Wednesday, September 01, 2004 Costanilla: ‘Panaghoy,’ the only Cebuano film fest entry By Sam Costanilla Spotlight
MOVIE. Singing doctor-cum-actor Warfe Engracia is back in town after almost a week of shooting a Cebuano movie in Bohol. In Panaghoy sa Suba, Engracia plays father to former Rainmakers member Ramon Villanueva.
Boholano actor Cesar Montano plays four important roles in this production – he is the writer, producer, lead actor and director himself. Panaghoy sa Suba is an entry to the December Metro Manila Film Festival so Montano is making sure that the movie has all the elements that could make it an award-winning box-office flick.
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SUBTITLES. Panaghoy sa Suba is the only purely Cebuano film entry to the annual festival. Being a production that is also for international showing, it will have English subtitles. The period film, set in the Japanese era, also stars Juliana Palermo, Caridad Sanchez, Flora Gasser, Suzette Ranillo, Daria Ramirez (she plays Engracia’s wife) and Chelo Calatrava Espina, a US-based Cebuana talent.
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NOMINEES. Engracia informed me that after the filming of the movie, there was a cast party during which he and Villanueva were officially nominated for the best supporting actor slots. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that one of them will get the award in Manila in December. Hopefully, Panaghoy sa Suba would fare well in the film festival and during its regular run so as to encourage Montano to produce a sequel or a completely new flick. It’s one way, if not the only way, to revive the dormant Cebuano film industry. And if I may suggest, Montano should call a press conference here in Cebu. It was here that he and his staff conducted a two-day audition of local talents who are now stars in his debut directorial assignment.
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WEDDING. Fellow broadcaster Rex Ricarte is back in action after a six-month sojourn in the US. He told me that while in Los Angeles, he accidentally bumped into former tourism magazine publisher Cecille Paschner who left Cebu a few years ago. She informed him that she is getting married to a German guy next month in California. Ricarte also reported that in another part of California, he met Eena Choa who used to write a weekly column in this paper’s Lifestyle section. What a small world indeed.
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BROADCASTERS. Legitimate broadcasters in Cebu will be staging an early morning parade from Fuente Osmeña to the Capitol social hall on Sunday to mark the start of the Cebu Broadcasters’ Month. There will be a mass and a short program to be highlighted with a raffle draw of big prizes. The local chapter of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas is, as usual, spearheading the month-long celebration.
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HENPECKED. This “fiery” radioman is actually a henpecked husband. Guess who. (For reactions/feedback, email samcost@yahoo.com or text 0916-3483333)
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