The Siné Institute held its 2nd annual Siné Film Fest at the Hotel X in Toronto last weekend from April, 11th-13th.
The film fest celebrates and recognizes the works of Filipino Filmmakers by showcasing twelve films that spread across a wide range of genres from Dramas, Action Films and Documentaries. The fest aims to show the growth and art in the current landscape of Filipino cinema and how its evolving. The first annual film fest was held last year and it coincided with the 75th year friendship between Canada and the Philippines.
Opening night kicked last Friday and I was one of the many attendees that night representing S@Y News along with other reporters, content creators and representatives from both the film and entertainment industry. It was a night filled with excitement, diversity and appearances by directors, producers and actors from the featured films. I had the pleasure in speaking with actress and star of The Kingdom's, Cristine Reyes, and Director and writer of Canadian Adobo, Kent Donguines.
She says that she had an amazing experience working on the film. "I loved shooting with the whole cast and especially the director also it's my first time working with him and I enjoyed it" says Reyes.
The Kingdom was one of the featured films at the fest and screened on Sunday, April 13th. Set in the Kingdom of Kalayaan, this action packed film takes on the typical What if? scenario, exploring the alternate reality if the Phillippines was never colonized. The film was directed and written by Michael Tuviera and stars Vic Sotto, Piolo Pascual, Side Lucero and Sue Ramirez alongside Reyes.
Canadian Adobo is a documentary that explores the hardships between Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families attempting to rebuild their relationship during the struggles of immigration. The film gets deep into the stories of the estranged family relationships and their journey of healing and understanding. It highlights the sacrifices, joys and heartaches that come with the complex realities among immigrants and hope for reconciliation.
Donguines is also featured in the film along with his family member, Khryz and Khristin. He emphasized that the film was one of his hardest ones to make as it was personal not just to him, but also his family members and the other families that were featured. From the emotional challenge of helping the families find the comfort to unpack the suppressing trauma and just coordinating their schedule, the process indeed had its up and downs. However, it was all worth it as the film went on to be featured at The Cinemateque and Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. “It really means a lot to me” he expresses.
“This is not my first rodeo, telling stories of caregivers and nannies, And Canadian Adobo is just a testament that there is room for our stories here in Canada as Filipinos. So we’re not only addressing important matters, but we’re also infecting policies through the films I make.”
Overall, it was a fun night being surrounded by so many filmmakers, industry experts, and most of all people of my culture. As a storyteller who is Filipino themselves, I definitely felt represented through these films. The Sine Film Fest is an inclusive event that is important not only to Filipino film industry, but the film industry as a whole when amplifying diverse voices. The fest is a reminder that as the industry continues to evolve, so does the way we tell stories and its important for storytellers that felt unrepresented to be acknowledged.
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