True to form to their themes of love and its different vagaries, filmmakers Paolo Villaluna and Ellen Ramos follow up their highly-acclaimed debut film ILUSYON (Rated A 2005, Cinemanila IFF 2006, Pusan IFF 2006) with the tragic tale of Rommel in Selda.

SELDA tells the story of the friendship that develops between two prison inmates, Rommel (Sid Lucero) and Esteban (Emilio Garcia), who acts as his friend and protector. After their jail term, however, their attempt to define and explore the boundaries of their relationship leads to tragedy.

Selda is a return to classicist forms and delivers a stylish, deliberately- paced treatise on love. At moments strange, Selda is a sublime and disquieting portrait of a young man whose search for
happiness, innocence and true love is laden with guilt and doubt.

Starring Ara Mina, Emilio Garcia and Sid Lucero with Michael De Mesa, Allan Paule, Soliman Cruz, Ping Medina, Raul Morit and Hector Macaso.

SOME REVIEWS:

"A gem of a daring work"

-Clodualdo Del Mundo, screenwriter, Batch '81, Kisapmata

"Sid Lucero gives one of the best performances of the year and Emilio Garcia gives the best performance of his career. Sid, Emilio and Ara Mina complete the story of this powerful movie on how it is to be imprisoned by social dictates"
–Butch Francisco, The Philippine Star

"Powerful and disturbing. An outstanding performance from Sid Lucero"
–Raymond Red, Cannes Short Film Winner

"(An) outstanding film…Sid Lucero, Emilio Garcia, Ara Mina and Michael De Mesa deliver powerful performances. A riveting, must-see drama."
-Rito Asilo, Philippine Daily Inquirer

"Selda is a beautifully filmed masterpiece. Sid Lucero, Emilio Garcia and Ara Mina are brilliant"
–Christine Dayrit, CEB Chair

"One of the more compelling movies released of late…Villaluna and Ramos know how to frame a shot to catch the viewer's attention…the cast are at the peak of their acting prowess…a subdued potential love triangle brews with deadly sexual tension… the last line (in Selda) still echoes in our head months after the disc faded out."
-Juaniyo Arcellana, The Philippine Star

"Engrossing! Wonderful performances"
–Mario Hernando, Urian Manunuri

"An intelligent and thought-provoking film. Sid and Emilio are superb. Cinematography is great. Michael De Mesa is excellent…"
–Dr.Jaime Ang, Gawad Tanglaw

"A disquieting examination of connected tragedies…quite versed in the nuances of cinematic language…somber and substantial…a solid and darkly potent work…expertly photographed… Sid Lucero is simply electrifying, Emilio Garcia is a revelation."
–Oliver Pulumbarit, Philippine Daily Inquirer

"An engrossing story. Villaluna and Ramos manifest their keen visual sense as they have done in Ilusyon. Another noteworthy achievement is in the performances. Very impressive."
–Cinema Evaluation Board

"Sid is the best young actor of this generation. His wonderful performance in Selda shows his range… and it has been sometime since we got to see Michael de Mesa in a good movie. His role (in Selda) might just win him his next acting trophy."
–Prof. Ed Pangilinan, Manila Times

"Sid is definitely one of the most competent young actors we have today and his sensitivity and intensity shines in Selda…and Emilio projects the right sensibility in portraying a quiet enigmatic man who's palpably smouldering inside. If only for their fine performances, Selda is already worthseeing. "
–Mario Bautista, Film Critic

In a welcome twist to celebrate the International Women’s Day, The UP Film Institute holds this Saturday, 8 March 2008, at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. the premiere of Seksing Pinay—a full-length collection of sizzling clips from the sexy flicks produced by Leo Films.

Narrated by Roy Alvarez, the unique big-screen engagement weaves together deleted footage from films topbilled by bold stars spanning three decades to examine the phenomenon of sex in the movies and the depiction of women in sex-oriented roles. Project director is Armando Reyes with consultant Cesar Aquino and editing supervisor Jeff de Vera. Screening is strictly for mature audiences.

How can uncut, adult-oriented films be socially relevant especially at a time of political crisis? Please go to Cine Adarna starting March 5 to find out.

The University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) hosts a film festival titled “Director’s Cut: Mga Eksenang Dapat Mong Nakita Pero…” from March 5 to 7 at the Cine Adarna in UP Diliman, Quezon City. Opening cocktails are scheduled at 4 p.m. on March 5 (Wednesday) at the UP Cine Adarna lobby.

Nine controversial films will be shown for three days. These are the uncut versions of Bakit May Kahapon Pa? (directed by Joel Lamangan), Laman (Maryo J. de los Reyes), Ang Lalake sa Parola (Jay Altarejos), Duda/Doubt (Cris Pablo), Rome and Juliet (Connie Macatuno), Twilight Dancers (Mel Chionglo), La Vida Rosa (Chito Roño), Tuhog (Jeffrey Jeturian) and Live Show (Jose Javier Reyes). De los Reyes, Pablo, Macatuno, Roño and Jeturian are graduates of UP CMC.

Bakit May Kahapon Pa? (March 5, 5 p.m.) is about a woman, traumatized by the massacre of her family in the 1970s, who plans revenge on the responsible military officer. Laman (March 5, 7 p.m.) focuses on a young couple’s problems mainly caused by a rich businesswoman who lusts for the husband and a gigolo who seduces the wife. Ang Lalake sa Parola (March 5, 9 p.m.) tells the story of a lighthouse caretaker in a conservative rural community who falls in love with another man.

Duda/Doubt (March 6, 5 p.m.) is a tale of infidelity in a relationship between two men while Rome and Juliet (March 6, 7 p.m.) is a romantic journey of two women caught in a web of forbidden love. Twilight Dancers (March 6, 9 p.m.) is about a macho dancer who is pressured to “dance” to the tune of the new global economy.

La Vida Rosa (March 7, 5 p.m.) revolves around a couple’s dangerous life as con artists. Tuhog (March 7, 7 p.m.) is a disturbing yet entertaining movie within a movie where a mother and daughter are abused twice – first by a rapist who happens to be a family member and then by incompetent filmmakers. Live Show (March 7, 9 p.m.) is a story of poor Filipinos forced to perform sexual acts in front of paying customers.

An open forum with the director and other guests follows every screening of the film.

Tickets are priced at P200 for each film, but students with valid IDs can pay only P100. A festival pass which allows one to view all nine films costs P1,000.

The sponsors of the Director’s Cut film festival are Microdata Systems and Management, Globe Telecom, Philippine Airlines, Cravings, Strategic Organizational Services Philippines (Stratos) and the UP Centennial Commission.

The film festival is part of UP’s centennial celebration. For ticket inquiries and other details, please contact Dr. Arminda V. Santiago or Prof. Ma. Rosel San Pascual at (632) 920-6864 or (632) 920-6867.

“Mona: Singapore Escort”, the sexy socio-drama film starring Iza Calzado, opens November 30, 2007 at SM Cinemas.

Produced by Bandit Films Inc., and Outline Digital Films, “Mona” is the story of a poor single mother who takes a job in Singapore , thinking she has been hired as a chambermaid. She discovers that she has been recruited into a stable of prostitutes. Thrust into a world behind closed doors, she must entertain clients with different sexual tastes, orientations, and deviations.

Shot on location in the Republic of Singapore , it is a story of struggle, despair, sacrifice, and Hope.

Go to your favorite SM Malls for the chance to win free tickets to the Premier of “Mona” on November 26, 2007 at Cinema 4 of The Block, SM City North Edsa, 7:00pm.

Iza Calzado and co-stars will have a theater tour of selected SM Malls on opening day, Friday, November 30, 2007, so watch out!

Check out “Mona” at www.banditfilms.us.

"The Islanders" (Taga-Isla), directed by Miranamedina, is selected to screen at the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival, which runs from November 9 to 11 at the Chopin Theatre.

Told in exacting detail with archival photography and eyewitness testimony, the documentary is a fascinating look at Corregidor, an island fortress at the mouth of Manila Bay which was built by the Americans in preparation for enemy attack. There were five villages with a population of Filipino civilians and Philippine scouts. The island had electric cars, movie houses, service clubs, sports facilities, schools, churches, and free military transports to Manila.

But the ravages of World War II erased everything. Since most of the books on Corregidor only focus on its military history, historical vacuum exists. The need to fill that vacuum in turn led to the making of this documentary.

The film focuses on the Filipino pre-war life in bottom side as related by Dr. Selma Harrison-Calmes based on diaries, oral accounts by his mother, grandparents, and uncle.

The film features over a hundred prewar photos from personal collections and archives including probably the oldest extant document – a certificate of marriage officiated in 1880.

"The Islanders" is produced by Miryad Cuts in collaboration with Corregidor Foundation, Inc., Corregidor Historic Society, The Corregidorians, USA, National Commission on Culture and the Arts and the UP Film Center.

Miranamedina was the U.P. Film Center scholar to the Film and Television Institute of India where she obtained a diploma in Cinema major in Film Editing. She graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Sto. Tomas and studied Humanities at the University of the Philippines. An award-winning film editor, she has edited all the feature films of alternative filmmaker Tikoy Aguiluz. "The Islanders," which she researched and worked on for over a year, is her first feature-length documentary.