Brillante supports We Are One online global filmfest

Here’s good news for film lovers around the world.

According to reports, YouTube and Tribeca Enterprises (which organizes the Tribeca Film Festival in New York), major film festivals are uniting for a free 10-day digital festival on YouTube from May 29 to June 7.

Called We Are One: A Global Film Festival, it will stream for free movies that have been shown at some of the major festivals in the world, including Tribeca, Cannes, Venice, Berlin, London, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Marrakesh, San Sebastian, Toronto and Tokyo, while India will be represented by Jio Mami Mumbai.

“Yes, I support it,” declared Brillante Mendoza who, like Lav Diaz, is a veteran in world film festivals including Cannes where he won Best Director (for Kinatay) and helped Jaclyn Jose bag a Best Actress plum (for Ma’Rosa), both the only Filipinos who have won highest honors in one of the world’s oldest/most prestigious festivals.

“During these unusual times,” added Mendoza whose films shown in the mentioned filmfests might just be included in the honor roll, “people have nothing much to do except watch movies on various platforms. I hope this will give Filipinos an opportunity to watch varied films from different parts of the world para lalo pa lumawak ang ating kaalaman sa iba’t-ibang kultura at sining. But more than the films, sana magkaroon tayo ng malalim na realization sa mga nangyayari ngayon sa mundo. Mag-umpisa tayo sa ating mga sarili.”

The screenings (schedules to be announced in coming weeks) will include features, documentaries and panel discussions, and will be available on the link youtube.com/weareone. The films will be shown without commercials and viewers will be requested to make donations for COVID-19 relief work, according to a report attributed to Variety, the bible of the entertainment industry, adding, “The event will not replace standalone festivals that have not yet been called off, such as Cannes, Venice and Toronto. While there are doubts whether Cannes will take place in June or July as previously announced, Venice has declared that it will be held in early September in ‘hybrid physical-digital program’ if necessary.”

Local film festivals are also not sure if postponed to safer times or definitely cancelled this year, including the first Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (SMMFF), a brainchild of Sen. Bong Go supposed to kick off early last month, the Cinemalaya (indie films), the Pista Ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), Cinema One Originals, the ToFarm Film Festival (TFFF), and the fiercely-contested annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), plus several other regional festivals and school-sponsored award-giving events.

National Artist for Music Ryan ‘Mr. C’ Cayabyab turned 66 yesterday, May 4

Mr. C marks ‘66’ with song of reassurance, unity and hope

National Artist for Music Ryan “Mr. C” Cayabyab turned 66 yesterday (May 4). To celebrate the milestone, he has composed a song called Kapit Lahat which, some might say, is his gift to our nation which continues to struggle against COVID-19.

The song speaks of reassurance, unity and hope that we will all get through this crisis together. Mr. C is one of the bright minds behind Bayanihan Musikahan, an organization that has so far raised P68M in the last weeks by holding live concerts online with some of the country’s top artists.

Kapit Lahat premiered in a TV special yesterday and should be available on Spotify by now.                                                 

Briefly noted                                                                                  

• Topnotch designer Avel Bacudio works out by taking the stairs up and down in the high-rise condo building in Quezon City where he’s living alone. He himself cooks his meals. Being a true-blue Bicolano, Avel is partial to spicy dishes especially ginataang laing (pinangat) which he does as beautifully as he goes his signature gowns and pants that include limited editions in collaboration with his friends Matteo Guidicelli and Alden Richards (whose brother, a nurse, is a frontliner in California).

• And speaking of whizzes in the kitchen, did you know that iconic hairstylist Ricky Reyes spends his lockdown time cooking and cooking? He’s so good at it that friends who have tasted his gastronomic creations are urging him to put up a restaurant. Among Ricky’s to-die-for “best-sellers” are puchero and chicken adobo which is just mildly spicy for, as Ricky put it, “that exciting little kick.”                            

• While taking some early-morning sun (for vitamin D) like every else, Pat-P Daza sits on a lounging chair in the terrace of her BGC condo unit while reading her favorite paper...yes, of course, The Philippine STAR for which she writes the Monday column Razzle Daza. By afternoon, she is ready to face viewers of her DZMM program (now Monday through Friday, starting at 4:30 p.m.) with Peter Musngi, both of them streaming (working) from home.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)