Catch Front Row and Reel Time at Cinemalaya 2014

CATCH FRONT ROW’S “ULILANG LUBOS” AND REEL TIME’S “DUNGKOY”  
AT CINEMALAYA  2014 
August 6, 2014, Wednesday, 12:45PM
CCP Dream Theatre (Tanghalang Manuel Conde)

Every day, 10-year-old Princess wakes up at the break of dawn to start working. She gathers and sells recyclable trash from her neighbors. Her eight-year-old brother Ando accompanies her. He carries the heavy sack where they load the stash of scrap that they collect from the village. They do this for the rest of the day.  If they are lucky, they can earn as much as fifty pesos for their efforts. From these meager earnings, Princess supports her three younger siblings. At her tender age, Princess has learned to act as both mother and father to her siblings. Their mother left them a couple of years ago and has not returned since then. They never knew their respective fathers as well.

This documentary entitled Ulilang Lubos has given GMA Network’s award-winning documentary program Front Row its most recent international awards: a Silver Screen Award at the 2014 United States International Film and Video Festival and a Finalist citation at the 2014 URTI Grand Prix for Author's Documentary in Monaco, the sole Philippine program to be honoured this year.

This August 6, the public will finally get the chance to watch this prize-winning documentary on the big screen. Along with GMA News TV’s Dungkoy of the Peabody Award-winning show Reel Time, Front Row's Ulilang Lubos has been chosen by the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival for a special screening at the festival’s Pinoy Pride: Philippine Documentaries section.

This marks the second time that a Front Row documentary was selected by Cinemalaya for a special theatrical screening during the festival. In 2012, Front Row’s Ang Pinakabata, a powerful documentary about one of the youngest mothers in Philippine history was also exhibited in the same category, marking the first time that a television documentary was given such an honor.

Since its launch in 2011, Front Row has become one of the most awarded documentary programs on Philippine Television, winning multiple awards at New York Festivals, US International Film and Video Festival, UNICEF Child Rights Awards and most recently the URTI Grand Prix for Author's Documentary.

Respected filmmaker Dr. Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., who served as the programmer of the documentary section of Cinemalaya this year chose the two documentaries for their compelling narrative. "The kids in Ulilang Lubos and Dungkoy are admirable. They take care of themselves and they care for others. They may live pitiful lives, but they are admirable for their resilience. Both documentaries show a positive image of Pinoy kids. And both docus are touching," Del Mundo said.

Ulilang Lubos was directed and produced by Joseph Israel Laban who also directed Ang Pinakabata as well as previous Cinemalaya films Cuchera and Nuwebe. Nuwebe was screened in over twenty international film festivals, winning awards in Mexico, the US and Brazil. Front Row Executive Producer and Director Derick Cabrido is also presenting his debut film Children’s Show in this year's Cinemalaya’s New Breed Category.

Don’t fail to watch Front Row’s Ulilang Lubos and Reel Time’s Dungkoy at the Documentary Section of Cinemalaya 2014 on Wednesday, August 6, 12:45 pm at the CCP Dream Theatre (Tanghalang Manuel Conde).