Quentin Tarantino said “Hi!” to us

Well, we were wondering why the heck not could we experience this when Mr. Tarantino flew into town to participate and receive his award at this year’s Cinemanila Film Festival. I mean, QT was just at the Gateway mall anyway so we went there Monday the 13th, there was a master class with Cinematographer Nap Jamir for 4 hours before we planted ourselves beside the cinema that was screening Jackie Brown. Well, we were stalking him there obviously but we heard people discouraging us from waiting because he didn’t like being hounded for autographs and fotos they said, they also said the screening had started and he probably would stay inside for the length of the screening. But, no I told Ned he’s just human like us and the cinemas at Gateway do not have CRs within so people use the CRs outside the cinemas, so we figured we should stick around in case he needs to come out of the cinema and head on over to the john! And true enough, after 25 minutes he came out, we waved and said hi and he “Hi-ed” back to both of us! That was the “it” that made us really inspired to pick up the dusty next project and start pre-prod. And in any case, we felt really overwhelmed by seeng QT in the flesh, now we didn’t have to follow the Cinemanila bandwagon all the way to Boracay this wet weekend to get to rub elbows with him. Nor get visas to the US to do the same… Life is sweet!

#@&% Kadin!!!

The 3rd Cinemalaya basked in the drought, that is before the long anticipated downpours finally heralded the wet season. The best in-competition film I saw, aside from Endo, which I produced along with Michiko Yamamoto, is Kadin. I felt that the story was heartfelt, simply- and well-told.  I appreciate that the treatment was non-travelogue-ish (although some would disagree with me), and applaud its amazing cinematography.  The acting the Ivatan kids did would kick the asses of most actors in the commercial Filipino films. Having lived shortly in Chavayan, Batanes, the film’s location, I realize what amount of effort and logistical planning must’ve been put into the making of Adolf Alix’s film.  The area  only gets around two hours of electricity per day,  getting there requires  riding the roughest  boat ride  of my entire life (and that was in the summertime!)!  Too bad some people would readily dismiss it as an Iranian movie wannabe right away. On the contrary, it proved to be a very rewarding cinematic experience. – Ned Trespeces

Elma Muros Proves That Filipinas Rock!

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Had the opportunity to meet and sit down and interview Ms. Elma Muros Posadas. I’ll never forget how she smiled when I mentioned having been to her province, Romblon. It was where she, the Philippines’ heptathlon queen grew up amidst fisherfolk in a place with no electricity in most places up to now. I’ve been to Hambil, Romblon I said to Ms. Elma. Sometimes there would be electricity at the resort on the island we found after our little pumpboat got battered by high waves on a perfectly sunny day. Those waves she said are what causes her to rarely visit her birthplace.

I noticed how energetic and animated she is. I’ve interviewed much younger sports top guns who possess the energy of a flat stone but Ms. Elma even stands up to reenact unforgettable times of her fast-paced life. A great mom, she told us she feeds her kids’ minds with values that have seen her through all these years on the track and field. She struck me as humble, a truly great Pinay. Generous with people she encounters. Heard her thank God several times in the course of our interview. A real trooper, Ms. Elma even offered to meet us on the track to run laps with us. I told the truth that I was not fit enough to run with the wind because my knee has been aching for days. I didn’t want to turn up a limping grandma beside a buffed national athlete, panting and lagging and, goodluck if I even make a lap!

Thanks to Amy Uy for the photo.