Daily Tribune
JK Labajo
MARIS Racal
ANIMA Studios announces that three of its 2023 productions will join the prestigious Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, on 24 May.
Rookie and When This Is All Over were both co-produced by ANIMA and have garnered significant acclaim at Cinemalaya Film Festival 2023 before their much-anticipated international debut at FEFF. The Far East Film Festival, renowned for its dedication to showcasing the best of Asian cinema, provides an ideal platform for these films to reach a wider audience. The festival also marks the international premiere of When This Is All Over.
Meanwhile, the Antonette Jadaone-helmed Sunshine, a co-production of ANIMA and Project 8 Projects, is one of the selected projects for FEFF’s Far East In Progress. The program is a premier European platform exclusively dedicated to Asian films in post-production seeking international distribution and festival premieres.
FEFF celebrates Asian cinema by featuring a diverse range of films from countries like Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. It serves as a crucial bridge between Asian filmmakers and European audiences, fostering cultural exchange and appreciation for cinematic excellence.
In 2023, ANIMA was represented by Where Is The Lie? (Marupok AF) in the said festival. The film stars Maris Racal and EJ Jallorina and was directed by Quark Henares.
Queer romance
Rookie, co-produced by ANIMA, Kumu and Project 8 Projects in 2023, is directed by Samantha Lee. The film features a screenplay by her and Natts Jadaone and stars Pat Tingjuy, Aya Fernandez and Agot Isidro. Rookie is a coming-of-age LGBTQIA film that follows a high school transferee who joins the volleyball team and falls in love with the team captain. Tingjuy was awarded Best Actress at Cinemalaya for her portrayal of rookie Ace Asuncion while Lee received the Cinemalaya Audience Choice Award for the film.
Risky mid-pandemic business
Co-produced by ANIMA, This Side Up and RSVP Film Studios in 2023, When This Is All Over is directed and co-written by Kevin Mayuga. Abbey De Guia-Mayuga and Benedict Mendoza share screenplay duties with Mayuga. It stars actor-singer Juan Karlos Labajo and revolves around an illegal rave party his character co-organized mid-pandemic as he delves into the frustrations caused by social divisions and social distancing. Locally, When This Is All Over is slated for a cinema run later this year.
Teenage dream and dilemma
Sunshine tells the story of a young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts. On her way to a seller of illegal abortion drugs, she meets a mysterious girl who eerily talks and thinks like her. Maris Racal, also previously cast in the ANIMA and Project 8 Projects series Simula Sa Gitna, plays the lead role.
“I am incredibly proud and excited to see three of ANIMA’s productions shining brightly at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy,” said Bianca Balbuena, ANIMA general manager. “It is our goal to showcase the remarkable talents of our film creatives to the world, and I believe this is just the beginning for these exceptional films. I hope this exposure will lead to more opportunities for global audiences to experience and appreciate the unique stories we have to offer.”
