Asia Pacific Films President Jeanette Hereniko, iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific Film Manager
TEO Swee Leng and NETPAC General Manager Ashley Ratnavibhushana

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We also got to chat with the filmmakers. Mike Sandejas, director of Tulad ng Dati which won Cinemalaya Best Film in 2006 is back this year with Dinig Sana Kita, "a love story between a deaf boy who loves to dance and a troubled rocker girl who abuses her hearing." He says, "I think mas malakas ang response [sa Dinig Sana Kita]. Nakakataba ng puso." One of the best compliments he has ever gotten for the film is that he made the audience cry. "Sabi ko, 'kala ko macho ako. Iyakan pala ang kaya ko," he jokes.

On his lead character, Zoe Sandejas, who also happens to be his daughter, he says, "I think we're much closer now than ever before… Bata pa 'yan, ang dami na niyang kayang gawin. Sabi niya, it's not something she wants to do as her bread and butter. Sabi ko, then let's just do it every so often. I'm just here to guide [her]."

His other lead character is played by deaf actor and dancer, Romelito Mallari. Sandejas also worked with other deaf actors for this movie. "It's no different than being with somebody who speaks a different language. They're very nice people. Minsan nga mas gusto ko silang kasama kesa sa mga nakakarinig eh."

Another competing film is Engkwentro, which is about vigilante killings in the country. "As expected, there are some people who really loved it and some people who were challenged by it. It's not a feel-good movie, it's about something that not all Filipinos are ready to talk about yet," director Pepe Diokno says.

He adds, "We had a really good screening last night. I was only expecting the theater to be half-full because of our subject matter but when we got there, the theater was packed."

Expect Engkwentro to make the school rounds. Diokno says, "I think we're already sold out in UP… It's not the kind of film that I personally would put in a mall. But, hopefully somebody likes it enough to invite it for a commercial screening."

Gay Ace Domingo, co-writer and co-producer of competing film Sanglaan, says, "In keeping with the [pawnshop concept], may scenes talaga kaming mahahaba. 'Yung iba nahabaan. 'Yung scoring sana iba daw. Better 'yung crowd last night kasi naiyak sila, nagustuhan nila 'yung story, 'yung artista. It's all a balance."

She recounts creepy and funny incidents during the shoot of Sanglaan. Once, when they were shooting in their pawnshop set in Tondo, people carrying guns were chasing each other nearby. At another time, their pawnshop set looked so real that they had people coming over and inquiring about pawning.

Catch the film fest this week at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and next week at the UP Cine Adarna.

Cruise photos by Dyan Zarzuela, premiere photos by Nerisa Almo and video by Trixie Zabal.