Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub is One of the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Winners (2015)!

*pictures are not author's own but came from various sources

New Wave Category


Best Supporting Actor: Thou Reyes (Toto)

Best Supporting Actress: Bibeth Orteza (Toto)

Best Screenplay: Ari (My Life with a King)

Best Director: John Paul Su (Toto)

Best Actor: JM De Guzman (Tandem) and Francisco Guinto (Ari)

Jury Prize: Toto

Best Picture: Ari (My Life with a King)

Main Competition


Best Make-Up Artist: Ryan and Ericka (Honor Thy Father)

Best Visual Effect: Nilalang

Best Production Design: Buy Now, Die Later

Best Editing/Best Cinematography: Nilalang

Best Float: Buy Now, Die Later

Best Child Performer: Krystal Brimner (Honor Thy Father)

Best Sound Engineer: Ditoy Aguila (Nilalang)

Best Musical Score: Jessie Lasaten (Nilalang)

Best Original Theme Song: Tao (Honor Thy Father)

FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence/Best Story/Best Screenplay: Walang Forever

Best Director: Erik Matti (Honor Thy Father)

Best Supporting Actor: Tirso Cruz III (Honor Thy Father)

Best Supporting Actress: Maine Mendoza (My Bebe Love)

3rd Best Picture: My Bebe Love

2nd Best Picture: Buy Now, Die Later

Best Picture: Walang Forever

Gatpuno Cultural Award: My Bebe Love

Best Actress: Jennylyn Mercado

Best Actor: Jericho Rosales

Kulay Diwa Presents ‘Abstracting Angono’s Rustic Scenes’ of Aaron Bautista

*Majority of this article's content is taken from the exhibit's press release by the museum

Aaron Villamayor Bautista, a member of the Neo-Angono Artists Collective, belongs to the third generation of Angono artists whose artistic lineage traces back to the religious-themed Juan Senson during the waning years of the Spanish period, the murals and modernist works of Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco, and figurative as well as realist traditions of Jose ‘Pitok’ Blanco, Nemesio ‘Nemi’ Miranda Jr., Salvador Juban, Vicente Reyes, and Pepito Villaluz.

We see at Aaron’s creative process the drip paintings of New York artist Jackson Pollock. Combining the movement of his body as well as both controllable and uncontrollable factors with the viscous flow of paint, the force of gravity, and the absorption of paint, enamel, oil, and found objects into canvas, Aaron dramatizes both conscious reclamation and recreation of his childhood past and communal memory of his town and people.

Aaron’s works do not only de-familiarize and abstract his town’s rustic scenes. He contributes and constructs among these chaotic motions of pieces of what is, perhaps, Angono’s abstract art in the age of threatened Laguna Lake and towering SM Center Angono in the town where he found his faith life, and love.

The artworks will be on display until December 7 – January 7, 2015. For more details, you may contact 8260574. Admission is free.

Kulay Diwa's website

Photo album

The Beauty of Kapampangan Language Explored in “ARI” starring Ronwaldo Martin

*Photos are from the film's official Facebbok page

            Jaypee (Ronwaldo Martin) a personification of the Kapampangan youth who does not speak Kapampangan, is tasked to fetch 69-year old Conrado Guinto, the reigning king of poets, for the recognition rites in his quaint village. Guinto is the school’s outstanding alumnus. What waited for the two ahead is a deep friendship and an understanding of each other’s upbringing, bridged by the generation gap yet still tied by the Kapampangan lineage.

            The film’s aspect ratio is not the usual, it is 4:3. The casting is also radical, featuring Kapampangans who are mostly non-actors, like the actor who played Guinto, the real-life poet Francisco Guinto. In fact, some of the incidents in the film are based on Guinto’s experience. The tradition of electing the Ari ding Poetang Kapampangan (King of Kapmpangan Poets) is very much alive. The Kapampangan language omits the letter “h”, hence the title being ari instead of hari.

“We want the world to see this little-known literary tradition in Pampanga where poetry is a way of life and poets recite poems at the drop of a hat,” screenwriter Robby Tantingco said. He is also the Director of the Center for Kampampangan Studies. This film, produced by Holy Angel University (HAU), is helmed by one of its alumni active in the filmmaking scene, Carlo Enciso Catu.

HAU faculty members, employees, and students, mostly comprise the cast and crew. Other Kapampangan poets Eufrocina Peña, Felix Garcia, and Policarpio Batac play supporting roles as well as former HAU faculty members Cecile Yumul, Jonalyn Ablong, and Chloe Carpio.

After winning the Best World Film Award from the Harlem International Film Festival and the Best Debut Feature Film Award from the All Lights India International Film Festival, the film is set to have its official Philippine premiere as part of the 41^st MMFF in the New Wave Category. Last Dec. 2, there was a press preview held at the MMDA Theater located inside the MMDA Conpound in Guadalupe, Makati City.

The festival runs from December 17 to 24 at the Glorietta 4, SM Megamall, and Robinsons Manila Cinemas. For ticket inquires for ARI: My Life with a King, you may contact 09999590601.

Click here for exclusive press preview photos!