Engkwentro at Venice filmfest

MANILA, Philippines - Engkwentro is the only Filipino film in the lineup of the 66th Venice Film Festival.

Directed by Pepe Diokno, Engkwentro will be competing at Venice’s Orizzonti (New Horizons) competition, a section that provides a spectrum of new trends in cinema.

The Cinemalaya 2009 finalist is one of only 23 feature films selected from around the world. Diokno is the youngest Pinoy ever to compete at the festival.

The Venice Film Fest will run from Sept. 2 to 12. It is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious. Oscar-winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) is the president of this year’s jury.

Engkwentro tells the story of two teenage brothers on opposite sides of a gang war. Complications arise at a deadly midnight engkwentro (clash), when one is tasked to kill the other. All these happen while the City Death Squad, a band of vigilantes supposedly backed by a Big Brother-type Mayor, is hot on their trail. The two brothers must find a way out of their squalid situation in order to stay alive.

The film features performances by Felix Roco, Zyrus Desamparado, Daniel Medrana and Eda Nolan, as well as singer Bayang Barrios, visionary director Celso Ad Castillo and indie filmmaker Jim Libiran.

Diokno says the film is inspired by actual “death squad” killings in some cities in the country, where, in the last decade, over 814 people have been murdered by hitmen allegedly sponsored by the state. Reports say many of the victims are minors — including gang members, petty criminals and street children.

Engkwentro premiered at the 2009 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Shot in handheld style, the movie elicited strong reactions from Cinemalaya audiences — with people calling it, “an eye-opener,” “raw and alarming,” “shocking,” “disturbing” and, “a must-see.”

The production is hoping to get support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines and private sponsors. This will cover the production of a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) — a digital version of a 35mm. film print — as well as airfare and accommodations.

The filmmakers say support of any kind is appreciated. To get in touch with them, e-mail at [email protected].