By Karla Vizcarra
The Active Vista film festival works under this conviction: a mission to revolutionize values through the powerful medium of cinema. A first of its kind, Active Vista goes beyond mere entertainment, mere video machinery.
Active Vista recognizes the country’s longstanding struggle for change, and aims to awaken a progressive spirit in our people---- if not a social conscience, at least a social consciousness. It’s a little ambitious, but there is just enough genius in its roster of films to believe it can work.
The weeklong festival will be held at the Robinson’s Galleria IndieSine from November 26 to December 2, 2008, with each day of the week devoted to a specific advocacy, in partnership with a NGO: Filipino Heroism, Culture and National Identity (Kasaysayan ng Kagitingan), Justice, Gender and Human Rights, and Peace (Katuwiran, Karapatan at Kapayapaan), Environment (Kalikasan), Education, Children and Youth (Kabataan Kinabukasan)and Social Progress – Poverty, Hunger, Health, Debt and Issues of Marginalized Sectors of Society (Kaunlaran). Each day, from 1 pm onwards, Indiesine will be showing classic, award-winning, or critically-acclaimed films--- many of them independent---that will leave a message and stir the hopeful Filipino spirit.
To be featured in the festival are Mike de Leon’s never been shown documentary on the Martial Law, Signos and his mind-bending satire, Kakabakaba Ka Ba, Dante Garcia’s Oscar nominee Ploning and recent winners and entries in the Cinemalaya Film Festival, including Pepot Artista, Pisay, Tribu and Brutus. In addition, there will be a special screening of the Best of Probe Team episodes, Raymond Red’s Bayani, the selected Ten Best Student Short Films and a marathon showing of cult tv hit, Strangebrew. After and in between screenings, there will be forums, live music performances and interactions with the filmmakers.
The Active Vista is a project of DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, in cooperation with the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA) and The Philippine Independent Filmmakers Multipurpose Cooperative (IFC).
More than anything, Dakila believes that change can happen---one mind, one step and possibly, one viewer at a time.
Support the Active Vista Film Festival.
ACTIVE VISTA FILM FESTIVAL
November 26 to December 2
Robinsons Galleria IndieSine
For more details and a complete listing of the screening schedules/ activities, visit: www.dakila.org.ph or e-mail activevista.filmfestival@yahoo.com. You may also reach us at 09054292539 or 5729180.
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ACTIVE VISTA FILM FESTIVAL
Changing the way we view the world….
November 26 to December 2, 2008
Robinsons Galleria IndieSine
PELIKULA
FILM SCREENINGS
Kasaysayan ng Kagitingan [Filipino Heroism, Culture and National Identity]
By showing films that dwell on the celebration of our rich culture and tradition, the chronicles of the life and times of our heroes and the struggles of our country to attain our identity and pride as a nation, we may be able to instill values that defy our long confinement from colonial mentality.
Bayani by Raymond Red
On the eve of Bonifacio Day, we will be showing a re-mastered version of the film as it marks its 15th anniversary this year. Bayani is a tale about the rise, fall and resurrection of the "Katipunan" and its Supremo and a semi-biography of Philippine hero Andres Bonifacio. Noted for its heavy stylistics and painstaking attention to filmic detail, the biopic also tackles the momentous events surrounding the Philippine struggle against Spanish colonialism.
Namets by Emilio “Jay” Abello (Cinemalaya 2008)
Namets is a colorful celebration of food as well as love, and the love of food above all, which is central to being Negrosanon and being Filipino. It follows the flirtation between Jacko and Cassie, two Negrenses who grew up in Bacolod , and whose lives revolve around food. The film is shot in Negros Occidental and the language is primarily in Hiligaynon, the language spoken in that region.
Ploning by Dante Garcia
The popular Cuyonon folk song, “Ploning” is the main inspiration for the film. It presents the story of a Cuyonon woman’s promise, her struggle with hope and love told from the point of view of a young boy. It is a loving tribute to small-town life, folk tradition and timeless tenets; its textured characters, each with an affecting story to tell; its private locales; its actors' deeply-felt performances; and its shared insights about the different forms of love that bind people to each other. All of these elements come to bear on the principal story of Ploning (Judy Ann Santos), a selfless woman who mourns a departed love but doesn't let her private grief prevent her from helping many others with their personal problems.
Katuwiran, Karapatan at Kapayapaan [Justice, Gender and Human Rights, and Peace]
By presenting films that depict the on going struggle of our nation to achieve justice, gender equality, respect for human rights and peace, we may be able to lay the foundation for an empowered citizenry.
Huling Balyan ng Buhi (Woven Stories of the Other) by Sherad Anthony Sanchez
Huling Balyan ng Buhi is a war film, one that doesn't relish in the flagrant violence and casualties but speaks of and for the lives that are ultimately affected. Sanchez's film, instead of relying on the traditional narrative, crosscuts between real-time sequences that is more telling of the currency of conflict than what is manufactured by the creative mind of a screenwriter, who mostly merely rewrites personal impressions of war or what has been published in newspapers. The stories are finally woven together not by the common considerations of traditional narrative but by an overbearing feeling caused by prolonged warfare where no bet can ever be capable of winning. The thread that finally connects everything is inevitable loss: of a mother we'll never get to know, of a real reason to fight, of the last balyan, the final bastion of a cultural identity.
Hunghong sa Yuta (Earth’s Whisperer) by Arnel Mardoquio
"Earth's whisper." The English translation of "Hunghong sa Yuta" — the title of Arnel Mardoquio's film about war and peace in Mindanao — easily cues us on how to read this story about a clutch of deaf-mute children in a mountain community consisting of Christians, Muslims and Lumads, and the teacher from the city who introduces them to the alphabet and numbers. War between rebels and the military has devastated the community of Hinyok, its most telling casualty being children born without the ability to speak and hear, and whose fathers are nevertheless intent on training them to become fighters to defend their land. Vigo Cruz, artist and toy-maker, answers a posted notice about Hinyok's need for a teacher, and his work with the children brings joy and hope to the young war victims and their mothers.
Kalikasan [Environment]
By displaying the beauty of a country gifted with abundant natural resources, we may be able to impart the pressing need to protect and preserve our environment.
Brutus by Tara Illenberger (Cinemalaya 2008)
Brutus tells the tale of two Mangyan children, hired by illegal loggers to smuggle wood from the mountains of Mindoro , as they embark on a dangerous journey to deliver the goods to the lowlands. In the process, they discover a world run by the greed of men, a world governed by ideologies that bring about the armed conflict that plagues the Mindoro highlands, the home of their own people.
Kabataan…Kinabukasan [Education, Children and Youth]
By portraying the intricacies of everyday survival of the Filipino youth,
we may be able to find a path to build their future.
Pepot Artista by Clodualdo del Mundo
Pepot Artista is a comedy-musical that focuses on a ten-year-old boy whose dream is to become a movie star. Pepot, the dreamer, is surrounded by people who are equally dazzled by the movie world- from his own mother to the principal in his school to the impersonators in the neighborhood carnival.. Coming from a poor family, Pepot overcomes adversity to have a chance at fulfilling his dream. He tackles school bullies, a strict teacher, and an unwelcoming world that fails to comprehend his intense desire to become a star. The story happens in the ‘70s when superstars brightened the film world in Pepot’s country. The film explores the penchant of Filipinos for entertainment in the midst of serious social problems.
Tribu by Jim Libiran (Cinemalaya 2007)
The movie depicts, in graphic detail, the gang culture of Tondo, a Manila slum notorious for its chaos, filth, poverty and violence. The story is told from the point of view of a 10-year-old boy who witnesses the violence as a gang avenges the death of one of its members. The gangs call themselves "tribes," thus the title "Tribu."
Pisay by Auraeus Solito (Cinemalaya 2007)
Pisay” relates the stories of eight Philippine Science High School (PSHS) students during the volatile 1980s when the Philippines was in its greatest moment in history- as the Marcos Dictatorship is ousted by the 1986 People Power Revolution to Cory Aquino's New Government- as they come of age in a time filled with excitement, conflict and change.
Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong (The Road to Kalimugtong) by Mes de Guzman
For Jinky and Potpot, life in Benguet is simply a trek to and from school. Every day, together with other children, they have to cross mountains, rivers and hanging bridges to get to their destination. They survive thanks to the work of their elder brothers, Manong Ramil and Manong Ronaldo, who inherited the task of looking after their siblings and grandfather on their parents' death. Both work for a mining company, leaving the younger brothers in their grandfather's care. But the elder brothers haven't been back for months. The film tackles the blatant ills of the Philippines ' educational system and its surrounding issues on poverty without being too preachy. It is quite good that the film is narrated and is shown through the point of view of the children; and as such, the presentation of the issues is filtered by their inherent naivete and innocence, making the exercise a lot more palatable yet poignant.
Bunso by Ditsi Carolino
The film allows us to look into the bleak fate of children from the impoverished slums of the largest cities of the third world. The main character of the film is 11 year old Bunso, who is serving time for minor theft in the metropolis of Manila , in the Philippines . Together with Diosel, who is a few months older and 13 year old Tony, they are passed up against hundreds of adult prisoners in overcrowded cells, many of whom are sentenced for rape, murder and dealing drugs.
Kaunlaran [Social Progress – Poverty, Hunger, Health, Debt and
Issues of Marginalized Sectors of Society]
By featuring films that depict the struggles of the common man in a country that despite the promise of progress has failed to provide children with quality education, families of decent shelter, workers of fair wages, farmers with a land of their own, and majority of the population with dignity of life, we may be able to achieve a national development goal that balances social progress with social justice.
My Fake American Accent by Ned Trespeces (Cinemalaya 2008)
The film is a slice-of-life workplace comedy following the lives of technical support call center agents in the span of six months. Speaking with a fake American accent is a prerequisite for the job. This ensemble comedy is an inside look into the maddening, sleep-deprived, caffeine-fuelled lives of those who ply their trade in the call center industry.
Huling Byahe by Rom Dongeto
“Huling Byahe” (The Final Journey) is a story of a young woman named Minda, an OFW returning to her tribal hometown after working abroad for six years—a chapter in her life that is shrouded in silence and from which she returned shaken and wounded. “Huling Biyahe” is a story of trials and courage amidst compelling issues confronting women—gender based violence, family planning, and migration. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Cordilleras and its colorful culture and rituals, “Huling Biyahe” is a film that behooves its audience to rethink harmony between customs/traditions and pressing, modern-day socio-economic issues.
Kasarinlan at Kalayaan [Democracy and Good Governance]
By presenting the formation of a young nation struggling to practice democracy and good governance, we may be able to collectively transverse the road to nation building.
Manoro by Brillante Mendoza
A young girl tries to teach her elders a lesson about self-determination and respect in this drama inspired by actual events. The Aeta are indigenous people who have traditionally lived in the nation's mountain regions. However, after the eruption of a long-dormant volcano, an Aeta community is relocated to the nearby lowlands, and the children of the Aeta attend state-sponsored schools for the first time. Jonalyn is a 13-year-old girl who has just graduated from grade school and is eager to put her knowledge to use for the good of the community. When she learns that an upcoming election will choose the nation's new leader, she encourages the adults in her village to vote; however, she soon discovers that most of them can't read a ballot and have no idea how the voting process works. With the election only a few days away, Jonalyn organizes a crash course to teach the grown-ups in her community how to take part in the democratic process. However, not all of them are eager to learn, and when Jonalyn discovers her grandfather has gone missing during a hunting trip, she and her father set out to find him before Election Day rolls around.
Barako: Small time, Big time Politics by Manolito C. Sulit
Barako is a haunting account of a young man’s attempt to effect change in his town by gathering his friends around a kapihan called “barakuhan”. In the absence of media, it effectively becomes a venue for the townsfolk to practice their democratic rights, colliding expectedly with the elite’s political and economic interests. The movie starts glaringly with the American occupation of Batangas (early 1900) with the valiant Gen. Malvar and another local hero, Mateo Ilustre plotting its defense. It then takes us to a seemingly restive yet impoverished Batangueño community 100 years later, taking shifting points of view of the people from the grassroots, drawing them initially around one central figure, an unnamed character labeled only as the Publicist and later on, around yet another, Mando— referred to in the story (by the Publicist himself) as "ang tunay na barako".
Signos by Mike de Leon (World Premiere)
The assassination of Ninoy Aquino in August 1983, generally believed to be the work of the military, became a key moment in Philippine history for a renewed opposition to Marcos. In the same year, Mike de Leon made Signos (1983). The film is an independent Brecthian styled documentary about the anti-censorship protest movement, labor and student rallies, and the funeral of Aquino. Signos is Mike de Leon’s first attempt at an explicitly political film and it is his first film outside mainstream cinema. It was produced on a limited and non-commercial scale by the progressive nongovernmental organization, Asia Visions, known for producing socially relevant films. The screening of Signos is a once in a lifetime chance to see an unreleased work of one of the most brilliant filmmaker that Philippine Cinema has produced.
CLOSING FILM
Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (Will Your Heart Beat Faster?) by Mike de Leon
Mike de Leon's wittily demented musical satire about Japanese yakuza, Chinese gangsters, bohemian hedonism, and the Catholic Church. “Undoubtedly, one of the finest Filipino comedy films ever made, KAKABAKABA KA BA is refreshing, literate, and very engrossing. It says more about our society than many of the so-called important films of recent vintage. In fact, it "was considered by critics as one of the landmark films of the 1980's in its absurd, comical, and irreverent treatment of an otherwise serious theme about foreign control of the Philippine economy… had to hurdle the censors, who originally sought to ban the film for its alleged racist attacks against the Japanese and the Chinese." [CCP Encyclopedia: Film]
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
ALAB
TEN BEST STUDENT SHORT FILMS
Alab aims to capture the idealism and intensity of student film makers and how they view the world in their young eyes.
Anino by Raymond Red
Winner of the Golden Palm at the Cannes International Film Festival, Raymond Red’s Anino (Shadow, 2000) is a thirteen-minute short about a photographer from the provinces (Ronnie Lazaro) wandering about the streets of Manila. He meets a man in black (John Arcilla) just outside a church, and is nearly run over by an old man driving a car (Eddie Garcia); in between, he has a quiet interlude with a child (Ronnie Pulido).. People meet, then meet again; harsh words are spoken, and violence inflicted. The film ends on what may be seen as either a hopeful or ironic note--it’s up to you to decide which.
The Probe Team
Special Documentary Screening
Gintong Pamana (2008)
In 1981, Berto Morales, a farmer employed as a bulldozer operator in an irrigation project in Surigao, struck gold. He discovered a treasure trove of gold ornaments while bringing down a hill to collect filling materials. The discovery, hitherto unknown to the public, is among the largest collection of Philippine archaeological gold in the country as well as in the rest of the world. PROBE reporter Cheche Lazaro searches for Berto in Surigao and from then on, she uncovers that Berto’s gold discovery takes many twist and turns -- involving threats to his life and family. With the help of historians and experts, Gintong Pamana reveals an amazing story about the Philippines ’ forgotten civilization.
Gusto mo bang mag-migrate? (2004)
A first on Philippine television—get a glimpse of what reality has in store for those who seek that elusive greener pasture abroad. Probe Team artist-reporter Robert Alejandro returns from his grueling first 6 months in Vancouver , Canada and brings home a personal home video of his stay in the land of the maple leaf—from plunging to the depths of loneliness days after his arrival to apartment and job-hunting. Robert Alejandro is only one of the countless Filipinos who dare leave and try their luck elsewhere.
STRANGEBREW
Strangebrew was launched in early summer of 2001 on UNTV, and became a popular show among Filipino youth. It was hosted by Arvin "Tado" Jimenez, and Angel "Erning" Rivero. The show was directed by R.A. Rivera. The show also featured film makers Ramon Bautista and Jun Sabayton, playing odd characters. The reality comedy show features fun facts about how things are made in a factory, or making a movie. Trivial pursuits and road trip like episodes were produced, as means to make a transition from one topic to another.
ACTIVE VISTA FILM FESTIVAL
The Active Vista Film Festival is organized by DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism through the support of the National Commission on Culture and Arts and the Philippine Independent Filmmakers Cooperative. Active Vista is a film festival that will feature full-length or short films, video documentaries or animation that tackle core values that promote responsible citizenship and various advocacies that contribute to nation building.
Active Vista . Dynamic Views. Active Vista challenges to define a spectrum in the use of film as a powerful tool in shaping the consciousness of a new generation of film goers into the importance of critical thinking as the foundation of responsible citizenship and nation building. The term “active vista” is characterized to encourage dynamism in views as a fundamental requirement in addressing methods and directions of social transformation.
Active Vista Film Festival will run from November 26 to December 2 at the Robinsons Galleria IndieSine.
ABOUT DAKILA
DAKILA (nobility) - Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism is a group of artists and individuals committed to advocating social consciousness formation among both their industry peers and their immediate audiences. DAKILA recognizes that Philippine society is in the midst of a significant upheaval and that, as disciples of the creative act, the artists are not exempted from the responsibility of helping contribute to positive change.
DAKILA envisions a nation of heroes. Its mission is to build a movement that inspires heroism and nobility of thought and action to effect social transformation by collectively providing creative avenues to awaken the individual, dismantle apathy and unleash their inner hero.
The three goals of DAKILA are awareness, education, and involvement - to make the public aware of crucial concerns affecting society, to educate both the audience and, more importantly, themselves about pressing social concerns, which should effectively inform the methods of creative expression and to be consistently and dynamically involved in activities geared toward achieving the common good.
DAKILA is comprised of multi-awarded poet-essayist and front man of the spoken word-jazz-rock band Radioactive Sago Project, LOURD ERNEST DE VEYRA; Parokya ni Edgar bassist and cancer awareness advocate, BUHAWI “BUWI” MENESES; comedian, indie film actor, Live Tilapia vocalist, limiTADO owner and Brewrats deejay, ARVIN “TADO” JIMENEZ; accomplished singer, songwriter, musical director, and theatre actor, NOEL CABANGON; versatile Bacolod-born film and theatre actor, RONIE LAZARO; and many more artists, students and young professionals.
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