Panaghoy to Cannes Filmfest

• Curtain-raisers: Congratulations to Bettinna Carlos, who was handpicked by Nickelodeon to host the 2005 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards on May 22 at the NBC Tent, The Fort. It’s very prestigious. It’s like the Oscar Awards for Kids in the USA. Her Hollywood counterpart this year is Ben Stiller. Last year’s hosts were Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers. Bettinna was picked because she is a very good role model for today’s youth. She’s invited to Singapore for the presson.

• No truth to the wild rumor that Candy Pangilinan slipped into a coma after undergoing lipo surgery.

"Candy is alive and well," said her manager Angeli Pangilinan. "Nothing to worry about."

• It seems that Vin Diesel and Andrea del Rosario’s long-distance affair is going strong, thanks to the magic of texting. Vin’s latest text message to Andrea, sent yesterday, read: "Hi. darling. I am in Spain." In case you didn’t know, Vin’s twin brother is married to a Filipina.

* * *

2005 seems to be a good year as far as the chances of local films in the international market are concerned. Already, several films are reported to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival next month with Cesar Montano’s Panaghoy sa Suba leading the pack.

Here’s an exclusive report by Funfare’s Toronto-based international correspondent Ferdinand Lapuz:

Your Dec. 24, 2004 banner (Panaghoy has a good chance in international film festival) is slowly coming true. Panaghoy sa Suba has been invited to the Tous les Cinémas du Monde or Cinema of the World, a new section of the very prestigious Cannes Film Festival, the super bowl of film festivals. I heard from various sources that Olive Lamasan’s Milan, Mark Meily’s Crying Ladies, Chito Roño’s Dekada ’70 , Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Bagong Buwan and two Pinoy short films have also been invited.

I can only confirm for Panaghoy as this was relayed to me personally by director/producer/actor Cesar Montano. Cannes has yet to make its official announcement with a press conference today and it will only be then that the final list will be confirmed.

Cesar said that he plans to attend the festival with wife Sunshine Cruz and one of his producers. I told him not to miss this chance as Cannes is a lifetime experience. I had a ball at last year’s festival when Babae sa Breakwater screened at the Directors’ Fortnight.

According to the Cannes official website, the Festival de Cannes inaugurates Tous les Cinémas du Monde in 2005. It is a new program dedicated to the presentation by selected countries of a varied showcase of their cinematographic creations.

Gilles Jacob, president of the Festival de Cannes, and Michel Vauzelle, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, signed the convention which brings the support of the regional council to this new project of the festival.

The event will take place in a new theater that is to be designed and installed in the heart of the Village International by architect Patrick Bouchain. Equipped with excellent technical capabilities, the theater will provide the very best conditions for film professionals and host delegations.

Conceived to be used by all Festival de Cannes film professionals and enthusiasts, Tous les Cinémas du Monde intends to encourage the growth of cinema d’auteur by illustrating the richness and diversity of world cinema and the strength of young creative talent.

Each of the countries invited will present a selection of films which reflect its cultural identity and the uniqueness of its expression.

Serge Sobczynski, a festival representative who works alongside Véronique Cayla, general manager of the Festival de Cannes, heads this new initiative.

The Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 11 to 22. Last year, Mario O’Hara’s Babae sa Breakwater made it to the Directors’ Fortnight, one of Cannes’ sidebars, along with the International Critics week. The main festival has three programs for feature films: the official competition, official selection-out of competition and Un Certain Regard. It also has a competition section for short films. In 2000, Raymond Red’s Anino (Shadows) took the Palme d’Or for short films.

Aside from O’Hara, only two other Filipino filmmakers had their films shown in Cannes. The late Lino Brocka had Insiang (1978) and Bona (1981) at the Directors’ Fortnight. Both Jaguar (1980) and Kapit sa Patalim (1984) were in the official competition and Orapronobis (1989) was an official selection-out of competition. Mike de Leon’s Kisapmata and Batch 81 screened in the Directors’ Fortnight in the same year, 1982.

Panaghoy sa Suba (The Call of the River) has also been invited to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic this July and to the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, with Jeffrey Jeturian’s Minsan Pa. It will open at the Carlton Cinema and Square One Mall in Canada this May 6 in both venues. I am working on a Calgary (Canada) opening too possibly this June.

Pinoy short film at Asian Filmfest in LA

Here’s another piece of good news from Funfare Los Angeles-based contributor Abe Pagtama:

It’s that time of the year again for the Asian Film Festival in Los Angeles. Beginning April 28 to May 5, Visual Communication will start showcasing the latest films produced and directed by Asian American, Asian and Pacific Islanders.

One of the short films that will be showcased is Open Mike directed by Mike Tuviera, the son of Eat, Bulaga! producer Tony Tuviera. He will graduate this year from USC School of Cinema with a Master in Film.

Mike took his undergraduate course in Ateneo De Manila, majoring in Film. Since then, he started working in the film industry and TV in the Philippines before he decided to pursue his Masters in US.

Open Mike is the story about Mike Sheppard, a stand-up comic in search of the next great "bit." He meets Ligaya, an intelligent and unbearably cute Filipina.

Mike quickly discovers that to get to Ligaya, he will have to go through her family: tough-as-nails older brother Jojo, her dynamo younger brother Eddie, her perceptually-happy parents, and her egocentric grandfather, who may or may not have been the head of the Filipino Mafia, played by this contributor Abe Pagtama. Mike is faced with choosing between the love of his life and love for the spotlight.

Open Mike will be shown on May 1 at Director Guild of America Theater at Sunset Blvd. Other members of the cast are Arthur Hayes, Michelle Bangwa, Manny Gavino, Paul Morante, Thelma Sugay and Joseph Gelito.