Sundance Filmfest winner is a Pinay

Curtain-raiser:
• Reacting to yesterday’s item about her being the new Madame Malapropism, Carmi Martin said that if there were errors in the way she pronounced some words – newly-wedded, dinners, etc. – when she acted as annotator at her best friend Gladys Reyes’ wedding it was not her fault but that of the one in-charge of the cue cards. "I was only reading what was written there," explained Carmi who insisted that she didn’t need the "title" now being held by Melanie Marquez. "And also, I didn’t make fun of the affair," added Carmi, clarifying what Funfare surmised was her "deliberate" move to be funny and amusing. "How could I do that to such a solemn affair?" Okay, Melanie, hold on to the "title."

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Let’s give a standing ovation to Ramona Diaz, another Filipino talent shining big and bright in the Hollywood horizon, declared Best Cinematography winner at the just-concluded Sundance Film Festival (spearheaded by Robert Redford) for the documentary about Imelda Marcos, directed by an American (if I remember right) and winner of the Best Documentary Award.

A Funfare reader who didn’t identify him-/herself (e-mail address is [email protected] – thank you!) sent the following info on the documentary and Ramona:

I flew to Park City, Utah, from San Francisco where I live and work, only to see this film. And honestly, that docu is all worth it. Although the main focus of the movie is Imelda Marcos, the director did not fail to disappoint the audience like me by injecting bits and pieces of Philippine history involved in the shaping of every aspect of her life.  I almost didn’t see it  because all of its five scheduled screenings were sold out.  On the fifth and last screening last Saturday, I waited in line for two hours for its 10 a.m. screening together with a bunch of mixed Pinoy and foreigners.  Luckily, I was able to get in.  Tickets were moderately priced at $10 per person. 

I am not an expert in films, but I do get bored watching films, documentary more especially.  Imelda is not a boring film.  It is very interesting and entertaining for a documentary.  From the very first frame, you can tell it’s polished cinematography (if I am not mistaken, a Sony HD camera was used).  The film also used different camera techniques and editing that made the film fast-paced for a documentary film.  I am not a very political person, but I love watching movies.  I can say that in the film that showcased Imelda’s beauty,  the former First Lady did not fail to entertain us the festival audience (in both good and bad ways, depending on the viewer) with her principled comments one of which run something like  this "It is easy to be beautiful, because beauty is natural."  Imelda’s "beautiful" theories are all over the movie, from her humble beginnings in Leyte up to the assassination attempt on her, and ultimately to the touching scene showing her beside Ferdinand Marcos’ glass-encased temperature-controlled tomb. 

Q&A segment follows every Sundance screening as I understand, so I stayed and listened to Ramona’s replies to audience questions.  She proudly declared to the predominantly foreign audience that she was born and raised in the Philippines.   

I was fortunate to dine with Ramona the night before I saw her film and she mentioned that she’s going to take the film to different global film festivals.  Next on her travel plan is the San Francisco International Film Festival (or, as it is popularly known locally, Kabuki Film Festival, I’m not sure) in the week of March 11, and Berlin Film Festival, among others.  She also expressed her plea to all Pinoys and hyphenated Pinoys to support this landmark film and show the world our unity.  I am writing this e-mail not only to you but to all other Pinoys I know in the Philippines, in other parts of the US, Canada and Australia,  among others,  because I promised her my support, in my every little way, to contribute to her goal that the film be seen by a large Pinoy population, wherever in the world they may be.

Again, let’s give Ramona a big hand. May her tribe increase!

Janet Back On The Scene

Just when you thought that Janet Basco has called it quits and retreated to domesticity (with husband Johnny Revilla and their fast-growing-up children)...

"Have I retired?" asked Janet. "No, I haven’t. I don’t plan to – yet. I’m just blessed that I could stay home from time to time to be just a wife and mother and accept singing stints (both here and abroad) every now and then. I’m having the best of both worlds."

Tomorrow night (Jan. 29) starting at 9:30, Janet returns to the concert scene via a show at Merk’s Bar Bistro where she’ll surely regale the audience with such popular ballads and standard favorites as Fever, That’s All, How High the Moon, The Way You Look Tonight, Charade, The Look of Love and many others.

Not many people know that Janet is sending six scholars to school. Her Merk’s show is for the benefit of the John The Baptist Medical Ambassadors, Inc. and the GMMS, Inc. Scholarship Program.

Watch Janet’s show and lend a hand to her worthy cause.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])