The subject of adobo’s latest cover and centerfold, Brillante “Dante” Mendoza, finally took his turn at centerstage, as he screened “Kinatay” for an audience of his peers.
At Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, over 300 local filmmakers, film critics, executives from advertising agencies and production houses thronged to see the film, which won Mendoza the Cannes Film Festival’s award for Best Direction. Among the moviegoers were NU 101’s Atom Henares, UNITEL’s Tony Gloria, Optima Digital’s Pete Jimenez, indie filmmakers Raymond Red, Sockie Fernandez and Quark Henares, film legend Elwood Perez, Team Manila’s Clara Balaguer, P&G SEAsia’s Sarah Sayas-Tolentino, Kodak’s Jane Albito, Videosonic’s Mart Miranda, BBDO Guerrero’s Paul Roebuck, screenwriter Lilit Reyes, and TV commercial directors Mark Querubin, Henry Frejas, Mike Alcazaren and Ricky Villabona.
After cocktails in the theatre lobby, Mendoza and his host, adobo publisher Angel Guerrero, presented the film.
A neo-realist descent into moral hell, the film kept the audience in an uneasy quiet for 100 minutes. Once the house lights were turned on and the viewers regained their composure, Mendoza, his cinematographer Odyssey Flores, and sound designer Teresa Barrozo took their questions.
“Kinatay” was initially screened for a private audience at the UP Film Theatre, but an MTRCB approval allowed adobo to open its own viewing to the public. The event was sponsored by Optima Digital, 88 Storey Films and Videosonic.
Adobo main course is the magazine’s events arm. Timed roughly every quarter, industry practitioners and students are invited to seminars, talks and screenings of films of interest. Previous offerings have focused on Asian advertising, typography and theatre design.
Because of the controversy surrounding the film, adobo encountered mysterious difficulties in the distribution of the issue that featured Mendoza. Fortunately, last night’s event went off without hitch and opens the possibility for repeat screenings of “Kinatay."
