Cinema One Originals 2019: Everything you need to know

Cinema One Originals returns for its 15th edition this November 7 to 17, 2019, once again featuring diverse titles from the Philippines and abroad.

This year, eight original narrative features get ₱3-million worth of grant each. The directors behind the films are composed of four (4) first-time filmmakers, three (3) previous Cinema One Originals alumni, and one (1) director making her second feature and her Cinema One Originals debut.

VENUE

Cinema One Originals will be happening in eleven (11) venues across Metro Manila, from newly opened theaters to microcinemas:

• Trinoma
• Glorietta
• Ayala Malls Manila Bay
• Power Plant
• Gateway
• Cine Adarna
• Cinema Centenario
• Cinematheque Centre Manila
• Black Maria Cinema
• Cinema '76 (San Juan and Anonas)

MAIN COMPETITION

'Lucid' by Victor Villanueva

Victor Villanueva's 'Lucid'

A young woman who leads a lonely, mundane existence in the real world has the perfect life in her lucid dreams, which she can somehow control. When she meets a mysterious stranger, the line between dream and reality starts to blur.

Lucid premieres on November 10, 7:30 PM at Trinoma.

'Metamorphosis' by J.E. Tiglao

J.E. Tiglao's 'Metamorphosis'

Born with both male and female genitals, but raised like a boy by his conservative family, Adam goes through all the things prepubescent boys go through, including a fascination with strange animals he takes for pets and being smitten by a lovely girl.  His bucolic world turns upside down when he gets his first menstrual period setting him off on a journey that tests the spiritual and physical limits of sexual identity and into a new world of ambiguity and desire.

Metamorphosis premieres on November 10, 5 PM at Trinoma.

'O' by Kevin Dayrit

Kevin Dayrit's 'O'

O centers on a funeral parlor intern and closet necrophiliac who starts pushing blood after she meets a vampire drug lord whose sister she falls in love with, complicating matters even more than they already are.

O premieres on November 8,10 PM at Trinoma.

'Sila-Sila' by Giancarlo Abrahan

Giancarlo Abrahan's 'Sila-Sila'

A young man whose breakups tend to be messy and have severe and traumatic repercussions finds himself not only confronting the people on the receiving end of those breakups but navigating feelings he had thought long gone but are now suddenly rekindled.

Sila Sila premieres on November 8, 7:30 PM at Trinoma.

'Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo' by Denise O'Hara

Denise O'Hara's 'Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo'

A soft boy. A strong girl. Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo is a love story that comes close but not far enough, grounded by anxiety and uncertainty.

Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo premieres on Nov. 9, 7:30pm at Trinoma.

'Tia Madre' by Eve Baswel

Eve Baswel's 'Tia Madre'

A horror story told through the eyes of a child: a clingy, hyper-imaginative and slightly twisted 10-year old girl named Camille whose mother Emilia inexplicably changes into something else, something more sinister, something more violent, something more distant, something that isn’t her mother anymore and quite possibly isn’t human.

Tia Madre premieres on November 9, 5PM at Trinoma.

'Utopia' by Dustin Celestino

Dustin Celestino's 'Utopia'

A freelance videographer, a rookie police officer, an undercover PDEA agent, and a crime in progress. Only tonight, a comet flies over Manila and the cosmic disturbances turn everything on its head for one night. Everything that could go wrong suddenly foes right.

Utopia premieres on November 9, 10 PM at Gateway.

'Yours, Truly, Shirley' by Nigel Santos

Nigel Santos' 'Yours, Truly, Shirley'

A widow imagines that the newest pop sensation sweeping the country is the reincarnation of her dead husband.

Yours Truly Shirley premieres on November 10, 9:45 PM at Trinoma.


OPENING AND CLOSING FILM

Robert Eggers' 'The Lighthouse'

Robert Eggers' critically acclaimed 'The Lighthouse' opens the festivities, with a special invitational screening at Ayala Malls Bay this November 7 (7PM). The film stars Robert Pattison and Willem Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers who try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

Mikhail Red's 'Dead Kids'

Meanwhile, Mikhail Red's 'Dead Kids' closes Cinema One Originals with a one-time screening at Gateway this November 17 (9:30PM).  Based on true events, 'Dead Kids' promises an exciting mix of friendship, coming-of-age, thriller, and crime rolled into one, societal eye-opening movie. It was also announced as the first Filipino Netflix original film.


SHORT FILMS

Line-up of participating shorts is yet to be announced


WORLD CINEMA

Céline Sciamma's 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' 

A collection of acclaimed titles from various parts of the world.

• 'The Father' by Petar Valchanov and Kristina Grozeva
• 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' by Céline Sciamma
• 'The Truth' by Hirokazu Kore-eda
• 'Matthias & Maxime' by Xavier Dolan
• 'The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao' by Karim Aïnouz
• 'The Two Popes' by Fernando Meirelles
• 'Knives Out' by Rian Johnson


ABS-CBN FILM RESTORATION PRESENTATION

Mario O'Hara's 'Bulaklak Sa City Jail' 

The digitally restored prints of Mario O'Hara's 'Bulaklak Sa City Jail' and Abbo de la Cruz's 'Misteryo Sa Tuwa' done through ABS-CBN Film Restoration's "Sagip Pelikula" initiative will premiere during the festival. They will also screen previous remastered Filipino classics such as:

• 'Bad Bananas sa Puting Tabing' by Peque Gallaga
• 'Saan Ka Man Naroroon' by Carlos Siguion-Reyna
• 'Nunal sa Tubig' by Ishmael Bernal
• 'Mga Bilanggong Birhen' by Mario O'Hara and Romy Suzara
• 'Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo' by Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara
• 'Hihintayin Kita sa Langit' by Carlos Siguion-Reyna
• 'Tisoy' by Ishmael Bernal


SPECIAL EVENT SCREENING/ SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Paul Soriano's 'Mañanita'

• 'Mañanita' by Paul Soriano
• 'Aguila' by Eddie Romero
• 'Barbara Reimagined' by Benedict Mique and Chris Ad Castillo

BEST OF ORIGINALS

Rod Singh's 'Mamu; and a Mother Too' 

Past films produced by Cinema One Originals.

• 'Mamu; And A Mother Too' by Rod Singh
• 'A Short History of a Few Bad Things' by Keith Deligero
• 'Double Twisting Double Back' by Joseph Abello
• 'Changing Partners' by Dan Villegas
• 'Hospicio' by Bobby Bonifacio
• 'Asuang' by Raynier Brizuela
• 'Paglisan' by Carl Papa


SCHEDULE AND TICKET PRICE/ FESTIVAL PASSES

The full schedule of the films can be browsed here. Festival passes can now be bought here.