Brillante Mendoza weaves brilliance in the award-winning MMFF entry ‘Mindanao’

The cast and crew of Mindanao led by award-winning director Brillante Mendoza and one of the best actresses of her generation Judy Ann Santos.  

Whenever people talk about director Brillante Mendoza, his work would often be described as thought-provoking, moving, socially relevant and award-winning.

Who can forget Mendoza’s first film Masahista in 2005 where a newcomer Coco Martin portrays the role of young man offering massage service to gay men and touches the harsh realities of life?  Four years later, Coco was again tapped by Mendoza for the movie Kinatay where the later won the best director plum at the 62^nd Cannes Film Festival, the first Filipino to achieve such milestone.

Mendoza has also worked with the Superstar of Philippine Cinema Nora Aunor in the movie Thy Womb (2012), his first movie set in Mindanao, and Cannes Best Actress Jacklyn Jose for the 2016 drama Ma’ Rosa.

In this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Mendoza is bringing his winning ways with the much-acclaimed movie Mindanao to compete in the box-office with other entries:  The Mall, The Merrier (Vice Ganda/ Anne Curtis); Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity (Vic Sotto/ Maine Mendoza); Sunod (Carmina Villarroel/ Mylene Dizon); 3POL Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon! (Coco Martin/ Ai-Ai Delas Alas/ Jennylyn Mercado); Miracle in Cell No. 7 (Aga Muhlach/ Xia Vigor); Write About Love (Roco Nacino/ Miles Ocampo); and Culion (Iza Calzado/ Jasmine Curtis-Smith / Meryll Soriano).

Mindanao does not lack star power with Judy Ann Santos leading the cast of this movie graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board. Juday won the Best Actress award for this film at the 41st Cairo International Film Festival while the full-length feature was also recognized as Best in Artistic Contribution.

If you need a good cry this holiday season, Mindanao is a certified tearjerker. Make sure that along with your popcorn, you have a lot of tissues on hand because things can be messy when you started to sob with Juday. Another good news is that you can now tag along your kids watching a Brillante Mendoza film because the multi award-winning director used animation in his feature for the first time to incorporate the epic tale of Rajah and Sulayman in this action drama film about Saima (Judy Ann) who spent the final days of her daughter Aisa (Yuna Tangog)who was battling cancer at the House of Hope in Davao City while his husband Malang (Allen Dizon) dodges bullets as a medic in the military operation in Maguindanao.

My personal takeaways after watching Mindanao is that, regardless of religion, beliefs and social status, we are all equal when we see death waving at us. Whether its cancer or a loaded gun that is slowly killing you, it doesn’t even matter because the bottom line is if you don’t survive, you’re dead. Plus, it was quite an experience even just through this film to witness how our Muslim brothers and sisters pay their last respect to their loved ones who passed away.

But the movie is not really that gloomy because Mendoza was able to weave scenes of hopes and colourful moments to balance the heavy premise of the story. Watch out for the heart-warming grocery store scene and you might whisper, “Faith in humanity restored.”

Indeed, the brilliance of Mendoza is flying and spewing fire like Ginto and Pula from the popular folktale from the South, in this yet another eye-opener and one of the front-runners for the Best Picture at the MMFF award ceremonies.

Who wants a Christmas Date with Yaya Dub?

Had an opportunity to sit beside the VIC (Very Important Comedian) and Ms. Ai-Ai Delas Alas during the blogger's conference for the movie My Bebe Love. If only Yaya Dub was there, things might have been dub-ble the fun.

If there is one woman, aside from my wife, who I want to spend Christmas with this year, it’s definitely Maine Mendoza, Yaya Dub, Meng or whatever term endearment every Kalye Serye loving guy want to call her.

Who is not mesmerized by Maine? Even people from the “other side of the fence” were not spared of this amazing she. How can you not? You see her every TV commercial break, along main roads, on your Facebook feed and even in the eyes of your mother-in-law who seems to be in good vibes since June this year.

Now, I am supposed to be very excited about the latest Star Wars installment since I dream of being a Sith Lord when I was young. But I have to postpone my crave for Hans Solo, Chewbacca and R2-D2 ‘till January next year because my movie budget this December will be for Yaya Dub’s first movie. Well, my family already booked a hotel room on the 24th so we will be first in line when the mall opens. Btw, our hotel is in front of the mall so as early as breakfast time, so we can already plan the best way we can maneuver our way to the entrance.

Now going back to the movie of our beloved Meng, she will be paired to that guy who will always make us question if life is fair every time we see him--- Alden Richards. Imagine this: the undisputed Philippine box-office king of comedy Vic Sotto and box-office queen Ai-Ai delas Alas will join forces with the newest record-breaking, phenomenal loveteam Aldub in one groundbreaking movie during the holiday season.

Now that makes this movie more appropriate to have the sub-title “The Force Awakens.”

I am not Nostradamus but “My Bebe Love: Kilig Pa More!” is going to make a killing at the box-office and set higher heights in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) History.

Now, who wants to date Yaya Dub this Christmas? Count me in.

Where to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens during the Metro Manila Film Festival

The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has been a part of the Christmas celebration of many Filipinos. It is one of those sure things to happen every holiday season just like the parol, Christmas tree, bibingka and puto bungbong, and your ninong and ninang temporarily relocating homes.

After all, MMFF has been in existence for 41 years. Even older than your very much-married “feeling hunk” officemate who still preys helpless OJTs and new hires.

Anyways, for the curious souls, here are the eight (8) official MMFF entries (from 21 nominees) this year in no particular order (although obviously, I will mention last the one my family will watch):

Beauty and the Bestie – Vice Ganda and Coco Martin teams up with #JaDine and try to kick this action comedy to box-office success

All You Need is Pag-ibig – Kris Aquino and son Bimby brings this family/ romantic comedy with the help of Derek Ramsay’s abs.

Buy Now, Die Later – Alex Gonzaga and Vhong Navarro tries to resurrect their respective careers with this horror, suspense, thriller (terrifying redundancy with the use of words).

Haunted Mansion – Janella Salvador tries to OMG us with a cast of thousand newbies in this another horror, suspense, thriller (now It’s becoming creepier).

Honor Thy Father – John Lloyd Cruz gives everything (including his medicine kit full of Biogesic) in this (take a deep breath) action/ drama/ suspense/ thriller/ crime (breath out).

Walang Forever – Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales team up in this romantic comedy of two of the gorgeous faces in local showbiz today (I hope I did not sound bitter).

Nilalang – Maria Ozawa. Nuff said.

My Pabebe Love: #KiligPaMore – I’ll be lucky if I can get a decent seat any day during the first week showing of this first #AlDub feature. Might as well join the twitter party instead and watch on January.

Now if you feel not watching any of the films mentioned and you are about to start an online petition on for Malacañang to allow of J.J. Abram’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens to be shown during MMFF week, don’t exert any effort because I will tell you where to watch this much-awaited sci-fi giant in the Philippines this December.

Here’s a portion of the article “The Force awakens MMFF 2015” publish on The Philippine Star last November 8.  I would love to rewrite it but I got a call for a meeting now so I’ll just quote the “important” item.

“The seventh franchise of the Star Wars saga opens globally on Dec. 17 and closes on Dec. 24 in the Philippines as required by law. The MMFF opens on Dec. 25. Only new Filipino film productions are allowed to screen during its two-week run. Regular screenings resume after it ends on Jan. 7 such as The Force Awakens on Jan. 8.

With one major exemption. The Force Awakens continues screening in 3D and IMAX theaters as allowed by the MMFF rules. For about double the regular price of an MMFF ticket, it will continue to screen in IMAX Aura Premier, Cebu, Clark, Lanang Premier, Mall of Asia, Megamall, North EDSA and Southmall.”

So there you go. Now you know where to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens during the Metro Manila Film Festival.