CINEMALAYA UPDATE: Pepe Diokno's Engkwentro - Venice bound
MANILA, Philippines - Engkwentro, the Cinemalaya film directed by 21-year-old filmmaker Pepe Diokno, has been selected as the sole Philippine entry to the 2009 Venice International Film Festival.
Venice is the oldest film festival in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Oscar winner Ang Lee is the president of this year’s jury. The event will be held from September 2 to 12.
Engkwentro tells the story of two teenage brothers on opposite sides of a gang war. Complications arise at a deadly midnight engkwentro (clash), when one is tasked to kill the other. All these happen while the City Death Squad, a band of vigilantes supposedly backed by a Big Brother-type Mayor, is hot on their trail. The two brothers must find a way out of their squalid situation in order to stay alive.
The film features young actors Felix Roco, Zyrus Desamparado, Daniel Medrana, and Eda Nolan, as well as singer Bayang Barrios, and movie directors Jim Libiran and Celso Ad Castillo.
Diokno says the film is inspired by actual “death squad” killings in some cities in the country, where, in the last decade, over 814 people have been murdered by hitmen allegedly sponsored by the state. Reports say many of the victims are minors — including gang members, petty criminals, and street children.
Engkwentro was a finalist at the 2009 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, where it earned a Jury’s Special Mention — a first in the festival’s history. Shot in handheld style, the movie elicited strong reactions from Cinemalaya audiences — with people calling it, “an eye-opener,” “raw and alarming,” “shocking,” “disturbing” and “a must-see.”
Engkwentro will be competing at Venice’s Orizzonti competition, a section that provides a spectrum of new trends in cinema. It is one of just 18 feature films selected from around the world. Diokno is the youngest Pinoy ever to compete at the festival. Last year’s Pinoy representative was Lav Diaz.
The production is hoping to get support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines and private sponsors. This will cover the production of a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) — a digital version of a 35mm film print — as well as airfare and accommodations.
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The filmmakers say support of any kind is appreciated. To get in touch with them, e-mail engkwentromovie@gmail.com.
