Philippines’ Epicmedia Unveils World Slate

Recent off a standing ovation for auteur Lav Diaz’s “When the Waves Are Gone” on the Venice Film Festival, the Philippines’ Epicmedia Productions has revealed a world co-production slate.

Subsequent up is Swiss co-production “Electrical Little one” by Simon Jacquemet (“The Harmless”), which was presented at the Venice Production Bridge final yr. The story revolves round a pair whose youngster develops an uncommon sickness. Whereas the mom and child drift into their very own world, the computer-science professor father develops a pact with an A.I. character on a digital island to save lots of his youngster. The venture, which is beginning manufacturing imminently, is supported by the Movie Location Incentive Fund of the Movie Improvement Council of the Philippines, Swiss Federal Workplace of Tradition, Zurich Movie Basis, Filmstiftung NRW and TV channels SRF and ARTE.

Truong Minh Quy (“The Tree Home”) is in preproduction on “Viet and Nam,” which follows Nam and Việt who’re coal miners, working 300 meters under floor, the place hazard awaits and darkness prevails. The six-country coproduction is supported by Rotterdam’s Cinemart, Cannes L’Atelier, Gotham IFP Market, Hubert Bals Fund, MPA Asia Pacific Display screen Academy Fund, Purin Footage, Abilities Tokyo Subsequent Masters Fund, World Cinema Fund, IMDA Southeast Asia Co-Manufacturing Grant, Normandy Improvement Fund, OIF Francophonie, CNC Aide aux cinemas du Monde, NFF+HBF Coproduction Scheme, Visions Sud Est and TFL Co-Manufacturing Fund.

It’s co-produced by Weijie Lai (E&W Movies, Singapore), Marie Dubas (Deuxième Ligne Movies, France), Mai Nguyen (Scarlet Movies, Germany), Stefano Centini (Volos Movies, Taiwan), and Joost de Vries and Lorna Tee (An Authentic Image, The Netherlands).

In improvement and financing with Revolver Movies is Dutch movie “Mandai River” by Michaël I. Sewandono (“Arash”), which was at EAVE Ties That Bind and Cannes Cinefondation, and can observe three characters whose fates tragically entwine when they’re overpowered by chaos and mystical forces of nature past their management.

Filipino movie “Filipiñana” by Rafael Manuel, the place a brand new lady appears to be like to subvert the principles in a membership that displays Philippine societal buildings, is in improvement and is supported by the U.Ok.’s Channel 4, the CreatePH Improvement Fund and Abilities Tokyo Subsequent Masters Assist Improvement Fund. Manuel received greatest brief at Berlin for his brief movie of the identical identify.

“In My Mom’s Pores and skin” by Kenneth Dagatan (“Ma”), a few 10 year-old lady who tries to guard her flesh-hungry mom, cursed by a magical fruit from a sinister fairy who wishes to eat all of them, is in submit. The movie is supported by the Movie Improvement Council of the Philippines, IMDA Singapore, TAICCA and received the Discovery of Asia Award on the Bucheon Worldwide Implausible Movie Pageant’s NAFF Mission Market. It’s co-produced by Zhao Wei Movies (Singapore), Volos Movies (Taiwan) and Clover Movies (Singapore), who additionally handles Asian distribution.

“Cu Li Never Cries” by Pham Ngoc Lan (“Blessed Land”), which recounts the stifling summer season days that fire up a whirlwind of occasions and feelings within the lifetime of Woman M, a blue collar retiree in Hanoi who as soon as labored in East Germany as a labor export employee, can be in submit. The movie is funded by Sorfond, Hubert Bals Fund, Purin Footage, Abilities Tokyo Subsequent Masters Assist Fund, Crossing Borders Analysis of Robert Bosch Stiftung Basis, Visions Sud Est, Movie Philippines Incentive Award, Movie Improvement Council of the Philippines ASEAN Co-Manufacturing Fund, World Cinema Fund Europe, EZEF Brot for the World and CNC Aide aux cinemas du monde.

Epicmedia, led by Bianca Balbuena, Pepe Diokno, Bradley Liew and Patti Lapus, additionally has a number of streaming tasks. Liew (“The Tapes”) has simply wrapped college romcom slasher collection “The Ex-Issue” and Epicmedia goes into manufacturing with “Heaven, Earth, Hell,” a collection about kidnapping and unlawful underground youngster combating in Manila, to be directed by Eve Baswel (“Tía Madré”). Two collection are presently in improvement: “Comfortable Crush” by Carlo Catu (“Misis Piggy”) and Mike Mendoza’s “The right way to Cheat Dying.”

“Our firm Epicmedia’s objective has at all times been about strengthening collaborations throughout the Southeast Asian area and serving to filmmakers, not simply Filipinos, in bringing their movies to the worldwide stage,” Liew advised Selection. “Not certain by borders however quite by the very essence of story telling, chemistry, friendship, inventive pressure.”

In the meantime, Balbuena, who’s an Asian Movie Commissions Community producer of the yr and Asia Pacific Display screen Awards excellent achievement in movie awardee, has made a profession transfer to Globe Telecom-backed Kroma Leisure as head of studios and MD, in command of the Anima and Secret Menu manufacturers.

“Co-production is a fragile marriage. The fabric ought to converse to you, you must consider within the director’s imaginative and prescient and inventive execution however on the identical time, you must love working along with your co-producer since you’ll be combating for a venture hand-in-hand for numerous years. We’ve been very fortunate with our co-producers,” Balbuena advised Selection. “I don’t assume there was any bloody divorce but.”

“We’re excited to carry Filipino content material and expertise to the world stage, work on strengthening our content material library, uncover new thrilling voices, assist carry again audiences to native cinemas and bridge the hole between native content material and worldwide streamers”, Balbuena stated about her new position.