Just got back from interview with Ms. Ellen at her place. Wow. That was one heck of an interview. JP was with me, and can you say meeting of minds! We let her read our unpublished reviews and she was touched. At one point, I think she was on the verge of tears. Imagine finding people who understand your work -- that must have been what's on her mind. I interviewed her from 5:45 to 7:30, and from thereon, we talked till past 10. She wanted us to stay for dinner, but we begged off later, not wanting to take up her time much longer. She learned from us. We learned from her. We think the story will not end there. She expressed her desire to organize like-minded persons--digital filmmakers--and was intrigued by our internet marketing of JP's work.

She was obviously happy to have met us, and vice-versa. She wanted to see JP's work, and JP will also lend him Faces and What Happened Was...Sometimes, the universe just works in mysterious ways. Imagine if we were not there at the UP screening...

I do hope that Inquirer publishes my review, and JP will find a venue for his own article. Will know feedback from Inquirer on Monday. Keeping my fingers crossed as usual. Angels definitely needs all the help it can get -- it deserves it...

Speaking of Lav Diaz, I am working again on an interview I did with him last year around the time of the Cinemanila Film Festival.

Right now, I'm transcribing the interview, which was done in Filipino. I have to translate it to English later because I'm sending the interview on spec to an international publication. I hope they will accept it. It will be a big boost to Philippine Cinema. But the transcription process is a bit hard. Interviewed Lav at the Araneta Center's Cafe Bola, just when the Megastar was having a concert, so you can only imagine the din of the diners almost drowning our interview -- can't even hear myself in parts! Perhaps I can ask Lav what I was asking. :) Invite him over. Besides, the article needs updating with what's happening in his longer-than-Batang West Side Ebolusyon. JP can set that up. I still have lots of cans of beer and pasta in the dining room -- left over from my "birthday party." JP said he makes a mean pasta with pesto. Yum! I love pesto. :)

That would be cool. Lav and the rest of us getting drunk in my apartment, while feasting on pasta with pesto!

So just finished this film review of the digital film Angels, produced by Star Cinema, written by Ricky Lee, and directed by Ellen-Ongkeko Marfil. Finished it this afternoon, and sent it to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and will just have to wait for feedback. Decided to do a review, after me and my Indie filmmaker friend, JP Carpio (auteur of another brilliant digital film, himself, the first Ilonggo feature Balay Daku) decided that the movie was great, and we ought to help it, and let more people know about it. (The UP screening is just the second screening in the country in more than two years! Imagine that. Star Cinema may not know that they have gold in their hands. The sad thing is the digital film dept. of Star Cinema, had long been shut down.)

Started writing the review (while I was still pumped up), immediately after I got home from Dencio's Katipunan, where we, Ricky Lee and his present and past workshop students, went after the UP Film Center screening -- a reunion of sorts. Just wrote down whatever came to mind; as Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, would advice, just put down the crap. :)

So while looking for a venue for the article, I talked on the phone to Nestor Torre, editor of Inquirer's Saturday edition, and our facilitator in the Film Development Foundation scriptwriting workshop a few years back. He said that they don't print reviews, but I can interview Ms. Ellen. Wow. So, through Ricky (who also talked to me on the phone, and said that Ellen would love anything that would "push" the film) and his assistant Jerry, I got in touch with Ms. Ellen and was able to schedule an interview Saturday afternoon. After faxing me more info about the film, I asked her a few details about the movie while supervising Debate last night -- she works at the Public Affairs Dept. of GMA. And so this morning and afternoon, I was able to revise and polish my review, and sent it at around 4 pm. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

I'm now preparing for the interview tomorrow. I invited JP, and he said that he will come, too. I feel that this meeting might be the start of something big for digital filmmaking, especially for independents. We can start an organization, perhaps...or just support each other. We need more young artists to start a new wave of Philippine Cinema, which, according to JP, is what Lav Diaz wishes to happen...

Hello world! So I am now, officially, a blogger!