Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2016 kicked off last September 8th and ran for 11 days thru the 18th. The largest film festival in North
Category: Festival Coverage
Lando at Bugoy
I am left with ambivalence upon learning in the credits roll that Lando at Bugoy is actually inspired by a real-life story. Does that supposed
Mercury Is Mine
The defining trait of Jason Paul Laxamana’s Mercury Is Mine is its forthright craziness. Never has madness been beckoned with this much vigor; it’s reckless,
Pamilya Ordinaryo
The everyday routine of a Filipino family is founded on endurance and survival: surviving the traffic during rush hours, and surviving to make good on
Sakaling Hindi Makarating
Letters and Romance. Since time immemorial the two have been intertwined like the hands of lovers, or in some cases, the fingers of a pleading
All You Need Is Pag-Ibig
There’s no point saying otherwise: All You Need Is Pag-Ibig is an attempt to make a Pinoy Love Actually. Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone,
#WalangForever
There’s a line in Dan Villegas‘ new film, Walang Forever (often stylized as #WalangForever) which I like and perhaps may complement the film as a whole. It
Haunted Mansion
Betrayal underlies the conflict in most of Jun Lana’s films. Whether it’s prejudice or acts of sheer deceit—one woman is berated by her own people,
Beauty and the Bestie
In one scene in Josh Radnor’s Liberal Arts, a character, frustrated over the success of a certain sparkling vampire book, asks, “So when millions of
My Bebe Love #KiligPaMore
Perhaps the best way to sit through Jose Javier Reyes’ My Bebe Love #Kiligpamore is putting down your cynical glasses and throwing your entire expectations
Honor Thy Father
When I think about Christmas, the first memories that surge through me are that of family, simbang gabi, warm bonds, and that of all things good and right
Ari: My Life with a King
Geography and culture are largely intertwined. This is the thesis being put forward by Ari: My Life with a King, directed by Carlo Enciso Catu
Dahling Nick
The extraordinary brilliance of Dahling Nick is fully realized in its interviews with figures in Nick Joaquin’s life such as: National Artists for Literature Bienvinido
Manang Biring
Manang Biring takes off her robe, uninhibited by the darkness of her home (which apparently has not had electricity for a long time) and caresses her right
Miss Bulalacao
Miss Bulalacao narrates how an entire barrio is sent into a frenzy by the news that a gay boy has suddenly become pregnant. It opens
Dayang Asu
Much has been said about the pacing issues of Bor Ocampo’s Dayang Asu (Eng title: Dognation), and I think that is what makes this film
Bukod Kang Pinagpala
Faith is its own logic. That’s one reason why religion isn’t a recurring topic at open mics. No one will laugh at those jokes—unless in the
Baka Siguro Yata
A ne’er-do-well fat slacker and a bombshell way out his league end up pregnant after a drunken hook-up and learn to love each other along the
The Assassin
I must admit; upon entering the movie theatre, I expected Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin to be a high-energy Wuxia drama with exploding colors, intense fight
