From docus to classics to feel-good films, SineNegrense: Negros Island Film Festival is a convergence of old and new, a virtual cinematic feast for film buffs and young and old.
With screening dates on September 26 – 28 of this year, the festival pools films that have a touch of Negros, whether it is was filmed here or are helmed by filmmakers who call the province their home. Screenings venues at Cinematheque Centre Negros.
Below are some of the films that would be showcased during the festival:
Gumising ka, Maruja (1978)
What’s not to like about Gumising ka, Maruja (not to be confused with the 1967 Maruja and its other, um, reincarnations)? The Lino Brocka romantic film – standing firmly on its Gothic roots – has the Queen of Philippine Cinema Susan Roces as the eponymous Maruja, who killed herself after being forced to marry the man she didn’t love (
Sonata (2017)
Starring the incomparable Cherie Gil, film tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a has-been opera singer and a young boy. Worlds and temperaments clash at first, because really, what has a jaded singer who literally lost her voice – she did, she couldn’t hit the notes like she used to – got in common with an awkward pre-teen trying to adjust to
Pureza
The Story of Negros Sugar (2012). Perhaps one of the most controversial, important, and polarizing films about the sugar industry in Negros, film presents the story of sugar, of sugar barons, and how the industry rises and (apparently) falls. It adopts a view that critics call “unflinching”, with a wonderful, well-researched script from Jet Orbida and Checcs Osmena. A must-see for everyone who is affected by sugar, who is involved directly and indirectly in the industry. Directed by Jay Abello