from abs-cbn news - R rating for Brillante Mendoza's "Ayos Ka", X-rating for Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Ganito Tayon Ngayon, Paano Na Tayo Bukas?”

MANILA, Philippines - The MTRCB on Monday changed its X-rating of Brillante Mendoza’s film “Ayos Ka” for ANC’s amBisyon2010 to R, but retained its X-rating for Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Ganito Tayon Ngayon, Paano Na Tayo Bukas?”

Jeturian says his film “challenges the administration’s economic claims.” It follows a newspaper printed with the administration’s recent controversial advertisements trumpeting their economic successe—from the time it is delivered to a homeowner, to when it is used to wipe feces from the foot of a cart vendor. The film ends with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s photo on the crumpled newspaper.

The previous MTRCB panel rated the film X because it “tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or the duly-constituted authorities,” and is “defamatory to the good name and reputations of any person.”

At Monday's second review, the new panel added to the decision, claiming that the film "tends to threaten economic and political stability of the state” and "depicts excretory functions in a patently offensive and demeaning manner.”

AmBisyon2010 applied for a cinema permit to air the two films, along with eighteen others, in a one-time theater premiere. The premiere, scheduled for April 6, has since been moved from a Makati cinema to the Cultural Center of the Philippines because of the MTRCB rating.

The CCP is not under the MTRCB's jurisdiction.

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from abs-cbn.com : Short films critical of GMA rated X by MTRCB

MANILA, Philippines - Two films directed by internationally acclaimed Filipino directors Jeffrey Jeturian and Brillante Mendoza for ABS-CBN's short film project, AmBisyon, were rated X on Thursday (March 25) by the Movie & Television Review & Classification Board (MTRCB).

Jeturian’s film “Ganito tayo ngayon, Paano na tayo bukas?” focused on the state of the economy. His camera follows a newspaper from the time it is delivered to a homeowner to when it is used to wipe feces from a foot of a cart-pushing vendor.

Jeturian uses a newspaper printed with the same controversial advertisement that came out in early January trumpeting the Arroyo administration’s economic successes. The film ends with President Arroyo’s photo on the crumpled newspaper.

The MTRCB said the film was X-rated for “undermining the faith and confidence of the people in government.”

Film on poverty 'injurious' to RP prestige?

Mendoza’s film, “Ayos Ka,” is a music video whose hopeful soundtrack is a stark contrast against images of poverty, prostitution, drugs and murder.

The MTRCB claimed Mendoza’s film is “injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines and its people."

ANC, ABS-CBN's 24-hour news channel, produced the AmBisyon 2010 film series in the name of public interest. It sought to "offer a nation on the verge of a critical election the chance to focus on issues, not personalities."

AmBisyon's goals were shared by the film industry. Twenty big names in Philippine cinema thus offered their talents to each create a short film on a chosen issue.

The films are scheduled to screen at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City on April 6, and in a 5-episode weekly series over ANC and Studio 23 beginning April 9.

ANC to appeal ruling

In a statement, ANC said it will appeal the ruling.

"We in ANC respect due process, and will be requesting a second review on Monday. We hope the MTRCB will reconsider," the ANC said.

"We support our filmmakers in their decision not to revise their films. While the views of the 20 AmBisyon filmmakers may not necessarily reflect ANC's, we believe that these films are legitimate perspectives of the state of the nation," the ANC added.

"We trust in the public’s capacity to decide whether they will claim these views as their own."

Press alliance hits X-rating

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) expressed "deep concern" over the MTRCB's decision to give the poll-related short films an X-rating, "effectively banning the shows from being broadcast."

"Even as ABS-CBN has vowed to appeal the classification, SEAPA believes MTRCB's rating for the documentaries, and especially its appalling reasoning behind the decision, damages the Philippine environment for free expression and press freedom, ironically at a crucial time when Filipinos would benefit from diverse, frank, and unflinching issues-based discourses relevant to their future," SEAPA said.

"Neither 'faith and confidence of the people in government' nor 'the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines' should be the imposed priority of the Philippine media. In an election period especially, the media's faithfulness should merely be to the many sides of truth to any issue, to its own independence, and to the public that demands, and has a right to, information and free and fair commentary," the group said.

The SEAPA said: "Worse yet, the MTRCB's move could send a chilling effect to all other filmmakers, journalists, and media executives, with its suggestion that negative portrayals of government and the country's social conditions would not be tolerated. SEAPA calls on the MTRCB to entertain ABS-CBN's appeal, and to take the opportunity to reverse itself on an egregious decision that injures Philippine democracy and the very integrity of the coming elections."

SEAPA is a regional organization whose mandate is to promote and protect press freedom in Southeast Asia.

It is composed of the Jakarta-based Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Institute for Studies on the Free Flow if Information (ISAI); the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility and Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism; the Bangkok-based Thai Journalists Association; and the network's Kuala Lumpur-based associate member, the Centre for Independent Journalism.

at the 2007 sydney writers' festival

i returned to sydney last week to facilitate a session on southeast asian diaspora writers in australia during the 2007 sydney writers' festival. the festival also launched my fourth book, from the editors: migrant communities and emerging australian literature (liverpool, new south wales: casula powerhouse, 2007). meanwhile, my festival panel was sponsored by casula powerhouse and liverpool regional museum, with heaps of assistance from the australian federal government, arts new south wales, liverpool city council, the australia council for the arts, tien ve and the lao community advancement (nsw) co-op ltd.

the other members of my panel were lao australian writer and editor sumana viravong, vietnamese australian musician and literary artist ngoc-tuan hoang, and filipina australian poet and playwright noonee doronila. later, eminent filipino poet and former u.p. mindanao chancellor ricardo de ungria drew comparisons and contrasts from his experiences as a creative writer, academic and cultural administrator affiliated with the literary arts committee of the philippine national commission for culture and the arts (ncca).

it was a grueling week. i had to attend festival sessions, meetings with artists, scholars, and cultural administrators, prepare tremendously for my presentation. fortunately, gigi grande, australia news bureau chief of abs-cbn global (my student in communication 1 and 2 at u.p. diliman some years back), was there to document my trip when my digital camera malfunctioned. despite her busy schedule (e.g., covering the philippine president's trip to australia), gigi took me from one festival location to another. she also treated me to meals, high tea and coffee. on my last day, she woke up so early and drove for me from north sydney all the way to the airport. she is angel gigi talaga.

i was very tired but happy when i returned to manila. i can only hope that more filipino writers will be given similar opportunities to take an active part during the annual writers' festival in sydney.

jose wendell capili on ramsay street (haberfield, greater sydney) by gigi grande

with filipino australian artists robert nery, deborah ruiz wall and noonee doronila


reading the highlights of my paper on southeast asian diaspora writers in australia and the consequence of community-based initiatives

with tuan, noonee and ricky

with tuan and noonee

ricky and sumana

with core group members of the a.n.u. philippine studies group

being interviewed by ala paredes for abs-cbn's balitang australia

being interviewed by ronald manila for sbs australia

my fourth book




at the 2007 sydney writers festival

the crowd in liverpool

with gigi grande, australia news bureau chief of abs cbn global before my departure for manila in sydney's kingsford smith airport

anzac bridge, sydney

central station, sydney




scenes from the sydney writers' festival session at the liverpool regional museum

(photos credits: gigi grande)

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Global Film Initiative buys US rights to The Bet Collector (Jeffrey Jeturian's Kubrador)

Silvia Wong in Singapore

Screen Daily

07 Jun 2007 13:10

Global Film Initiative has taken all US rights to award-winning Filipino drama The Bet Collector (Kubrador).

The deal was negotiated by French sales outfit Wide Management's Matteo Lovadina.

After making its world premiere in Moscow last year, the picture has travelled to about forty film festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards. These include two FIPRESCI awards (at Moscow and New Delhi) as well as four international best actress awards (at New Delhi, Brussels, CineManila and Amiens) for veteran actress Gina Pareno.

Pareno plays an aging bet collector who earns commissions from collecting bets for jueteng, an illegal number game, in the slums of Manila.

The film is directed by Jeffrey Jeturian whose previous credits include Bridal Shower and Bikini Open and produced by MLR Films' Josabeth Alonso and Rogelio Rayala.

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January 2008 MoMA (New York) Premiere for Kubrador

KUBRADOR/THE BET COLLECTOR will be showcased as part of Global Film Initiative's Global Lens 2008 series, which will premiere in January 2008 at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York and screen in up to thirty cities across the United States before going into general theatrical and home video distribution via First Run Features. Traditionally, Global Lens receives good press for the series. KUBRADOR/THE BET COLLECTOR is set to gain further significant attention, as it is one of only two possible films from Southeast Asia in the ten-film series.

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My previous entries on Jeffrey Jeturian's Kubrador are all here.