3 kabalen filmmakers make it to 'Cinema Rehiyon' film fest

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Three Kapampangan filmmakers have made it to the annual Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival in Los Baños, Laguna on February 5 to 9 representing Pampanga's best talents in local filmmaking.

The event is in celebration of the National Arts Month organized by National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Cinema Rehiyon is a non-competitive festival that puts the spotlight on indie films made in the provinces. Now on its fifth year, full-length films, short films, and documentaries by various filmmakers from different regions will be screened for free for five days.

This year, the delegates who will represent Pampanga are Jason Paul Laxamana of Angeles City, Carlo Catu of the City of San Fernando, and Petersen Vargas of Apalit.

Laxamana is the Luzon regional representative of the National Commission on Cinema and is currently shooting his second feature film "Babagwa" (The Spider's Lair), which is competing in the New Breed category of the prestigious Cinemalaya Film Festival.

"Lagyu" (Name), Lacamana’s timely short film on reproductive health issues, will be screened during the Pampanga program of Cinema Rehiyon.

Vargas and Catu, on the other hand, were the winners of Best Film and Second Best Film, respectively, in the recently-concluded CineKabalen Film Festival. Their films "5:00 ning Gatpanapun" (5:00 in the Afternoon) and "Lakbe" (Wander) will be screened in the festival as well.

Other Kapampangan short films that will be screened in the Pampanga block are: "Mariposa" (Butterfly) by Arianne Viardo of Angeles City, "Maniglo" (Eager) by Patrick Paule of Lubao, and Bryle Lakingdanum 1990-2012 by James Jordan of Angeles City.

The Pampanga program will be held on February 6, 2013 (Wednesday) at the SEARCA Auditorium of UP Los Banos.

For more information about Cinema Rehiyon, visit http://cinemarehiyon.com (IOF)