ALL FILM & TV FEATURES
Student filmmaking is alive in Piling Obrang Vidyo XX
Missed POV XX? Let’s take a look back at the 20th installment of Piling Obrang Vidyo which took place last month at the UPFI Film Center.
Championing the Bisaya Language on Melai’s ‘Kuan on One’
Melai’s "Kuan on One" is a much-needed representation for the Bisaya community in local mainstream media as it highlights the Bisaya language and provides a platform for Bisaya talents to share their stories.
‘The Boys’: The Antithesis to Superhero Fatigue
The Boys’ gritty portrayal of a world where superhumans exist redefines our perspectives of power and heroism. It delivers a sharp cultural critique of today’s world and effectively subverts the concept of superhero fatigue in a raw experience.
Sailing the High Seas with MARG1N
We spoke with MARG1N, a new film magazine specializing in Southeast Asian cinema, about their maiden issue, the publication's origins, and pirates (the film kind).
'Hit Man' is all about romanticizing acting, and it's oh-so sexy
In ‘Hit Man,’ there’s something primitively entertaining — and sexy — about seeing Glen Powell act like he isn’t the new chiseled Adonis of Hollywood. It’s funny, irresistible, and genius as a consequence.
Contradictions Shape Us: Understanding Komorebi through ‘Perfect Days’
When struggles accumulate and shadows overlap, does darkness grow even more dimmer? If it’s indeed true, then why does the sunlight become more pronounced when shades of leaves rustle with each other from a branch of a tree?
‘The Roof (2006)’: Uncovering the Perspectives of Arabs in Israel
Arab citizens of Israel are being used as scapegoats to defend the genocide charges against the country. If it was genocide, they ask, why aren’t they being murdered as well? The Roof is an insightful documentary that explores the perspectives of Arabs living there and helps us understand their experiences in the midst of this conflict.
SINEPIYU XVI: College Students Celebrate Student Filmmaking
Held at the FEU Main Auditorium, veteran actors Bembol Roco and Rolando T. Inocencio were in attendance for the awarding of SINEPIYU XVI along with the selected cast and crew of the presented films.
Musings on music and physical media with 'Recto Records' director Jego Rafael
Amid minimalism and technology, Mang Greg continues to set up shop each day in Recto, surrounded by albums ranging from The Beatles’ Abbey Road to Avril Lavigne’s The Best Damn Thing. Read our interview with director Jego Rafael on ‘Recto Records,’ still streaming on Cinemata.
Fearless and Uncontained: The Ambitious Cast of Sinepiyu XVI
“Be liberated from convention,” goes Sinepiyu in their program invitation (arbitrarily translated by me). It’s not just a challenge posed to the filmmakers participating in the film festival, but it’s also a dare for future audiences: to suspend everything they think they know about student cinema and permit themselves to experience the new, the perverse, and the ambitious.
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.