A treat for the young crowd

As the opening date of the Manila Film Festial nears, kiddie audiences are expected to put MaQ’s entry, Sanib, on top of their list of must-see films. As the lone horror film entry in the festival, many predict that the film will enjoy a big share of viewers, especially the young ones.

Among its stars are child performers Isabella de Leon and Dindin Llarena, who have made their mark in the horror genre, via blockbuster films like Bahay ni Lola and Singsing ni Lola

"Horror films in any festival have always been heavy favorites by the kiddie crowd, " says Lily Monteverde, whose film outfits, Regal Entertainment and MaQ Productions, have produced monster hits like Sa Piling ng Aswang, the Shake, Rattle and Roll series, the Spirit Warriors series, Bahay ni Lola and Singsing ni Lola, among others.

"Children love watching horror films that give them a good scare. With Sanib, we have come up with a good horror film they’ll look forward to watching in this year’s Manila Filmfest.

This tradition of horror flicks shown in filmfests dates back to the early ‘80s, when the Shake, Rattle and Roll series reigned supreme, edging out the usual favorites.

Sanib has an all-star cast composed of Gina Alajar, Joel Torre, Raymond Bagatsing, Ana Capri, Carlo Muñoz, Isabella de Leon and Dindin Llarena. It is directed by Celso Ad. Castillo.

Sanib revolves around a tale of demonic possession and spiritual torment. Aubrey plays a young bride haunted by the spirit of a long-dead half-sister whose vow to torment her unleashes a frightful chapter in her life as a mother-to-be.

Raymond plays a priest who performs an exorcism rite although he himself is wracked by personal demons as an erring man of the cloth.