Fridae

Celebrating 10 years of gay and lesbian pride in the Philippines, the Mowelfund Film Institute and ProGay Philippines gather film artists, business and cultural leaders and the international community in organising the Pink Film Festival, the 2nd International Gay and Lesbian Film and Video Festival.

As a human rights event, the festival highlights the need for recognition of the gay and lesbian community which, despite modest gains, remain marginalised in the society. With support from SM Supermalls, British Council, Goethe Institut, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Festival will showcase international film premieres, an Asian section and a retrospective of Filipino-made films and videos.

Topping the list are two films that will grace the festival opening. Eating Out is a hilarious sex comedy from Q. Allan Brocka, a film that had sold-out screenings during its London debut and is now taking the New York gay festival by storm. If the name Brocka rings a familiar bell, it is because the young director is the nephew of the late National Artist for Film, Lino Brocka. Allan is fast making a name for himself in Hollywood by gaining worldwide recognition with his prize-winning gay films.

Festival director, Nick Deocampo, first met Brocka in Hollywood and invited him to show his films in Manila. The director will be in person during his screening to introduce his film that stars Jim Verraros, one of last year's American Idol winners. Aside from Eating Out, Brocka's highly acclaimed short films including the multi-awarded Rick & Steve, the Happiest Gay Couple in All the World will also be shown.

Inter.M@tes is the other Festival Premiere Film that will surely win a lot of audience attention. Megged by South Africa-born director, Hamilton McLeod, the film is a UK-Philippine production shot entirely in the Philippines with an all-Filipino cast. The long-awaited film stars Ian Veneracion who sheds off his tough macho cadence for a queenly romp in gay beaches and cafes.

Joining him are gorgeous Filipino actors and male ramp models - Raymond Bagatsing, Simon Ibarra, Jojo Alejar, Jay Espano, Mike Lloren and William Thio. The all-star cast bested 300 hopefuls who swamped the audition a day after a casting call was made. In the film, too, are Migue Moreno and beauty queen Evangeline Pascual.

The festival will run from June 15 until July 11 at SM Megamall, Manila, Baguio, Iloilo and at the University of the Philippines Film Institute. Nationwide screenings will follow in all SM cinemas. Participating countries include the USA, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, India, Germany, Australia, Israel, among others.

Creating a strong presence are films coming from Great Britain. With support from the British Council, the outrageous British hit film, 9 Dead Gay Guys will have its Asian premiere together with the lowkeyed, The Wolves of Kromer. A salute to the notoriously famous German director, Rainier Werner Fassbinder, comes with the screening of his elegiac film, Love is colder than Death, courtesy of the Goethe Institut.

A touch of Bollywood is represented by Sridhar Rangayan's Gulabi Aaina, the first film about the vanishing exotic world of Indian drag queens. Other Asian delights come from Malaysia led by Osman Ali's Bukak Api, a film on the dramatic efforts to reach out to the vulnerable sectors of gays and prostitutes as they struggle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Philippine retrospective carries distinguished names in local cinema. Classic gay films include Lino Brocka's Macho Dancer, Mel Chionglo's Burlesk King, Carlos Siguion Reyna's Ang Lalaki sa Buhay ni Selya, and Joel Lamangan's Pusong Mamon.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, Deocampo's classic documentary, Oliver, leads the pack of independent films representing a flowering of gay and lesbian filmmaking in the country. Also to be screened are Deocampo's prize-winning films like The Sex Warriors and the Samurai, the autobiographical Private Wars and Isaak. Other titles include gay and lesbian works coming from the Mowelfund Film Institute and the University of the Philippines Film Institute. Featured too is Chris Pablo's Duda, a digital feature now making its rounds of theatrical exhibition.

Reservations and Season's Passes will soon be made available. Corporate sponsorships and provincial bookings are now being accepted. For more information, call: Mowelfund Film Institute at 410 4567 (632) 727 1915 or (632) 3673109 or e-mail: progay@edsamail.com.ph.