2011 Italian Film Festival

Italian community in the Philippines and Filipino Film enthusiast gathered in the red carpet opening night of this year’s Italian Film Festival. Around 600 guests were invited for this grand event which also paid tribute to internationally known directors: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Filipino pride, Brillante Mendoza.

Actor and director Albert Martinez conceptualized and staged the Red Carpet Walk in this said event in Greenbelt Cinemas in Makati. Three Filipino Indie Films of Brillante Mendoza were showcased: Serbis, Lola and Kinatay. Brillante Mendoza himself graced the screening of Serbis shown at around 8:30PM, November 9, 2011.

Italian film director, producer and screenwriter Dario Argento’s Dracula 3D was shown at 10:30PM. It was the world premiere of a 20 – minute show reel from his latest film based on the novel of Bram Stoker and set to release in 2012. The screening was graced by Dario’s daughter Asia Argento who also played as Lucy in the film.

Here are the lists of the films to be shown in 2011 Italian Film Festivals. Films are all for free in all Greenbelt Cinemas.

Films to be shown:

Italian Showcase                    Schedule of premiere

1. Habemus Papam               November 9, 8:00 pm, Cinema 5

2. Mine Vaganti                      November 10, 5:00 pm, Cinema 5

3. Passione                            November 10, 9:00 pm, Cinema 5

4. Una vita tranquilla              November 11, 6:30 pm, Cinema 5

5. Che bella giornata               November 12, 7:30 pm, Cinema 3

6. Vincere                              November 11, 8:30 pm, Cinema 5

7. Corpo celeste                     November 12, 6:00 pm, Cinema 5

Tribute to Bernardo Bertolucci

1.    Il conformista                      November 10, 9:30 pm, Cinema 3

2.    Ultimo tango a Parigi            November 11, 9:00 pm, Cinema 3

3.    L'ultimo imperatore              November 12, 9:30 pm, Cinema 3

4.    The Dreamers                      November 13, 9:30 pm, Cinema 3

Tribute to Dario Argento

1.    Suspiria                               November 11, 4:00 pm, Cinema 5

2.    Profondo rosso                     November 13, 5:00 pm, Cinema 5

3.    Show reel Dracula 3D           November 9, 10:00 pm, Cinema 4

Tribute to Brillante Mendoza

1.    Serbis                               November 9, 8:30 pm, Cinema 3

2.    Lola                                   November 12, 4:00 pm, Cinema 5

3.    Kinatay                              November 13, 5:30 pm, Cinema 3

Quentin Tarantino's admiration to Brillante Mendoza's "Kinatay"

I was browsing the net when I found a written letter of Quentin Tarantino to Brillante Mendoza. American film director and producer Quentin Tarantino describes Filipino director Brillante Mendoza’s “Kinatay” as an extraordinary film. Brillante Mendoza won the award for ‘Best Director’ for the film ‘Kinatay’ (The Execution of P) at the 62^nd Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Brillante brought nobility to the Philippines when his film ‘Foster Child’ was included in the Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. He was the first Filipino director to bring a film competition at Cannes for two years in a row.

Filipino Director Brillante Mendoza

Academy Award winning director Quentin Tarantino

Our very own film maker did not just managed to impress the judge but also his contender. ‘Kill Bill’, ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino is vocal with his admiration to Brillante and his film. Quentin defended ‘Kinatay’ on one of his interview that it may receive worst critics but for him the film was “extraordinary”. Here is the letter of Quentin to Brillante.

courtesy: Teresa Barrozo, Boys in Pixels, google.com