ECHOING IN EUROPE

The Echo (Sigaw) is officially selected to participate in the 24th Brussels International Film Festival Of The Fantastic or BIFFF on March 2006. I am now in constant communication with the festival organizers and we are good to go.

Two days ago I got an email from Rachel Belofsky, festival programmer/organizer of ScreamfestLA. I was informed by Rachel that she is co-programming Fantasporto in Portugal on February next year, and that she sent a screener of my film to the organizers. Well, a few minutes ago I got the formal invitation and gladly accepted it.Thanks Rachel...see you again!



Like BIFFF, Fantasporto is one very important and major genre fest in Europe.

It's my privilege to have The Echo (Sigaw) as one of the films that are officially selected to be part of their respective programs.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GRANT

What a great feeling that was (September 2004) when we got the news of a grant from National Geographic Channel. It was a very tough ride to the finish, having to present to top NGC creatives and executives in front of so many talented filmmakers from the region. After three days of highly intense pitching sessions...we got our story approved for funding.

Funding will be from from NGC and with the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore.

After one year of research and preparations, we are finally in production. "WE" meaning Andrew Roque (Producer), Gin de Mesa (Writer/Producer/my wife), and myself (director/cinematographer). Last October we had our first phase of shoots in the southern islands of the Philipppines. Another set of shoots will happen before the year ends.

It's getting very exciting now. I know some of you may wonder what the hell it is I'm doing? Or what am I thinking - a documentary? For some of you who don't know yet, I've been trained doing documentaries way before I went to advertising way before feature filmmaking.

Well, definitely it's not a Horror Documentary! But, it's one story that stuck in me for so many years now. I can't say much for reasons of confidentiality, but, in time I will let you guys know about it.

It's a privilege to receive such a grant from no less than the National Geographic Channel...airing in 100 countries and to be translated into 50 languages...my excitement is just overflowing!

DIGITAL FILMMAKING (OR DEATH OF THE INDIES)

To be an independent filmmaker is to make films outside of the studio or without the financing of any studios. Funding can be sourced from anywhere or anyone who is willing to support a passionate filmmaker with a very compelling story - or from the filmmaker's pocket by begging, stealing, or borrowing.

Ten years ago it was very expensive to produce a film - heck, it was even expensive then to just plan about making one.

The arrival of the digital format has totally changed the landscape of filmmaking - it has revolutionized the process and has awakened the "filmmaker" in every human being in the world. Inexpensive Digital Cameras & Non-Linear Editing facilities have brought filmmaking to every living room with ample electrical supply. Suddenly, "artists" were born - "experts" are everywhere. Dude! Even critics are now a dime a dozen.

The film format is constantly under threat and its quality, always compared to the ever changing digital technology. I believe that sooner or later the motion picture negative will disappear and will be replaced by a "better" format. But the gap between the professional and consumer formats is shrinking. Hence the introduction of the word "ProSumer" coined by marketing geniuses.

The advent of the consumer digital video system is like the first time the world has gotten hold of an "INSTAMATIC"... everyone can point, shoot, and click! It's a great time to be a filmmaker or be a 10 year old.

We use to call low-budget films as B-Movies. In the Philippines, low budget digital (DV) movies are now called "INDIES". The studios are now producing DV features because of lack of budget. The studios now are playing "INDIES" to legitimize their commercial soft porns in the guise of an "art film" in "digital" - hiring "indies" willing to do anything to break in the business.

We use to call independent filmmaking as the Alternative Cinema. But even before the actual revolution could happen, the filmmakers were overtaken by technology.

Technology has liberated everyone in the visual arts. Technology has made visual "artists" of anyone who can operate a digital camera.

Let's take a moment of silence and pray for the death of the INDIES.

WHAT'S IN A REMAKE?

Should there be a remake for Sigaw? What is worth a remake? Should we tamper with the original? Tough and very debatable to many of us. But why remake when the original is already "perfect"? To some, remaking classics are updating that particular film for today's audience. Remaking another country's original film - for the consumption of the international and english speaking market. I personally didn't like it when they remade Hitchcock's Psycho. Not that it was badly made, but because of blasphemy to a holy piece of cinematic treasure. God forbid a remake of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange or Woody Allen's Annie Hall!!!

But, there are films out there that need "updating" or a "retelling". For two very simple reasons, i believe: uniqueness of idea and to further the reach to a much wider audience.

I want a remake of Sigaw.

I want The Echo made. I actually wanted to change a few things in the original : add and remove a few scenes - making it more compact and loose the unimportant stuff. Sometimes you realize these things once your film is out there and then you get to see the audience's reactions. I wish I could have done a few changes then (but never had the opportunity) and I think hopefully the remake will be my chance...the story will just get better. I will still do camera and lighting so the big part of the original is there - only better.

At least I have the permission from the director of the original film and the help of a very good producer and friend.

Roy Lee is unstopabble...and I will not rest until I see The Echo on screen.