2008 Philippine Art Festival Presents SINEMALETA

The Cinema Committee of the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) presents Sinemaleta as its offering for the 2008 Philippine Art Festival during February, the National Arts Month. Sinemaleta umbrellas three different programs, Sinisilip, Sinemusikalye and, of the same name, Sinemaleta.

Sinemaleta is a portable film festival of NCCA-funded films to be shown in pre-selected barangay centers around Metro Manila on weekend evenings. The program kicks off on 8 February, Friday, 7 pm, with a screening of Mudraks, directed by Arah Badayos, at Camarin, Caloocan City. The following evening on 9 February, Saturday, also at 7 pm is a showing of Rotunda, a Ron Bryant film, at Barangay San Jose in Navotas. The following weekend starts with Death in the Land of Encantos, directed by Lav Diaz, at 8 pm, 15 February, Friday, at Angono Municipal Hall, Angono, Rizal. On 16 February, Saturday, 7 pm, is a screening of the Florida Bautista-directed film Saan Nagtatago si Happiness? at Barangay Bagong Lipunan in Cubao on 3^rd corner Main Avenue. Mike Dagñalan’ iSNATS is to be presented on 22 February, 7 pm, at East Rembo Park, East Rembo, Makati City and the John Torres film, Voice, Tilted Screens and Extended Scenes of Loneliness: Filipinos on High Definition, screens the following evening on 23 February at 7 pm at Penguin Bar in Malate. Also on 23 February is an EDSA People Power Anniversary Special, with three films focusing on that theme to begin showing at 6 pm at the open air auditorium in Rizal Park (Luneta), Manila. It starts off with Barako, directed by Manolito Sulit, followed by Butch Nolasco-directed films Siglo Filipino: Odyssey of a Nation and Lakas Sambayanan (People Power). On 24 February, Sunday, is the showing of Mes de Guzman’s Balikbayan Box at the Barangay Buwayang Bato, Gawad Kalinga Concepcion Village in Guadalupe.

Sinesilip is a showing of NCCA-funded films at the auditorium at the NCCA office every Wednesday of the month. It begins on 6 February at 1:30 PM with Death in the Land of Encantos, a 9-hour Lav Diaz film. This will be followed by screenings at 6 pm of Ruben: An Aspiring Registered Nurse, directed by Lawrence Cordero, on 13 February; DV, directed by Eric de Guzman, on 20 February; and Carnivore, directed by Ato Bautista, on 27 February.

Sinemusikalye closes the 2008 Philippine Art Festival festivities on 29 February, Friday, at 8 pm in Remedios Circle, Malate, with a massive new media audio-visual concert curated by Tengal with SABAW Art Projects.

For the Sinemusikalye program, three projectors and three screens will be combined to make an expansive panoramic view; while the country’s best sound artists, electronic musicians, and instrumentalists will perform live music at Remedios Circle, Malate in this never before attempted performance of this scale.

The multi-channel projection of video images and panoramic images by Lyle Sacris and Mark Mijares, will be controlled and manipulated live by video artists, Tad Ermitano and Blums Borres (courtesy of New Media Arts Manila). The main performances will include electronica pioneers Malek Lopez and Caliph 8 scoring Mowelfund animation films in three movements; while Tengal and The Gangan Orchestra (composed of 16 of the best local improvising sound artists, electronic djs and musicians) will be performing Tad Ermitano’s video graphic score with algorithms by Tengal as part of the GANGAN SERIES; and will culminate the evening with a full-orchestral sonic blast combined with the panoramic videos manipulated live by Tad Ermitano. Also performing are seminal new media artists, Elemento and The Children of Cathode Ray who will also be scoring animation films by underground legend, Rox Lee, as well as a film by Tad Ermitano. The new generation of electronic musicians, Moon Fear Moon and Trojan Whores will also perform their unique brand of sound deconstruction alongside video deconstruction by Blums Borres.

Earlier in the evening at 8 pm, filmmaker John Torres will be screening the three-screen version of his feature film, Years When I was My Father’s Child Outside. Previously premiered at the Berlin Forum, in Berlinale international film festival, this will be its Philippine premiere.

Further details on the programs are available at http://sinemaleta.blogspot.com. For inquiries on the event, email sinemaleta@gmail.com. For directions to the venues, contact Kristine Kintana, Film Coordinator, at 0905-2404177.