Direk Brillante Mendoza at Metropolitan Museum of Manila

To date, people can’t just call Brillante Mendoza as an ordinary movie director, but a world-class and award-winning Filipino filmmaker.  It’s about time that we, as his proud kababayan, should discover first-hand his talents and products. Fortunately for the 40th anniversary of Metropolitan Museum of Manila, we’ll have the chance to know more the 2015 Cannes Film Festival’s best director (Chevalier dansl’Ordre des Arts et Lettres) from September 5 to October 1.

Direk Brillante Mendoza for me

Though we’re all too young or not yet born when movie geniuses like Lino Brocka and Ismael Bernal left this world, their artistic legacies remind us that filmmaking in the Philippines is not only for commercial and beyond entertainment purposes. For me, the proliferation of independent filmmakers nowadays continue the advocacy of Bernal and Brocka. I don’t know the struggles during their time, but we all know that it takes guts for modern indie directors to emerge in the film industry. Mendoza and his fellows don’t only compete with commercialism and piracy, but also pressured with ever-changing tastes of young moviegoers.

I believe Mendoza is distinct in the sense that he doesn’t bother with the label or bashers. He’s just  there all out to make his art and stories known. He dares to tackle in-depth social issues that perhaps even local news agencies don’t discover yet or fear to feature. Thus, it’s not surprising that most his films are critically-acclaimed such  as Foster Child (2007), Kinatay (2009), Thy Womb (2012), Taklub (2015) and Ma’Rosa (2016).  These movies are considered passion projects for mixing the aim to advocate relevant messages and the art of movie-making.

I am honored to meet and greet him in person when he received his Ani ng Dangal award at the Resorts World Manila in 2014.

Why we shouldn’t miss CineMet series: Brillante Mendoza?

CineMET series presents The Brillante Mendoza: A Contemporary Filipino Filmmaker is for limited time only. We don’t know when it will happen again so it’s a must to explore this one. On the other hand, it’s also cool because…

• It’s free! – Since it’s MET’s anniversary, they make their all galleries admission free every Tuesday starting on September 6, 2016.  By the way, they operating hours is from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• It’s the first time! - the exhibition of Mendoza’s body of work is  “comprehensively explored within a museum exhibition context”

•  It’s packed with a variety of programs! -  It has off-site screenings of his films (SM Mall of Asia and the Conrad Hotel), lectures, and workshops too.

(photo: Twitter/NCCA Official)

·         "The Brillante Mendoza: A Contemporary Filipino Filmmaker exhibition is curated by Prof. Leo Abaya, and supported by National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), SM, Center Stage Productions, Manny O Wines, Epson Philippines, PowerMac Station, and Max's Restaurant.

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd,

Open from Monday to Saturday,

T: (02) 708-7828

E: email info@metmuseum.ph.

When I met Vic Sotto... II

 Alam mo yung ambisyon na iniisip mo lang?  Ano bang way ko para makita si Vic Sotto sa personal? Trabahuin na manood sa Broadway centrum?  Gustuhin ko man eh, naging busy na ako sa buhay at ni Eat Bulaga ay t’wing Saturday ko na lang napapanood.  Pero one day, nakatanggap ako ng invitation para um-attend sa blog conference ng My Little Bossings…  At may isang batang natupad ang pangarap, period! Hehehe! 

Sa unang pagkakataon/ My Little Bossings 

Wala naman pinagkaiba halos ang aura ni Vic Sotto sa TV at personal. Kapag hindi siya nagsasalita ay mukha siyang seryosong tao, pero hindi naman iyong tipong kakatakutan lapitan. Alam ko na  kung bakit malakas ang appeal n'ya bukod sa personality n'ya, may something sa mata n'ya. 

Sa ibang banda, pagkaupo niya ay nag-start na iyong question and answer portion. I don't think na matagal kami naghintay at  sulit naman din ang punta lalo na't game sumagot sina   Bossing Vic, Ryza Mae, at Madam Bibeth. 

Gaya ng sinabi ko sa first part ng post na ito ay gusto ko siya ma-interview.  S’yempre hindi ko pinaglagpas na hindi ako magtatanong, ako pa ba? Iyong mga tanong ko sa conference ay bet ko talaga (although pansin na kinabahan din ako).  Interesado ako sa screenwriting kaya nagtanong ako kay Bibeth Orteza, at gusto ko malaman kung gaano kabibo si Ryza Mae Dizon. Kung mapapansin n’yo rin po, mahilig mag-discover ng child stars si Bossing kaya yun ang tanong ko sa kanya.

(Thanks for Pinoy Tekkie for this complete video, yung kuha shaky talaga at putol-putol sa nginig ko)

Kung pakikinggan at pagmamasdan ang kulitan nina Bossing at Ryza Mae ay alam mong may nabuo nang samahan sa dalawa. Sa mga sagot ni Bossing na may kinalaman sa child star at pinakabatang TV Host ng sarili n'yang The Ryza Mae Show ay magkakahalong pagiging proud, pagdepensa, at pagpapakilala. Alam mong kinilala niya ang personality ng bata on and off camera, Gayon din kung paano siya makisama sa kanyang mga co-stars at production team. Tama rin naman s’ya na sa wit ni Ryza ay hindi na kailangan pang ipaliwanag ang X factor nito.   

Ang pinaka-espesyal noong araw na iyon ay siempre makapagpa-picture na ako katabi s'ya finally.

2^nd meeting/ My Big Bossing’s Adventures. 

 Tsamba naman na nakasama ako ulit sa blog conference para sa My Big Bossing’s Adventures.  This time kasama na nina Bossing at Ryza ang mag-amang Niño Muhlach at Alonzo Muhlach, at si Direk Marlon Rivera, Kung matatandaan ay child wonder noong kanyang kapanahunan si Niño at simula naman na ma-introduce si Alonzo sa pelikula ay nagtuloy-tuloy na ang karera nito.  Kilala ko naman si Direk Marlon sa kanyang hilarious independent film na Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank.

Given na makulay at mahaba ang experience ni  Niño bilang child star, I asked him tungkol dito at kung ano naman ang maipapayo n’ya kay Ryza.  Samantala, dahil three episode-film ang My Big Bossing’s Adventures at iba-iba ang nakatrabahong direktor dito ni Vic Sotto kaya doon  umikot ang tanong ko. First pa lang pala n’ya nakatrabaho si Bb. Joyce Bernal. Nakatuwa rin yung moment na ibinahagi niya ang kanyang mindset bilang producer. 

Ang pagkakaalam ko rin talaga kasi mahirap ang maging bida-producer. Kahit sinong baguhang producer ay iyan ang sasabihin. Baka mas sabihin pa nila na maging director at bida ka na lang kaysa maging producer pa. Sa mga hindi nakakaalam ang producer ang bahala sa lahat ( Pera, artista, direktor, crew at iba pa). Pero iyon nga, maiging matututo sila sa Eat Bulaga main host dahil  nama-manage niya nang tama at  malawak na rin ang kanyang experience.

Sulit na ako sa mga ito, pero kung bibigyan ako ng chance ay gusto ko s’ya maka- one on one interview. Iba rin kasi ang  lalabas na impormasyon at vibe sa ganoong set up.

Mabuhay!