Acclaimed student-produced films showcased, directors discussmotivation for films

Two Escolarian-produced films were showcased in a university-wide event held last September 2, at the Multimedia Instruction Room (MIR) in CEU Manila.

In a film showing event organized by Centro Creatives, films RRRWGHHRW (Carabao Noises), directed by Kyla dela Pena, and Sol’s Eatery, directed by Paula Cecilio were presented to the Escolarian audience.

RRRWGHHRW (Carabao Noises) previously won 2nd place in the short feature category at the 35th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, as well as Best Narrative Film award and Best Male Actor award at the student-led film competition Sinepiyu. Meanwhile, Sol’s Eatery was regarded as an official entry to the 2023 Cinema Primera Regional Film Festival.

Both films were produced under Blue Dreams Productions, a novel media company which consists of fresh graduates from the Communication and Media program.

FILM TALK

The highlight of the event was the film talk where members of the production shared their insight, experience, and motivation in the making of the films.

Production members stated that they were initially challenged by the instruction of their mentor, Mr. Valentino Nool Jr., to incorporate ‘carabaos’ in the films they will produce.

The Carabao Noise director shared that the film came out to be political since it reflected real life scenarios.

“‘Yung mga magsasaka natin ay dapat na rin lumaban sa mga nang-aabuse sa kanila. […] Very political din naman talaga yung Carabao Noises,” dela Pena said.

Meanwhile, Sol’s Eatery’s assistant director Charisse Mahilum shared that Asian films and locally-produced films served inspiration in the making of the film, emphasizing on the use of emotions to capture the attention of audiences.

On the other hand, Blue Dreams Production’s executive producer Hannalyn Tomaquin stressed the importance of time and creativity in the production process.

“Sa kalagitnaan ng very strict time, maiisip mo, ‘Ang ganda [ng idea] nito sa film’ pero you have to assess [kung] kaya ba ng oras,” said Ms. Tomaquin.

During the event, Jerome Ventinilla, assistant director for Carabao Noises, also mentioned that collaboration between the two teams was a significant factor in the success of the acclaimed films.

Mr. Valentino Nool Jr., who served as their mentor in their film production class, commended them for the quality of the films they produced, sharing to the audience that the films were shot during the pandemic where strict rules in production were imposed.

Written by Marie Reyes
Photo by Faizah Abbas