Cinemalaya 2013 New Breed Full Length Feature Official Entries

Synopsis of The Film:

Babagwa is about the web of lies that people create in order to trick unsuspecting victims. An Internet scammer named Greg (Alex Medina) uses a fake Facebook account to trick people into depositing money into his bank account.

Assuming the persona of a fictional guy named Bam (played by Kiko Matos), Greg flirts with a filthy rich woman whom he meets online. In time, Greg falls in love with Daisy (played by Alma Concepcion). Will Greg push through with his scam or will he admit his true feelings for Daisy?

Starring: Alex Vincent Medina, Joey Paras, Alma Carvajal Concepcion, and Introducing: Kiko Matos
Also Starring: Chanel Boom Latorre, Sunshine Teodoro, Chase Cervera, and Nico Antonio

Written and Directed by : Jason Paul Laxamana

Synopsis of the Film

Victoria Lansang is a popular news reporter who has been requested to mediate a hostage crisis.  And in front of a national television audience, something horribly goes wrong and people are killed while Victoria suffers a mental breakdown.

A year later, she's eager to get back into the game but the only assignment she can get is to do a documentary on the last night of The Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City, a crumbling and abandoned building infamously known for its bloody past and its hauntings and has carved a place in Philippine ghost lore.

Looking for redemption, she arrives there with her crew and they start filming.  But as they get deeper into the night, the place starts to exert its will on them and they find out exactly what monstrous evil awaits at The Diplomat Hotel.

By daybreak, their lives will never be the same again.


Starring: Gretchen Barretto, Art Acuna, Mon Confiado, Joel Torre, Nico Antonio, Chanel Latorre, Abe Pagtama, Brooke Chantelle and Sarah Gaugler

Written and Directed by : Christopher Ad Castillo

Synopsis of the Film

A light comedy-drama. Bechayda (Eugene Domingo), a wardrobe mistress in TV commercials, who pretends to be pregnant to keep her Japanese fiancé.

Starring: Eugene Domingo, Rico J. Puno, Luis Alandy, Archie Alemania, Shamaine Buencamino-Centenera, Tuesday Vargas, Matt Evans, Alchris Galura, and Yuki Matsuzaki

Written and Directed by: Leo Abaya

Synopsis of the Film

The film is about Mando (Paulo Avelino), a Bikolano devotee of Ina, Virgin of Peñafrancia, Patroness of Bikolandia. Mando injures himself in the middle of the forest at the foot of the Mayon Volcano. He is nursed back to health by a mysterious woman, Salome (Mara Lopez) living there. They eventually fall in love with each other. But when Mando invites her to come with him to the plains, Salome refuses, saying a curse prohibits her from leaving the forest. Salome holds a secret that will devastate Mando’s love for her. Mando relies on his devotion to the Virgin of Peñafrancia to lift the curse, making him realize just how inextricably linked are the virtues of love and faith.

Starring: Paulo Avelino and Mara Lopez

Written and Directed By: Alvin Yapan

Synopsis of the Film

David F. weaves three stories that take a look at the situation of African-Americans in the Philippines: from soldiers in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) to the modern-day Amboys in the former Clark Airfield.

This three-part movie hinges upon David Fagen (played by Quester Hannah), an African-American soldier who lived during the 1900s. The first segment is set in 1901, when David Fagen shifted his loyalties from the Americans to Filipinos during the Philippine-American War. Director Manny Palo explains, "Lumipat siya sa side ni Emilio Aguinaldo kasi nakakaranas silang discrimination and they were still treated as slaves."

Sid Lucero and Art Acuña are cast as two Filipinos who will do anything to get the $600 reward money for capturing Fagen while Eula Valdes plays the Filipina who married Fagen.

Another thread of the film takes a look at the life of a Filipina during the Japanese occupation whose son turns out to be black-skinned. This segment stars Rocky Salumbides as a guerrilla fighting against the Japanese.

Set in Angeles, Pampanga, the final segment depicts the situation of children of Filipinas and American soldiers who used to be reside in the former military base. Dax Martin plays the gay impersonator trying to find his African-American soldier father who abandoned them. Mitch Valdez is cast as a prostitute in this segment while Will Devaughn plays a Fil-Am whose life changes because of his father.


Starring: Quester Hannah (American theater actor), Sid Lucero, Art Acuña, Eula Valdes, Rocky Salumbides, Jess Mendoza, Mariella Castillo, Mitch Valdez, Dax Martin, and Will Devaughn

Written by: Liza Magtoto and Emmanuel “Manny” Palo

Directed by: Emmanuel “Manny” Palo

Synopsis of the Film

Inspired by the actual story of one of the youngest mothers in Philippine history, “Siyam” follows the story of Krista who at the tender age of 9 got pregnant from the sexual abuse perpetrated by her own father. Her story is complex. Krista refuses to see herself as a victim. With an almost documentary style, “Siyam” follows Krista’s story as she demonstrates a level of resilience uncommon for her age. Her mother, on the other hand, is torn between her love for her child and her love for her husband.

Moises (Jake Cuenca) is incarcerated when a rape case is filed against him. Dolores (Nadine Samonte) initially could not believe that her pre-teen daughter is conceiving and that her husband abused their own daughter.

In fact, the parents brought the young girl to a folk healer named Loleng (played by Anita Linda).

Starring: Nadine Samonte, Jake Cuenca, Anita Linda, Manny Castañeda, Mikael Liwag, and Barbara Miguel

Written and Directed by: Joseph Israel Laban

 

Synopsis of the Film

A story of suffering, acceptance, and hope,' revolves around a transsexual looking for his rightful place in a messy and complicated world."

Dorina is a transvestite who has a flourishing career running an illegal cosmetic surgery business. She is a mother figure to Hero, her eight-year-old nephew

She gets an eye-opener about the dangers of this trade when she visits Mamu (played by Felipe Martinez) who is incarcerated for killing a transgender because of an illegal cosmetic procedure.

Dorina becomes upset when she finds out that her boyfriend (played by Jun Jun Quintana) falls in love with another tranny who happens to be a fellow performer in the Amazing Theater Philippines.


Starring: Mimi Juareza, Miggs Cuaderno, Jun-Jun Quintana, Natasha Yumi, Francine Garcia, Rolando T. Inocencio

Written and Directed by: Eduardo W. Roy Jr.

Synopsis of the Film

Purok 7 is a countryside dramedy (drama-comedy) that follows 14-year-old Diana and her younger brother who live by themselves after their mother went abroad and their father lived with another woman.

Shot in Tarlac, the film features the lighter side of country lifestyle as the main characters take advantage of the fun and thrills of the town festival to take hold of their sweet childhood.

Krystel Valentino and Migs Cuaderno portray the siblings whose lives change drastically because of the choice of their father (played by Arnold Reyes).

Starring: Arnold Reyes, Angeli Bayani, Julian Trono, Migs Cuaderno, Krystel Valentino, Jean Judith Javier, Carlon Matobato, Olive Nieto, Karen Haniel, Max Celada, Aaron Ching, and Sheenly Gener

 Written and Directed by: Carlo Obispo

 

Synopsis of the Film

The story of a former 1980s film cameraman who now currently works as a movie pirate operating in present day Manila. He routinely smuggles a digital camcorder into movie theaters in order to illegally record films. One night he records something else. And the footage goes viral.

He becomes the target of a cat-and-mouse chase in Manila that ends with a climactic scene.

A cameraman-turned-movie pirate who seeks redemption. His job is in jeopardy because more and more people are downloading movies from the Internet instead of buying fake DVDs.

Starring: Ronnie Quizon, Mike Lloren, Joe Gruta, Belinda Mariano, Earl Ignacio
Also Starring: Susette Ranillo, Lowell Conales, Archie Adamos, Abe Pagtama

Written by: Mikhail Red and Ian Victoriano
Directed by: Mikhail Red

Synopsis of the Film

Moises, a single dad working in Israel, must now accompany his 4-year old son, Joshua, back to the Philippines after the Israeli government declared that children of foreign workers will be deported. 

The film depicts the inter-connected lives of OFWs who struggle to prevent their children from being deported to the Philippines.


Starring: Ping Medina, Marc Justine Alvarez, Irma Adlawan. Jasmin Curtis Smith,  Mercedes Cabral

Directed By: Hannah Espia

 

Cinemalaya 2013 will be held on July 26 - August 4 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ayala Cinemas: Trinoma, Greenbelt 3, and Alabang Town Center.