Instituto Cervantes presents the ninth edition of 'PelÃcula'
MANILA, Philippines - Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the cultural arm of the Spanish Embassy, is bringing back the Película Spanish Film Festival now in its ninth edition.
Film aficionados will once again enjoy another brilliant line-up of 23 exceptional and awarded films carefully selected from Spain and Latin America. The Película film festival is now the biggest presentation of Spanish cinema in Asia and the Pacific.
“Due to the successes of the first eight seasons, we are especially proud of the reputation the Película film festival has developed over the years as a great local venue to feature and premier award-winning Spanish films,” says Instituto Cervantes director Jose Rodriguez. “We believe Película has the potential to foster incredible growth in arts and entertainment and attract the best of the best-acclaimed Spanish and Latin American filmmakers to this area.”
Multi-awarded films such as Bolivia; Cachimba; Garbo, El hombre que salvó el mundo (Garbo, the Spy); and Celda 211 (Cell 211) make their Philippine premiere at the film festival, which starts on Sept. 30 at the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.
Cineastes will be treated to movies ranging from drama to heart-tugging love stories like Los condenados (The condemned) about an exiled Argentinean who returns home after living in Spain for more than 30 years and Que se mueran los feos (To Hell with the Ugly) a comedy that centers on Eliseo, a single, ugly and lame middle-aged man and Nati, a comely woman, and their attempt to fall in love.
On four special nights, Película features gems from Latin America’s exciting film scene. Gaining critical recognition worldwide, films from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru are getting plaudits in film festivals and are getting hot in the box-office.
Oscar-nominated Peruvian film La teta asustada (The Milk of Sorrow) will be screened on Oct. 1, 9:30 p.m. This will be followed with the midnight screening of the comedy Pantaleón y las visitadores (Captain Pantoja and the Special Services) about an officer assigned to lead a special brigade of prostitutes on a mission to appease an angry group of soldiers stationed in an uncomfortable Amazon post. These two films comprise the Noche Andina (Cinema from Peru).
On Oct. 4, Película gives tribute to the Argentinean film industry with the showing of Bolivia, El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in their Eyes) and Luna de Avellaneda (Avellaneda’s Moon) which will be played at 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m., respectively.
The Chilean Night will feature El chacotero sentimental (The Sentimental Teaser) and Cachimba on Oct. 5, while Mexico’s Otilia Rauda and Desierto Adentro (The Desert Within) screens on Oct. 6.
Alongside the movie screenings at the Greenbelt 3 mall will be a series of workshops on scriptwriting and filmmaking by renowned Spanish scriptwriter and film producer Lola Mayo and Spanish director Isaki Lacuesta.
Mayo will screen her films Lo que sé de Lola (What I know about Lola) and La mujer sin piano (Woman without piano) on Oct. 1 while Lacuesta will present his films Los condenados (The Condemned) and La leyenda del tiempo (The Legend of Time) on Oct. 3.
Spanish director Miguel Albaladejo will also grace the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas for the Asian premier of his films Rencor, Nacidas para sufrir (Born to Suffer) and El cielo abierto (Ten Days without Love) on Oct. 7. On Oct. 2 and 10, Albaladejo will also be presenting his film Manolito Gafotas for a special children’s session.
The Spanish-Filipino connection is one of the highlights of Película 2010. On Oct. 10, it will be the premiere of the Filipino movie Happyland. The film, directed by Jim Libiran, follows the story of a Spanish missionary priest who starts an unthinkable project in one of Manila’s most impoverished districts — a football tournament in Tondo, Manila.
Película, the Spanish and Latin American Film Festival is part of the month-long celebrations known as Fiesta, the Spanish Festival for Culture and the Arts. Película is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, in cooperation with the Spanish Embassy in the Philippines, Spanish Agency International Cooperation for Development (AECID), Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation, Ministerio de Cultura of Spain, Greenbelt and Ayala Malls Cinemas, New World Hotel, Qatar Airways, Jaguar, and Welovepost.
Special thanks to Alba, Kusina Teatro, Espa-Fil, Barcelo Café, Café de las Letras, Mexican Embassy in the Philippines, Chilean Embassy in the Philippines, Embassy of Argentina in the Philippines, Post Manila, Fujifilm-YKL Color, Happy Land, the City Government of Makati, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), Casino Español, Roadrunner, SQ Film Laboratories, and Kodak Philippines.
For information, call 526-1482 or visit http://manila.cervantes.es or www.pelicula.ph Instituto Cervantes de Manila is at 855 T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila.
