2009 Filipino Movie News of the Year: Mendoza wins Cannes Best Director

2010 is coming, and as we look back to the events of 2009, there were many things that defined the year. Even though it is not as big as other movie sites, this little website of mine has dedicated itself to movie news, no gossip news, in here, we do not care which actor or actress as a crush on, or is sleeping with who. I have always believed that SHOWBIZ GOSSIP is one other factor that destroys Philippine Cinema.

As we look back on 2009, there is only one major movie news to me that should be spotlighted. This one bit of Movie News is what I choose as my (for a lack of a better, less cornier term) PINOY MOVIE NEWS of the YEAR. And right after this news bit, is my re-published commentary with minor additions.

[posted June 13, 2009]
Brilliante Mendoza was acclaimed best director for his film Kinatay at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in Paris, France, (last May 25). This was the second consecutive year that he fielded an entry, his entry last year to the filmfest’s main competition was "Serbis". Mendoza won over big name directors like Quentin Tarantino (for "Inglourious Basterds"), Pedro Almodovar ("Los Abrazos Rotos"), Ang Lee ("Taking Woodstock"), Jane Campion ("Bright Star") and Lars von Trier ("AntiChrist").

Three other Filipino films were entries in this year’s Cannes Filmfest. These are:

–Independencia by Raya Martin for the Section Un Certain Regard.
–Manila by Raya Martin and Adolfo Alix Jr.
–Sabungero by Fil-Am Janice Perez in the short film corner.

In 2007, Mendoza entered "Foster Child" in the Directors’ Fortnight. In 2000, a film by Raymond Red, "Anino", won the Palme d’Or for Short Film.

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MAY 24, 2009 : Filipino wins Cannes FilmFest BEST DIRECTOR
by Reymundo Salao

what's so sad is that while this news was up, the entire country was so engrossed over, and its media stubbornly focused upon the idiotic Katrina Halili-Hayden Kho Scandal, which is clearly an insignificant topic overblown by the mainstream media's craving for sensationalism.
While the mainstream media and the Filipino people has been busy feeding on something which is actually quite normal in the little world of immoral spoiled-brat celebrities, a Filipino has already won something that is supposed to bring great honor to the nation... but not many were able to pay attention, not many chose to pay attention, and not many were interested in this news. Even I, admittedly, was late on the news. If you ask my opinion, there is many to blame. ABS-CBN, GMA, even the Philippine Entertainment Portal, which is supposedly a movie news site, did not give much attention to the Cannes victory news. The mainstream media are the ones who knows what news to give to the public, and apparently, what the mainstream media is interested in seems to be not on the task of paying attention to what should be relevant, instead they focus on the things that continue to corrupt Filipino culture. And believe me, that fucking scandal corrupts our culture. Blame also the government officials who waste their time and a good amount of taxpayer's money over it.

Believe me when I say that I kick myself in the ass for being so late with this news. I was quick to post the newest Hollywood news, but with the biggest Filipino news for Philippine Cinema for all history... I was late??? Shameful. And I call myself as somebody who is a Film Junkie... shame on me... But what the fuck... Local media was just crazy over the Kho-Halili Scandal while the Movie Websites were all just blabbering about the positive onslaught of Summer movies. At least, as I mentioned above, at least, I have somebody to blame, coz hey, unlike THEM, I do not have MuCH resources like reporters, etc to bring you movie news that matter.

The Mainstream Industry has full control of the Entertainment Industry as far as the country is concerned. They can influence the masses to love good quality or bad quality. In addition, they also have the power to exclude something from having an existence in the eyes of the masses. Who's destroying the reputation of Philippine Cinema? It's the giants; the mainstream media companies. Not only do they kill art; they kill the chance for art to exist and be appreciated.

THE METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL DESTROYS THE REPUTATION OF PHILIPPINE CINEMA

THE METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL DESTROYS THE REPUTATION OF PHILIPPINE CINEMA
By Reymundo Salao

Year after year, the Metro Manila Film Festival does nothing but promote the lousy and dark side of Philippine Cinema. And it should not be patronized.

In the Philippines, the Philippine Film Industry is divided into two major divisions; First is the indie (independent) film industry composed of indie film-makers and producers which are generally not part of the major studio system. It is not too often literal to use the term “independent” because companies like Unitel & Unico are a big production company, yet they are the company that helps in the release of indie films or comes to the aid of independent projects, and in addition, they also produce movies with indie film sensibilities. And then you also have companies like Cinema One, which is actually part of the entire ABS-CBN company, yet, it has its own sense of division and independence from the other company like Star Cinema

The second division of the Film Industry is the Mainstream Film Industry. Or if we compare it to politics, these may be referred to as the TRAPOS, the same old scums that never really introduce any good new change. The Mainstream Film Industry is composed of the big names, Viva Films, Rgeal Films, Seiko Films, M-Zet, LVN, Imus Productions, GMA Films, Star Cinema, and all the prominent film industries you hear about it in noontime variety shows and gossip news. These are the productions companies that make the same old garbage; projects that are lazy imitations and are devoid of any creativity. They have long been so skilled in the art of taking the mass audience for fools. Many of the best movies they could come up are actually copycats of already-established prominent movies. Movies like “Mano Po”, “Ang Darling kong Aswang”, and “the 2009 Ang Panday” among many other big Tagalog movies have been mere copies, products that prove a lack of originality, products that make us conclude that there is a great irony going on: these movies are made by the richest film outfits in the country, yet they could not afford to hire production teams, writers, and directors with ACTUAL Brains that can brew the imagination of a real filmmaker. Shame on them.

In contrast, Pinoy indie filmmakers can make marvelous movies on a shoestring budget, and they even manage to be triumphant as champions in international film festivals. Films like “Kubrador”, “Ilusyon”, “Yanggaw”, and “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” have been champion films. But they are never hailed locally. The masses are never familiar with them. Their fame is drowned by the publicity of really bad Pinoy movies like the cheesy romance stories that have been done over and over again without a glint of originality. And indeed, many do flock to these rotten garbage movies, while we see that the really good Pinoy movies manage to attract a handful of audiences. Who’s fault is this? Well, the big production companies of course. THEY have the power; THEY have the money. Yet they continue to breed the culture of dumb film appreciation among the masses. THEY have the power to influence maturity among the movie-going public, yet they choose to continue riding on garbage. And they would do it over and over and over again for as long as the production companies continue to be morons.

This year, the popularity of YANGGAW proved that the masses can appreciate movies that are decent in form and quality. Pinoy Filmgoers are not idiots. But the mainstream film-makers would want it to be that way. You want to support the Philippine movie industry? Watch good Filipino movies. Watching BAD Tagalog movies really isn’t helping; in fact, it destroys the Philippine movie industry by breeding and cultivating bad filmmaking and promoting bad film taste among the masses.

The Metro Manila Film Festival is the festival that celebrates the mainstream film industry. If it’s successful, then you prolong the destruction of Philippine Cinema. Mainstream Film Industry must be crushed first before we can cure Philippine Cinema. Remember that a body cannot be healthy if it tolerates an existing virus inside it....you must kill it first before becoming healthy. Pila subong ang cine? 100 per person? Spend time with your family. Buy a DVD movie instead