Bereft of sound but
brimming with feature films accompanied by live musical performances, the much-anticipated
annual International Silent Film Festival Manila (ISFFM) is back!
Established in 2007
as the first of its kind in Asia, the ISFFM promises to bring once more to
Manila film buffs and music aficionados an extraordinary experience. From the 1890’s to the 1920’s, audiences
around the world were enchanted by the magic of watching soundless images on a
screen accompanied by live music played by different performing artists.
This year, the
Philippine-Italian Association, the Film Development Council of the
Philippines, the Embassy of France, the Goethe-Institut Philippinen, the Japan
Foundation Manila, the Embassy of the United States of America, the Instituto
Cervantes, and the Embassy of Austria, are extremely proud to present the 12th
iteration of the International Silent Film Festival in Manila. Scheduled from August 30th to
September 2nd at SM Cinema 2 of SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City, the
2018 ISFFM brings together the very best of silent cinema from its eight member-countries,
to be accompanied by the best Filipino musicians in the scene.
The Festival reels
off at 8:00 pm on Thursday, August 30th with the Philippine-Italian Association, the Italian Embassy and the Italian
Chamber of Commerce presenting the most
important of those stylish melodramas made-in-Italy, Rapsodia Satanica (Satanic Rhapsody 1915-1917), directed by Nino
Oxilia. The film tells the story of
ageing Italian aristocrat Dame Alba d’ Oltrevita
who discovers a particular and special solution for her beauty by forging a
pact with the devil. The blues band
Miles Experience will accompany this film with a live performance.
On Friday, August 31st,
at 7:00 pm, the Film Development Council
of the Philippines will present a unique offering in The Lost Film Triology which is composed of “Filipiniana”, “Aswang
(1933),” and “Juan Tamad Goes to the Moon (1898)”; and an excerpt from
“Nitrate: To the Ghosts of the 75 Lost Philippine Silent Films (1912-1933).” A live musical performance by Khavn & the
Kontra-Kino Orchestra will accompany the film.
At 9:00 pm, also on
August 31st, the Embassy of
France will present the drama La
Passion de Jeanne D’Arc (1928), directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film tells the story of the trial of Joan
of Arc in 1431. The film will be scored
by the multi-awarded pianist and versatile musician Dingdong Fiel, alongside
Andrew Constantino (Clarinet) and Kyongmin Nam (Cello).
On Saturday,
September 1st at 4:00 pm, the Goethe
Institut will screen The Cabinet of
Dr. Caligari (1920), dubbed as “the first true horror film”. Directed by Robert Wiene, the film tells of a
mad doctor suspected of sending a corpse on a killing spree. The movie will be live scored by Kontemporaryong
Gamelan Pilipino, widely identified as Kontra-GaPi.
At 6:00 pm, the Japan Foundation, Manila will screen A Straightforward Boy (1929) by Yasujiro
Ozu that tells a story of Bunkichi who kidnaps a boy, Tetsubo, who has an
appetite for sweets. This screening will
feature Silent Film Narrator Tito Genova Valiente, who will provide a live
interpretation of the silent film. The
screening and narration will be accompanied by contemporary pop folk/ethnic sound group Tanikala
Tribe.
Closing the night at
8:00 pm will be the U.S. Embassy's
screening of the film Our Hospitality
(1923), considered to be a groundbreaking work for the comedy film genre. Directed by and starring Buster Keaton, the
film tells the story of Willie McKay, who gets caught in the middle of the
infamous "Canfield"–"McKay" feud, an obvious satire of the
real-life Hatfield–McCoy feud. The film
will be scored by Brass Munkeys, a band of veteran musicians known for their
lively and bold performances on stage.
On Sunday, September
2nd at 5:00 pm, the Instituto
Cervantes will present the musical comedy Frivolinas (1926). Directed
by Arturo Carballo, Frivolinas is about a widower who loves the nightlife, and
a comedian who falls in love with the old man’s daughter. Tapati, a collaboration of artists embracing
influences of rock, reggae, blues, jazz, pop, folk and Philippine Neo-ethnic
tribal music will accompany the film.
Culminating the
festival at 7:30 pm will be the Embassy
of Austria’s Die Kleine Veronika
(1929), directed by Robert Land. The
film tells the story of Tyrolean mountain girl, Veronika, who travels to Vienna
to visit her aunt, only to find out that the city experience she has been
dreaming of is not all the fun and glamorous life she had previously imagined. The live score will be played by avant-pop
electronica solo Joee & I. The
Embassy of Austria presents this year’s entry in partnership with Hearlife
Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization created to champion the
Filipino deaf, and MED-EL Philippines, an affiliate of cochlear implant
provider MED-EL WorldWide from Innsbruck, Austria.
This year's film
festival experience will have a unique addition, an exhibit at the SM Cinema
lobby. The exhibit will be presenting a
visual installation of this year’s participating films.
The 12th International
Silent Film Festival is made possible in partnership with SM Cinema, SM Cares,
Amici, Sunny16 Lab, Cineteca Bologna, Institut Français, Embassy of Japan,
Embassy of Spain, Filmoteca Española, Austrian Presidency of the Council of the
European Union, HearLife Foundation, Inc., Med El, Fringe Creatives, and the Barista
& Coffee Academy of Asia.
All screenings will
be open to the public on a first come, first served basis.
For more information
on the schedule and inquiries, please check our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/InternationalSilentFilmFestivalManila or check the following links:
Philippine-Italian
Association
Film Development
Council of the Philippines
Embassy of France
Goethe-Institut
Philippinen
The Japan Foundation,
Manila
Embassy of the United
States of America
Embassy of Austria
Instituto Cervantes
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