MANILA, Philippines — For the producer of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entry “Uninvited,” the drama thriller topbilled by Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre, is a risky but necessary project for taking on difficult themes rarely addressed in mainstream Philippine cinema.
From the trailer, viewers are introduced to the characters of Vilma (as Lilia/Eva), Aga (Guilly) and Nadine who are present at a lavish celebration at an opulent mansion, which spirals into a night of “intrigues, buried secrets and shocking revelations.”
The star-studded cast also includes Tirso Cruz III, Mylene Dizon, Elijah Canlas, Gabby Padilla, RK Bagatsing, Lotlot de Leon, Ketchup Eusebio, Cholo Barretto, Gio Alvarez and Ron Angeles.
The production and creatives are led by Bryan Diamante of Mentorque (same group behind the 2023 MMFF entry “Mallari”) as executive producer and Antoinette Jadaone of Project 8 Projects as producer. Reign de Guzman, Omar Sortijas and Catsi Catalan are on board as supervising producers, while Irene Villamor is the creative producer. Dan Villegas directs from the screenplay of Dodo Dayao.
“It’s overwhelming, but the pressure is on,” Diamante said during an interview at the recent grand party-themed launch of the film. “We’re just starting, and I’m telling you the nine other (MMFF) entries are really good, too, so we have to up our game. That’s why we’re also relentless with ‘Uninvited,’ because a lot of Filipino audiences have to watch this film.”
This means, they are eyeing both domestic and overseas screenings for the film when the MMFF opens on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
“I’m hoping that we could have simultaneous screenings worldwide on Dec. 25. We’re not only targeting the Philippine audiences but also the international audiences,” he said.
They are working anew with Warner Bros. as their film distributor.
Despite targeting a wider cinema release for “Uninvited,” he acknowledged that one of the challenges would be the film’s rating. He said they’re hoping for an R-13 rating.
“We can’t say yet (about the target number of cinemas) because it’s going to be a challenge for me when it comes to the rating. I hope that we’re open also to this kind of film,” Diamante said, adding, “Actually, ang lalim ng pelikulang ito. Nakita niyo yung grandness (from the trailer), but it has a lot of things to say.”
As the trailer suggests, one of the sensitive topics it will explore is abuse of women.
“Feeling ko ha, part of our culture that cannot advance is because we never tackle yung mga bagay na (tinatago and sensitive)... I was really happy, although it’s really a risk for all of us. Gusto ko matapang yung pelikula ito (We want this film to be brave),” he said.
The film originated from a concept by the Star for all Seasons herself, Vilma, which eventually grew into a full-fledged cinematic project. She proposed the idea for a narrative that would unfold within 24 hours.
Diamante said, “This movie, we never thought magkatotoo. Kami ni Ate Vi nung nag-uusap kami, she just wants to create a film, and ako naman gusto ko gumawa ng pelikula (wherein) ibibigay namin lahat. And then we were able to submit (to MMFF), sabi ko, try natin kasi andyan na yan eh. Let’s try to submit it. Sabi niya (Vilma), ayoko nga ng pressure, ‘di ba. Eh nung sinubmit namin, natanggap. So that’s what happened.”
In asking Vilma, who was vocal about not wanting to be pressured to participate in this year’s MMFF, to do “Uninvited,” Diamante said it was “Mallari” that gave him the confidence to do so.
“Pitch ng pitch ako sa kanya because of course, she’s done 200 films. When you present (things to her), even if she’s not saying it, (she would hint that) nagawa ko na yan. Kaya sabi ko talaga sa kanya, ‘Ma’am, just tell us what you want.’”
Meanwhile, the producer refrained from disclosing the production budget, but he hinted at the scale of the project. “Definitely, cast pa lang andun na tayo. I’m really fortunate that every organization, or company, or every person that we tapped to do this film, they all said yes. We’re very fortunate on that,” he said.
“Kung expensive, I think the Filipino audience deserves this type of caliber ng ganitong pelikula.”
Aga and Nadine were deliberate and first choices despite the risks the story posed. “It’s very sensitive, it can actually make or break their careers,” Diamante said. “Pero nung nagsama-sama sila, I was there at the shoot. Ibang klase.”
He shared an anecdote about Aga’s dedication to his role as the main antagonist in the film. “Sa set nga, si Sir Aga, nakikita ko nagsasalita mag-isa, tapos tumitingin sa akin, tumatawa, ‘Ano, siraulo tingin mo sa akin ano? Ganito ako ka-invested dito.’
“That’s the journey of the character. We never held back because if you hold back, the reality of what we wanted to show… I know that there are compromises, but we don’t compromise that. We really have to have that journey of the character,” he added.
On the technical side, Diamante revealed how they went all-out to ensure the film’s quality. “We made sure mabibigay namin lahat. Mapapansin mo there’s a difference in the look… It’s because we invested in the technical (aspects),” he explained.
“Actually, last year with ‘Mallari,’ Alexa 35 camera was first used in the country, so we’re using Alexa 35 now. We’re also using customized lens. Tumataginting din yung lente palang, pwede na pagawa ng pelikula (the cost itself can already finance an entire film). But that’s how invested we are.”
He believes that this level of investment is crucial in feeding the passion of Filipino creatives and talents.