Filmfest invitations pour for Gov. Vi’s Ekstra

Ekstra, a runaway winner in the just - concluded Cinemalaya festival, has received a slew of invitations to participate in international filmfests.

Now Atty. Joji Alonzo of Quantum Films, the movie’s producer, is having a problem deciding which filmfest to attend. Alonzo has already turned down two invites because of previous commitments.

Ekstra is Batangas Governor and veteran actress Vilma Santos’ first indie film. She won the Cinemalaya best actress plum in the Director’s Showcase category for her portrayal of a movie bit player. Not bad for a first-timer.

Ekstra also took the trophy for best supporting actress and best screenplay, aside from bagging the Special Jury prize.

The movie will be commercially released on August 14.

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Some of those who watched the “Call Me Maybe” concert of Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen at the Araneta Coliseum felt shortchanged. The show, sponsored by Globe, lasted for only one hour. While many of the tickets were handed out free by Globe, the choice seats went for as high as P4,000.

Carly also sang two songs that were familiar to her local fans – “Call Me Maybe” and “Goodtime,” both of which are in the CD album in which she sang duets with Owl City.

Come to think of it, Call Me Maybe was not really a full-blown concert, but a dressed-up promo for her album.

The show wasn’t really that hot anyway. So was the fan response. Carly invited five people from the front rows to the stage. After asking their names, she left them onstage while she busied herself shaking hands with the audience.

She returned to the stage to say goodbye and close the show.

I think Carly sang only 10 songs in all.

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The country’s most celebrated film directors will showcase their new projects in the Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival 2013 in September.

This year’s festival, titled All-Masters Edition, is presented by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in cooperation with SM Cinema.

Lined up are the films of Elwood Perez (“Otso”), Gil M. Portes (“Isang Tag-araw ni Twinkle”), Romy Suzara (“Tinik”), Maryo J. de los Reyes (“Bamboo Flowers”), Mel Chionglo (“Lauriana”),  directorial tandem of Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes (“Sonata”), Tikoy Aguiluz (“Eman”), Chito Roño (“Badil”), Joel Lamangan (“Lihis”) and Jose Javier Reyes (“Ano ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap”).

The FDCP promises that Sineng Pambansa will be the biggest and most distinguished motion picture event of the year. The grand reception to kick off the event will be on September 7 at the Atrium of SM Mall of Asia.

The films will be shown exclusively at SM cinemas in over 45 SM malls nationwide from September 11 to 17.

In addition to the master directors’ entries, Sineng Pambansa will honor the memory of Celso Ad. Castillo with the showcase of the last film he directed, “Bahay ng Lagim.”

The new breed cinema is represented by TM Malones’ debut film, “Salvi.”

A short film competition will have winners each from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag” and “Genghis Khan,” recently restored classics from National Artists Lino Brocka and Manuel Conde, will also be shown.

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Many scenes in “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo” starring Kim Chiu and Xian Lim were reshot, my source tells me.

The reason: the bosses at Star Cinema, the film’s producer, felt that Kim and Xian needed to pump up the kilig factor a few degrees more.

That could explain the delay for the film’s release.

My informant says Director Joyce Bernal naturally resented the script revisions and the reshoots.