ToFarm Filmfest will go on

When Maryo J. delos Reyes (photo) passed away last January, there were doubts if the ToFarm Film Festival, his brainchild that showcases films that honor farmers, would go on. In his two years as the festival head, Maryo did an exceptional job that was hard to top. The award-winning director really put his heart and soul into the annual event that has produced beautiful films from screenplays submitted during the screening for the six official entries.

In 2016, the first ToFarm filmfest came up with films that were critically successful, praised by critics both here and abroad, such as that year’s Best Picture winners: Paglipay, First Best Picture (Zig Dulay, Best Director; Bembol Roco, Best Actor; and Anna Luna, Best Supporting Actress); Pitong Kabang Palay, Second Best Picture (Micko Laurente, Best Supporting Actor; and Maricel Cariaga, Best Screenplay); and Free Range, Third Best Picture.

In 2017, top winners were High Tide (First); What Home Feels Like (Second, that won for Joseph Abello Best Director, Best Story and Best Screenplay awards; and Best Actor/Actress for Bembol Roco and Irma Adlawan); and Instalado (Third, with Francis Magundayao and Barbara Miguel winning Best Supporting Actor/Actress honors).

According to Maricel Cariaga, 35, her movie (Pitong Kabang Palay which also won an award in Japan) puts a face on the poignant lives of farmers, “Our everyday heroes who toil to give us food even as they have none or little to put on their own tables.”

A farmer’s daughter, Maricel has known the struggles and hardships of the farmers tending the rice field in Isabela. Does her story have a happy ending?

“Most of the farmer’s stories in my barrio in Isabela have sad endings,” admitted Maricel, “with the mothers leaving home to seek a better life abroad as OFWs. It’s sad because their children end up as delinquents with no one to guide them.”

It was with great relief when Dr. Mila O. How, president/CEO of Universal Harvester, Inc. which is behind ToFarm, confirmed at a presscon at Shangri-La Makati last week that the filmfest would go on. I could imagine Direk Maryo J. widely smiling and applauding Up There! 

“We were deeply saddened by the demise of direk Maryo J., our first TFF director,” said Dr. How. “He gave so much of himself to TFF. When he suddenly left us, we found ourselves at a crossroads. Should we go on with the project or not? But after a lot of thinking, I personally thought that it’s best to carry on with what direk Maryo J. started. The festival is a continuation of his vision for the farmers and for our film industry. This is our tribute to him.”

Several hectares of the Banaue Rice Terraces badly need restoration and Dr. How has launched a Banaue-music-inspired Symphony Competition to create awareness of the world-heritage Terraces’ condition.

ToFarm is in good hands as Dr. How has tapped Bibeth Orteza, Joey Romero and Laurice Guillen as festival advisers (the name of the festival director has yet to be announced).

“It gives me an overwhelming feeling to get the support from not just one but three well-respected people from the film and television industry,” added Dr. How. “It motivates us further to come up with more meaningful films that, hopefully, will follow the success of our previous entries.”

Asked for comment by Funfare, Bibeth said, “We will continue Maryo’s ToFarm direction. I can’t replace him. Sabi nga ni Inday Badiday, ‘The original is the best.’ This year, we are going with the theme A Tribute to Life: Parating Na. We are aware that there are bigger indie film festivals out there. We want to go slow, but sure. We’ll get there; parating na kami.”

Bibeth revealed that Dr. How is also going to produce commercial movies.

“She’s putting up a film company,” said Bibeth, “and unless plans change, right now it’s Joey and I who will be there with her.”

(The week-long 2018 ToFarm Film Festival will run from Sept. 12 to 18, with the Awards Night slated for Sept. 15. The festival committee is now accepting script entries for screening. Deadline for submission is April 20. For more information on how to submit original manuscripts, log on to www.tofarm.org)

A week before the ToFarm presscon, Dr. How also presided over a similar event also at Shangri-La Makati announcing the other project of Universal Harvester — the 2018 Banaue International Music Composition Competition inviting composers around the Philippines and all over the world to create Banaue-inspired symphonic works. It’s the first competition of this magnitude to be held in the country, with a grand prize of US$12,000 (roughly P600,000), two consolation prizes of US$6,000 (roughly P300,000) each, plus a week-long immersion in Banaue.

Twenty composer-fellows will be part of the Banaue Immersion Program, calculated to help them learn and experience local culture and music. With new perspective and inspiration, they may revise their entries before the semi-finals. The composer-fellows will rehearse their pieces with an entire orchestra, open for the audience to enjoy in Banaue. Only 10 composer-fellows will be chosen to be the finalists to perform on the Finals Night on July 25 at the CCP.

This competition is in line with the Banaue Rice Terraces Restoration Project of Universal Harvester and the local government of Banaue led by Mayor Jerry Dalipog. With the attention that the event will be getting, it may also create awareness of the current situation of the World Heritage Treasure and encourage people to participate and help. According to Ret. Gen. Jaime delos Santos, Banaue conservation volunteer, some 49 hectares had been identified for restoration and, so far, some 16.34 hectares had been cleared and restored. 

“We want to let the world know that the Philippines is home to great wonders, not just in terms of natural resources, but also in inspiring talents from all over the world. And with your support, our friends from the media, we will be able to take this giant leap together,” said Dr. How.

(The deadline for submission of entries is April 15. For details, visit www.banauemusic.org)

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