A successful Filipino chef in New York returns to his hometown for his childhood best friend’s funeral, where he must confront a tragic past, buried guilt, and the possibility of long-overdue forgiveness amid the backdrop of a vibrant hometown fiesta.
The story took three years to cook; may be slow, but all in a matter of good time.
Ilonggo screenwriter-director Kevin Pison Piamonte of “Dog Eaters” fame (2023) was tasked to write a movie script by producers Atty. Jobert Penaflorida and Rhea Penaflorida, who, like Piamonte, are proudly Ilonggos. The movie is to become Piamonte’s first full-length film.
However, Piamonte could not quite figure out, at once, which materials would likely serve a good story. Core ingredients are available but these have to blend appropriately with emotions, plots and sub-plots, gradual tension, to offer a savory narrative that would burst with flavors like a good recipe.
Until one day he played up with the thought: What does one remember most about his/her childhood?
Piamonte’s “Candè” reaped two major wins at the International Film Festival Manhattan New York City 2025- a Best Actor trophy for JC Santos who played Timothy, the successful chef (main character), and Best Screenplay for Piamonte.
Candè is a coming-of-age drama film which also stars Ilonggo actors Sunshine Teodoro, Gian Pomperada, Jan Junash Delima, and JP Larroder with the special appearance of Pupa Dadivas.
Piamonte said that Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 Best Supporting Actor JC Santos is “indeed on a roll, with a string of released films in 2025, where he’s the lead actor, no less. He remains to be one of the busiest actors in the industry.”
Starting on the third quarter of 2025, Santos’ films “I Remember You” and “Meg & Ryan” were shown in cinemas almost a week in between, not to mention the box-office hit “100 Awit Para Kay Stella,” “The Last Beergin" and “Quezon.” These movies on Santos' portfolio are said to be done in between his projects in live theater.
Santos is the perfect choice for the main role, he added.
FIRST FULL-LENGTH FEATURE
“Candè” (short for Candelaria, in reference to the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria) is Piamonte’s first full-length feature, after directing some full-length documentary films and short films, some of which got international and local recognitions, aside from publishing English short stories in the past.
According to ERK Film Production, the recognitions mean so much to the team.
“Candè is a film rooted in quiet truths, difficult emotions, and deeply human moments -- and to see its writing and performance honored on an international stage is both humbling and affirming,” the production said in an official statement.
The production team is thankful to the International Film Festival NYC 2025 for giving space to stories from the Philippines and the regions.
Earlier, Candè was screened for “Sinag Maynila 2025 (7th edition)” that ran from September 24-30, 2025 in Metro Manila, after the rave it received in Iloilo.
“Lima lang talaga. Magic 5 out of so many entries submitted - sabi ng Sinag Maynila. Maraming salamat,” Piamonte said.
The other full-length feature film finalists of Sinag Maynila 2025, with Brillante Mendoza as festival director and Wilson Tieng of Solar Pictures, are “Altar Boy” (drama) by Serville Poblete, “Jeongbu (The Mistress),” suspense thriller by Topel Lee; “Madawag ang Landas Patungong Pag-asa (The Teacher),” drama by Joel Lamangan; and “Selda Tres” (drama, action) by Gb Sampedro.
“When I saw the line up of the film directors in the festival my gut reaction was to gut myself. But then when can you ever be ready? You just have to be ready because you will never know when the time will come. I guess it has now. Wonderful to be sharing the space with these directors I have looked up to,” Piamonte accentuated.
Candè, which refers to the Virgin Mary under the title associated with Candlemas (celebrated on February 2) that symbolizes Jesus as the light of the world, has prominent devotion in Jaro District, Iloilo City.
“In Jaro, the Feast of the Candelaria is the biggest fiesta. Maraming nagsasabi na pag pumunta ka sa Jaro fiesta, infamous for being very crowded, pag nakapasok ka na, huwag nang umasa na lalabas kaagad, ganon siya kalaki. Overcrowded and traffic masyado. Kasi biggest fiesta siya in Iloilo City. Gano’n,” Piamonte pointed out.
The film opens with the news of the death of Timothy’s best friend.
“The news sets him on a downward spiral, kasi yung dinadala niyang guilt, ito na naman nahahalungkat na naman,” Piamonte said.
Timothy, a rich kid, shares a friendship with a middle-class kid. The middle-class kid’s mother is a cook from which Timothy developed his interest in cooking. The movie uses flashback to retell this story about Timothy’s childhood, especially fond moments spent at the carnival fair (peryahan) bdeemed one of the happiest places a child can be.
While the film title involves a religious icon, the movie is not about religiosity or fundamental piousness. It is about coming to age.
The religious aspect is just one of the pegs of the stories, but not the story itself.
According to Piamonte, the film is not just about miraculous occurrences, such as the healing water flowing from a community pump, but is more of the power of collective belief. These are beliefs children learn while growing up together from the elders of the community.
The film is in 90-percent Hiligaynon with sputtering of English and Italian.
Piamonte underscored that Santos said the project is too good to let pass. He vowed to learn the language. And so, an impressive 16,000 moviegoers on the film’s initial screening skeds in Iloilo City were impressed that the actor “is from Iloilo,” as it was hard to tell that he is not at all.
Piamonte disclosed Santos is from Pampanga!
“Yes, celebrities from the metropolis can speak our language. It can happen too,” Piamonte said.
Piamonte loves to tell stories and loves to work with more actors interested in diversity.
“I love assembling people, actors, yung gano’n, sabi nga nila, sabi nga ng isang producer, mahilig talaga ako sa malalaking eksena, may peryahan, may piyesta,” he cited.
When asked what made audience watch Candè, aside from cultural connection, Piamonte underscored:
“It would be wonderful to relive our childhood days. No matter what. Kasi minsan lang tayo naging bata.”
