ALL FILM & TV FEATURES
Behind Black Beret 2024: Talking to UP Student Filmmakers
In this year’s edition of Black Beret, student filmmakers from UP Film Institute presented stories about unconventional friendships, long-lost loves, and grief amidst personal transformation.
We interviewed three of the directors this year, namely Coby, Raia, and Hanns, read Sofi’s feature for more:
CINEKURO: Presenting Confident, Liberating Filmmaking
Kuro-kuro's CINEKURO presents four short films with one eye on engaging storytelling and another on the filmmakers’ advocacies, maintaining a confidence in their vision that their stories will resonate.
MUNICH: Evaluating Spielberg's Overlooked Take on Israel-Palestine
Munich can only wallow in its self-pity in its judgment of the Israeli-Palestinian “conflict”, bewildered by the cycle of violence. “There is no peace at the end of this”, concludes Avner. Spielberg and Kushner treat the conflict as if it is a natural state of things. As if there is no solution. Any student of history should know the culpability of imperial Western forces in perpetuating this cycle.
Eksena! Queer space for Queer desires
The first edition of Eksena! celebrated queer work, queer presence, and queer love, spanning the past 40 years of Filipino queer cinema.
The Economy of Love: Ronjay Mendiola on his short film ‘Last Shift’
'Last Shift' follows two call center agents as they are faced with a crucial decision that could spell the end of their relationship and future together. Read our interview with writer-director Ronjay Mendiola about his short film.
The Taste of Negros: Director Kurt Soberano on ‘Under a Piaya Moon’
It’s the Great Negrense Bake Off: In 'Under a Piaya Moon', a young baker enters a pastry making competition to continue the legacy of his family's bakery.
Lisa Frankenstein: The Monstrous Nature of Girlhood
Lisa Frankenstein, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Zelda Williams is a camp and gothy coming of rage story for all the teenage outcasts and outcasts at heart that blends the macabre and mundane.
SINEGANG.ph's 2024 Oscars Predictions and Staff Choices
With the Oscars just right around the corner, staff at SINEGANG.ph has cast their own ballots as to who they think will win and are most deserving of the Oscar trophy.
Beyond ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’: On Male Gaze and Its Grip on Our Community
In honor of Women's Month, I find myself reflecting back on 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire,' its impact on the exposure of male gaze, the need for feminine empowerment, and my deepened love to the enduring grace of how inspiring it is to be a woman—a sister, a mother.
Sinalang Film Festival Offers Alternative Modes of Film Spectatorship
The inaugural edition of the Sinalang Film Festival celebrates Philippine cinema in unconventional and innovative ways, encouraging an active and participatory viewership.
Victor Villanueva raises the bar for comedy with 'I Am Not Big Bird'
Victor Villanueva’s 'I Am Not Big Bird' gives a new appreciation for friendship and introduces us to a more innovative style of filmmaking. Read about our interview with him as he discusses shooting in Thailand and directing the big comeback of Enrique Gil.
From Romblon to Berlinale, Ryan Machado on the unlikely journey of ‘Huling Palabas’
‘Huling Palabas’ director Ryan Machado talks about getting into Berlinale with a genre-bending coming of age film.
Anyone But You: Sigh no more, it's the return of the modern Shakespeare adaptation
Anyone But You, directed by Will Gluck brings back a Shakespeare flavored rom-com with 2000s energy, in an imperfect but charming movie that’s a fun time at the cinemas.
John Rogers Gets Real With 'As If It's True'
In 'As If It's True', a social media influencer and a musician enter a fake relationship to resuscitate their dying careers. Read our interview with director John Rogers as he talks about the process of making his film and more.
Tokyo Story, on the inevitability of change and its universality
Tokyo Story explores the limits of finite time and the inevitable passing of age, while offering a subdued yet profound examination on the gaps between tradition and modernity.
Past Lives: Holding on to what's left at home
Celine Song’s Past Lives poignantly expresses this ever-present eternal yearning for all the things that were left behind and forgotten, so beautiful and emphatic.
Black Beret 2023: Feelings on Death, Legacy, and Everything in Between
With this year’s Black Beret showcase, it’s easy to find some type of excitement in the ways that the scene could grow in the future. Not often does a showcase like this teach the collaborative nature of filmmaking, especially in expressing ideas on an artistic level like a short.
Filmmaker Spotlight: Queena Li
Writer-Director, Queena Li who made her eclectic debut feature, Bipolar, has been seen in many film festivals to a widespread acclaim, since its debut at the 50th IFFR.
Wood and Water: Stillness and Silence Speak Volumes
There's hardly any narrative to offer with Jonas Bak’s Wood and Water but it doesn’t matter. It is a contemplative piece about the constantly evolving world that we are all faced with in our own distinct ways. It’s about exploring oneself through unfamiliar places, yearning for people, and trying desperately to connect with them through the places that has a great significance to them.
Iginuhit ng Tadhana: A Deep Dive into the First Marcos Propaganda Film
Iginuhit ng Tadhana was the Marcos family’s first propaganda film, a biopic produced to rally support for their 1965 presidential run against Diosdado Macapagal. It was filled with blaring historical inaccuracies that laid the foundations for a mystical mythology around Ferdinand E. Marcos that has persisted to this day.