Fernando Dalayoan
BLEACHED, Director: Jessica dela Merced
TIME AFTER TIME, Director: Ramon Gil
ASIAN AMERICAN JESUS, Director: Yasmine Gomez
PAMILYA, Director: Jerry Monckton
BROKEN WINGS, Director: Rio Puerollano
TRUTH, Director: John Raposas
YO SO UN HOMBRE LOCO, Director: Vladislav Rimburg
ANG MANGINGISDA, Director: Tim Saguinsin
BE MY BABY, Director: Kevin Wong
2010 Feature Film Selections
Manila Skies (Himpapawid)
Directed by Raymond Red. (Philippines)
Filipino with English Subtitles
103 minutes
Friday, November 5, 2010 at 8pm
The Chicago Filipino American Film Festival opens its 2010 program with MANILA SKIES, a new feature film from Raymond Red, winner of a Palme D’Or at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and a true master of Philippine cinema. With visually stunning cinematography set against a gritty urban landscape, Manila Skies tells the story of Raul, a frustrated dockworker who is driven by a serious of unfortunate events into a final act of desperation.
The Mountain Thief
Directed by Gerry Balasta (U.S. & Philippines)
Filipino with English Subtitles
78 minutes
Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 7pm Director Reception & 8pm screening
Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 2:30pm
A father struggles to care for his son in Promised Land, an impoverished shanty town where the residents live day by day as scavengers among the garbage heaps of Payatas. First-time director, Gerry Balasta from New York City delivers a powerful debut feature that showcases the performances of actual residents of Payatas who participated in an acting workshop run Balasta himself. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and the George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award at the DC-APA Film Festival.
The Underachievers
Directed by D.B. Cheng (U.S.)
English
Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 2:00pm
Ghosts Don’t Exist
Directed by Eric Espejo (U.S.)
English
Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 4:30pm
Philip Roebuck stars as a television personality and ghost investigator who takes on one last assignment when the paranormal hits disturbingly close to home. A tightly woven horror and suspense thriller written and directed by Filipino American filmmaker Eric Espejo. Winner of the D.C. Independent Film Festival.
Short Film Program
Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 12:00pm
CFAFF continues a six year tradition of presenting outstanding short form narrative, short documentary, and music video.
“Anino”
By Raymond Red
This classic short directed by Raymond Red was honored with the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. A landmark in Philippine cinema. Red’s feature film Manila Skies opens our 2010 festival.
“Harang” (“Barriers”)
By Mikhail Red
A jeepney driver encounters carjackers on the open road, in a short film by Mikhail Red that examines the nature of cynicism and mistrust.
“Kamera”
By Mikhail Red
Lav Diaz, a legend of Filipino independent film, stars as a solitary filmmaker who passes on a legacy of cinema to an unlikely heir.
“66 Years, 2 Months, 21 Days… and Still Counting”
By Mona Lisa Yuchengco
Delfin Gonzales, Sr., 95 years of age, recounts life, marriage, and family with extraordinary clarity in a deeply moving and resonant account of one man’s life in the 20th century. Directed by Mona Lisa Yuchengco.
“Penny for Your Thoughts”
Ziggy Chicano
Do things work out the way they do in all those romantic comedies? Local filmmaker Ziggy Chicano answers.
“Halcyon Days”
Steve Mallorca
Steve Mallorca (SLOW JAM KING) offers a new music video from The Jack Lords, whose music was featured in the feature film THREE TO FIVE AND GLASSY.
“Mother”
By John Raposas
A young woman faces the challenges of adopting a child with special needs in a short film by John Raposas.
“Letters from Alaska”
Roberto Ang Reyes
A migrant worker in Alaska reflects on the alienation of working overseas.
The Cockfighter (Sabungero)
Directed by Miguel Kaimo and Rozie Delgado (Philippines)
Filipino with English Subtitles
Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 5:00pm
A man with a gift for breeding and raising champion gamecocks sacrifices career and family when his passion for the sport leads to obsession. With a moving lead performance by veteran Filipino actor Joel Torre and a talented supporting cast, SABUNGERO offers a candid glimpse into the world of Sabong. Winner of the Aloha Accolade Award at the 2010 Honolulu International Film Festival and the Golden Palm at the 2010 Mexico International Film Festival.
2009 Film Selections
CONFESSIONAL
A young videographer travels to Cebu to film a documentary about the annual Sinulog Festival, only to discover a landscape of corruption, cultural divides, and the elusive nature of truth. Directed by Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Dahis Antipuesto, CONFESSIONAL is Part 1 of Tarog’s CAMERA Trilogy. Winner of Best ASEAN Film at the Cinemanila Film Festival. Presented with English Subtitles.
MANGATYANAN (THE BLOOD TRAIL)
In the second part of Jerrold Tarog’s ongoing CAMERA Trilogy, Laya (Che Ramos), the estranged daughter of an acclaimed photographer follows in her father’s footsteps, and is assigned to cover a tribal ritual called “the Blood Trail.” Along the way, Laya’s own journey brings her face to face with the dark secrets of her buried past. Presented with English Subtitles.
Documentary Program
MANILATOWN IS IN THE HEART: TIME TRAVEL WITH AL ROBLES
Directed by Curtis Choy
SOUNDS OF A NEW HOPE
Directed by Eric Tandoc
DAYO
DAYO is the story of a young boy who travels to Elementalia, a mythical place inhabited by the dark and wondrous characters pulled from Philippine folklore. The first feature-length digital animated film produced in the Philippines , DAYO is a landmark achievement for children of all ages, and a magical adventure in the tradition of classic Disney with a distinctive Philippine flavor. With English Subtitles.
GIFT OF BARONG
Benito Bautista returns to the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival with Festival favorite, GIFT OF BARONG, an acclaimed documentary that follows two Filipino American surfers who travel to the Philippines in search of waves, and embrace their own identity as Filipinos. Presented in English and with English subtitles.
100
Chris Martinez wrote and directed 100, a moving tale about a busy professional woman who learns she is terminally ill, and is forced to re-evaluate what is important in life through a final to-do list of 100 items. Winner of an Audience Award for Best Feature at Cinemalaya, and Best Actress for Mylene Dizon. Presented with English Subtitles.
INSIDE A CHANGE
Acclaimed hip-hop music video director Rik Cordero delivers a landmark feature film that follows the story of a young man who rediscovers the importance of family on the last day before he is sent to prison. Winner of Best Film, HBO New York Latino Film Festival.
CONCERTO
A historical period piece set just outside Davao City during the Japanese occupation in World War II, CONCERTO follows the story of a family’s survival during wartime, and the music that offers common ground and understanding on both sides of the war. Winner of Best Picture at the Golden Screen Awards. English subtitles.
BOSES
A reclusive violin teacher takes a young music prodigy under his wing, while the boy’s abusive father attempts to reclaim custody of the child. Directed by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, BOSES garnered the award for Best Director and Best Film at the Golden Screen Awards. Starring Cherry Pie Picache and Ricky Davao. With English subtitles.
CFAFF SHORTS PROGRAM
“O” by Amber Rosario Manuguid
“No. 4″ by Benito Bautista
“Dumaguete Fragments” by Claro De Los Reyes
“The Scorpion and the Frog” by Dan Finley
“The Other Way Round” by Geoffrey Quan
“Technophilia” by Rianne Hill Soriano
“Among All Creatures” by Tyrone Acierto
“Flower Thieves” by Shawn Bernal
“One Year” by John P. Raposas
CREATUR
Based on real life experiences, CREATUR follows the story of a circle of friends who struggle to survive in a landscape of gang violence. CFAFF is proud to present CREATUR, a feature-length Filipino American drama shot in 16mm film and produced entirely in Chicago using entirely local cast and crew. In English.
