"To Siomai love"

CEBU, Philippines - TWO heartbroken souls find themselves sitting beside each other in a crowded market on Valentine’s Day.

The lead actor Marvin has been depressed since he broke up with his girlfriend three months earlier, but being this close to an attractive Nursing student seemed like fate was finally on his side.

The dejected teenager was given a love potion minutes before the serendipitous meeting, and while he did not think he was going to find use for it at first, his leading lady charms him so much that he frantically tries (but fails) to administer that amorous drop.

To Marvin’s pleasant surprise, it seems like he did not need the potion at all.

All of us who were able to watch earlier this year the 26-minute Cebuano film “To Siomai Love” at the CAFA Theatre (University of San Carlos), directed by Remton Siega Zuasola who bagged the Cinemanila Young Cinema in Competition plum recently, know that the Nursing student outwitted Marvin through the “charm and power of the steamed pork dumplings.”   

In a review posted on GMANews.TV, film critics noted that the commendable aspect of this film—one of six competing shorts—is that it appeared as if it was taken in one continuous shot, which means either it was shot in one flawless take or the editing was simply that good. Also, it was cited that the performances were convincing, but the story could have been better if they stopped when the timer hit the 25-minute mark.

The director

Remton shared that he started his career in 2005 as a television director specializing in travel shows. His stints in TV have given him opportunities to travel to destinations in and out of the country which broadened his understanding about different cultures and humanities.

In 2008, Remton shifted focus on independent cinema specializing in Cebuano cinema which enjoyed a glorious past but stayed dormant for quite a time. Remton together with other filmmakers are in the forefront of the movement to relive this lost art of Cebuano culture. When not filming movies, Remton is directing, conceptualizing and writing scripts for TV, commercials, documentaries and corporate videos.

He was born on January 23, 1984 here in Cebu City. Now at 25, he is gearing towards making full-length feature films after a number of short films have equipped him with the necessary experience and mastery of the medium. He is now working on finishing three short films that are in post production processes. At the same time, he is applying for film grants from grant-giving bodies to finance his feature-length films.

Remton is a graduate of Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Advertising Arts from the USC and also studied method acting and directing for film and TV at the International Academy of Film and Television in Lapu-Lapu City.

Remton’s works

His independent films have received various awards and have been showcased in film festivals both here and abroad. In 2005, he won third place in the first ever Sinulog documentary competition with his film “Ang Gabayan” which was also exhibited in the MOVInternational Film Festival. Last year, he bagged the grand prize in the Sinulog Documentary Competition with his works on “Sinug” which also won Best Editing and Best Production Design.

This year, his film “Humamai” landed Second Best Picture in the first Sinulog Short Film Festival which was also featured during the “Sinugbuanong Lilas” screening at the CAFA Theatre. It also bagged the Best Production Design, Best Story and Best Actress awards. Currently, Humamai is in competition in India for the Culture Unplugged Film Festival. Also this year, his short film “To Siomai Love” premiered at the Visual Arts Theatre in New York, USA for the Indio Bravo Film Festival. The same film recently won Best Short Film at the Cinemanila International Film Festival.

As for “Uwan Init Pista sa Langit”, which he co-directed with Keith Deligero, the film made it as one of the finalists to the Southeast Asian Short Film Award also for Cinemanila International Film Festival. Because of his works, Remton was awarded with the Ishmael Bernal Award for Most Outstanding Young Filipino Filmmaker.

Further, Remton’s latest stop motion animation film “Mga Damgo” was judged winner in the Animation Category for the Cine Indie for Millennium Development Goals Film Festival, which aims to promote awareness of the MDG set by the United Nations.