Pinoy in Korea sets first int’l film fest on migration

After opening an online “sari-sari” store for Filipinos in Korea, an award-winning Filipino filmmaker and social entrepreneur has organized a film festival to give way to aspiring Filipino filmmakers in the foreign land.

“I was lucky that my films were screened on different places and received awards. As a Filipino filmmaker, I do believe giving back to the community that honed me is a better way to grow as a person,” explained Nash Ang on why he arranged the Korea Pinoy International Film Festival (KPIFF) in an email interview in September 7.

Photo courtesy by Nash Ang

The festival would revolve around the theme of migration, the 30-year-old director of the first Filipino-Korean co-produced film added. It will feature four films—one of which is a special screening of “Hello, Love, Goodbye”—and a selection of short films produced by Filipino and Korean filmmakers.

The short films would be “Pas-an” by Geraldo Jumawan and Sherwin Compendio, “Whipped Cream Cake” by Minju Hong, “Ang Pagiging Babae” by Nicole Rey, “Safety” by Stephanie Metcalf, “How Beasts Got Hyped” by Elvin Jay Macanlalay, “You” by Frances Irish Villaflor, “A Blind, Mute and Deaf Family” by Mark Justine Aguillon, “Portal” by Hadrein Damalerio, “Pitaka” by Chris Cahilig, “Between Worlds: Filipino / Australian” by Matthew Victor Pastor, and “Ana Bikhayr” by Hannah Ragudos.

“Part of the formula on making successful films is having the story primitive and relevant to the audience. Migration may be the best theme for an event for overseas Filipinos because they can relate with the films that will be presented,” the grand prize winner of the ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition in 2010 pointed out.

The featured films, meanwhile, will be “The Secret of Philippine Peso” by Perry Escaño; “You With Me” by Rommel Ricafort; and “The Bus,” a documentary drama.

The KPIFF would take place form September 27 to 29 at the Arirang Cinema Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.

It will be participated in by the Philippine Embassy of Korea, FilAm Creatives of Los Angeles, Pinoy Iskolars sa Korea (PIKO), Filipino Community in South Korea, and Koreans who have interest in Philippine arts and culture.

Photo Caption: Nash Ang with program director Boo Sung-iel of Arirang Cine Center, third secretary and vice-consul Ella Karina Mitra of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, and executive director Rosie Peralta of Pinoy Artists in Korea. —LBG, GMA News