For many years, regional Filipino films have taken the backseat to Manila-based productions, released by mainstream studios like Star Cinema, with only occasional film projects from the South, such as Cesar Montano’s “Panaghoy sa Suba”. The prologue in the witty satire “Confessional”, which is set amidst Cebu’s Sinulog mardi gras, astutely pointed out that most people think that everything outside of Manila is “just a vacation spot”. In the past few years, however, the emergence of independent film festivals in the Philippines like Cinemalaya, where the indie hit “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” debuted, has encouraged young talent from all over the country. For instance, Davaoeno filmmaker Sherad Sanchez, whose “Ang Huling Balyan ng Buhi” is part of the festival lineup, has recently bagged the Grand Prize in South Korea with his second film – and he’s only 24. National Artist for Film Lino Brocka did not make his first feature until he was nearly 30.

So far, regional Filipino films have earned accolades in festivals abroad including Singapore, India and France – proof of the diversity and richness of Filipino culture as visualized by cinematic storytellers. (To purchase tickets, visit www.indiobravo.org or call 1-800-838-3006.) The IndioBravo Film Festival is presented in partnership with GMA Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV and in cooperation with Asian Journal, STIR.ph, HYPHEN Magazine, and Planet Philippines. Below, a quick tour of our regional cinemas:

Tirador (Metro Manila)

From Cannes 2009 Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza comes this virtuoso, fly-on-the-wall, at times shocking exposition of life in a volatile Manila slum. Mendoza’s camera work is so fluid and the acting so untethered, watching Tirador feels like spying. But Mendoza’s apparently self-effacing vision is at its most searing when trained on corrosive politicos, religious denialists and power-crazed cops—he appears to have merely turned on the camera and recorded them digging their own graves. Tirador makes it clear why Mendoza is considered a singular visionary among the mavericks of world film. (Friday, June 12, 8:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2; Sunday, June 14, 6:20 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1)

Baler (Pampanga)

You don’t choose love; it chooses you. Which can lead to some awkward situations. Take the case of winsome Feliza Reyes (Anne Curtis), who falls in love with the dashing Celso Resurrecion (Jericho Rosales). Match made in heaven, right? Problem is, it’s 1898 and Feliza’s father, the Philippine rebel leader Nanding (Phillip Salvador), is leading a siege against the Spanish rifle battalion to which Celso belongs. Come see why Baler, a sweeping historical romance, cleaned up at the Metro Manila Film Awards in 2008. Starring Jericho Rosales, Anne Curtis, Phillip Salvador, Michael de Mesa, Baron Geisler, Ryan Eigenmann, Joel Torre. (Opening Night Selection: Thursday, June 11, 7:15 p.m., MoMA Titus 1; Sunday, June 14, 4:10pm, Visual Arts Theater 1)

Ang Huling Balyan ng Buhi (Davao)

Imagine a world in which your beliefs and values, the music you listen to, the clothes you wear and even the language you speak are threatened with destruction—by technology, development and the encroachment of cultures more materially powerful than your own. Cultural survival lies at the heart of this bold and challenging film, in which a balyan (priestess) performs a non-indigenous ritual to save her grandchild, setting off a chain of consequences that impact everyone around her.(Friday, June 12 at 6:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1)

Confessional (Cebu)

Do-it-yourself documentarian Ryan Pastor is a cynic. “Lies + Lies = Truth,” he snarks during Confessional‘s opening frames, before embarking with his girlfriend on a trip to shoot the Sinulog mardi gras festival in Cebu. True to the essence of this ancient costumed spectacle-cum-commercialized tourist trap, nothing is quite what it seems. The duo encounter a nun with a surprising past, an entertainer of indeterminate gender and an ex-politician who is either a charlatan, a menace, a genuine penitent or all three. Confessional gleefully explodes the boundaries between “reality” and fantasy, documentary and fiction, while offering a fascinating glimpse into the paradoxes of Filipino culture and identity. (Saturday, June 13, 4:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1; Sunday, June 14, 3:30 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2)

Donsol (Sorsogon)

Weary, urban sophisticate Teresa (the luminous Angel Aquino) flees Manila’s urban sprawl for the idyllic, sun-drenched coast of Sorsogon. Heading to Donsol, “whale shark capital of the world,” with her perky journalist sister (Cherie Gil) in tow, Teresa hopes to find solace and an underwater encounter with one of the endangered gentle giants who return perennially to the area to mate. What she encounters is young, easy-on-the-eyes Daniel (Sid Lucero), a local dive guide nursing some hurt of his own. Donsol is an elegaic meditation on nature, mortality, temptation and devotion. Starring Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Jaclyn Jose, Bembol Roco, Cherie Gil (Friday, June 12, 10:10 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2; Saturday, June 13, 5:00 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 2)

Yanggaw (Bacolod)

This powerful horror film is set in a rural village where superstition and dark beliefs run deep. When gentle, beautiful Amor (Aleera Montalla) comes down with an illness no conventional doctor can diagnose, she begins to disappear on the same nights that residents of her village are violently murdered. Fearing their daughter is possessed, her parents (Ronnie Lazaro and Tetchie Agbayani) seek the counsel of a faith healer. But ultimately they are forced to take matters into their own hands. Starring Ronnie Lazaro, Tetchie Agbayani, Joel Torre (Friday, June 12, 10:15 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1; Saturday, June 13, 5:15 p.m., Visual Arts Theater 1)

Gateway Cineplex 10, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and Colorwheel Media Studios present “Indie HD: Premiere of the Filipino and Korean Independent Short Films ‘Pera-perahang Lata’ and ‘Technophilia’ in HD Format and a Discussion On Digital Technology in Indie Films Today.” Directed by Rianne Hill Soriano, the two films will be projected in HD format at the Cinema 1 of Gateway Cineplex 10 (Dolby Super Digital Cinema) on June 3, 2009, 6:30 p. m.

The two independent films share a common theme and treatment on factories, the normal factory setting reflecting various aspects of life for “Pera-perahang Lata” and the human factory effect of technology on people for “Technophilia.”

The films are privileged to be shown in HD format, not via low resolution DVD projection, courtesy of Gateway Cineplex 10, home of two of the four digital cinemas in the country today. Within the premiere of the said films is a full program entitled “Indie HD” which incorporates a brief discussion on how independent filmmakers can maximize the filmmaking process: Gateway providing information on how digital cinema is starting to shape the future of film theaters; Christie giving basic details about the HD projection on digital cinemas; Optima Digital discussing the post-production workflows available for filmmakers; and the NCCA imparting information about their grant system for independent filmmakers.

The digital technology of today can now provide more technically competent productions with decent finances. The lower cost of production puts a distinct advantage in maximizing resources for a more effective production workflow. The high resolution and mostly file-based filming in HD cameras make it easier and faster for the footages to be utilized for post-production.

For the future of films and even cinema advertisements, the file-based showing of films becomes a real advantage to film theaters and advertisers alike as there are no more scratches and noises due to wear and tear of a 35mm or 16mm print and there are no more possibilities for human error in rewinding and queuing up prints. A feature film normally has around four to six prints changed every 20 minutes (variable) of the film’s running time. Now, having things digital, the programming can even be automated accordingly. And what the future can further bring is the easier transportation/sending of film, trailer, and cinema ad files online, via satellite, through less bulky parcels, and other more convenient means instead of providing hundreds and thousands of film prints for a film that is “now showing” (where every theater in the whole city, the country, or even the world should have a physical copy of the prints). File-based systems in 2K and 4K resolutions and surround sound systems also provide quality visuals and audio in par with what standard 35mm film projections can bring and even easily put the right subtitles for films of worldwide release. All these, in the long-term, entails lower cost for producers; thus, making it more feasible for the Philippines to catch up with the technology in the global arena.

“Indie HD” is a testament to how independent artists and commercial studios can work together for artistic and cultural projects. The thrust of the event is to inspire aspiring filmmakers, struggling filmmakers, and renowned filmmakers, that no matter how tough it is to come up with non-commercial and/or art films due to budget constraints, there are people and institutions, including the prime movers of the film and similar entertainment industries, who are willing to help and support such artistic endeavors. It is wonderful to note how the collaboration among passionate artists, dedicated talents, and supportive sponsors have transpired to this kind of event – telling stories and inspiring people that Filipinos, amateur or professional, can work together to come up with quality projects that help enrich the Philippines’ arts and culture. This may be a non-profitable project, but various people and companies still work together to make it possible.

“Pera-perahang Lata,” a film that explores the many facets of a struggling life in a world that is full of unpredictable moments, is made possible through various institutions’ help including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Unitel Productions, FILMEX, Optima Digital, Outpost Digital Frontier, Engine Room, city government of Marikina, Marikina Riverbanks, St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Streetpark Productions, and Brass Knuckles. The cast is led by Von Arroyo and Arnold Reyes.

“Technophilia,” a Korean-Filipino-Iraqi film production, shows how technology can shape people’s lifestyles, affect their relationships, and make their interactions as mechanistic as their gadgets. It stars fresh Korean, Japanese, American, and Filipino talents. The film is shot in 16mm film with screening format in HD through the help of the Korean Film Council, Korean Academy of Film Arts, and Korea University during the filmmaker’s 6-month stay in Korea for the Asian Filmmakers Training Program 2008.

The event is also made possible by the Gateway Cineplex 10, NCCA, Colorwheel Media Studios, Outpost Digital Frontier, Innovasia, Korean Embassy, Marikina Cultural Affairs Office, Mamma Mia, Jingleman, IFC, NU 107, and the official music channel MTV Philippines.

You may visit www.peraperahanglata.blogspot.com, www.technophiliafilm.blogspot.com, and www.riannehillsoriano.com/blog for more information about the films.

[Joel Torre with Isang Lahi Director JP Tanchanco]

Some local press got a glimpse into what the film offers. And from what I saw, the reality docu-drama has a lot of promise.

The film tries to answer the basic question: “What makes one happy?” through four mini-movies with inspiring stories of Love, Wealth, Health and Success, depicted by some of the countries leading film and TV actors — Joel Torre, Mark Gil, Juan Rodrigo and Aiza Seguerra.

The docu-drama “Isang Lahi: Pearls from the Orient has been submitted to several international film festivals abroad, and will be making its international screen debut soon.

find out more.