Saturday Night FEEver: UP Gets Banned

“Long Live Philippine Cinema!” by multi-award winning independent film director Raya Martin made its debut at the recently concluded 2007 International Film Festival of Rotterdam, together with his feature-length film Autohystoria and shorts Life Projections, and Rambling From the Sea. He also received the seventh Prince Claus Fund Film Grant for the CineMart 2007 Project Independencia (Cinematografica Independiente en Filipinas, Philippines).

The 2004 Cinemanila International Film Festival’s Ishmael Bernal Awardee for Young Cinema and recipient of the best documentary prize at the 2005 .MOV Film Festival, Martin’s “Long Live Philippine Cinema!” is a burlesque, harsh satire about the mistress of Philippine film production, the Chinese-Filipino producer Mother Lily. She is hated and feared, but nobody can get round her. Fortunately this young filmmaker has thought up an adequate solution to keep Philippine cinema alive. Mother Lily is not a metaphorical invention. She really exists - for now.

Seeking alternative venues by which indie films and music can be appreciated by a wide audience, indie production company Banned Movies Pilipinas and the University Student Council- UP Diliman (USC-UPD) have joined forces to bring indie cinema to the annual UP Fair, a weeklong event which draws thousands of students, professionals and alumni to the UP Sunken Garden. “UP NOT FAIR SALE” highlights the continuing campaign against the commercialization of education and condemns the recent approval of tuition and other fee increases.

“Saturday Night FEEver: UP Gets Banned” also showcases the short films of award-winning independent filmmakers John Torres (“Salat”), Khavn dela Cruz (“Institusyon ng Makata”), Jobin Ballesteros (“The Ballad of Mimiong’s Minion”), Janus Victoria (“Hopia Express”), and Seymour Barros Sanchez and Ginalyn Dulla (“Lababo”). The event also features performances by major acts Sugar Free, Brownman Revival, Slapshock, Moonstar88, and Itchyworms together with rising indie bands Taggu nDios, Severo, Bored of Trustees and Rinka Collective, and many others.

“Long Live Philippine Cinema” will make its Philippine premiere at 9:30 pm on February 17, Saturday, at the UP Sunken Garden. All the other films will run from 5:30 to 6:45 pm.
For more information, text (0917)-3705454 or email banned_movies@ yahoo.com. Visit www.bannedmoviespil ipinas.com.