Kontra-Agos
A Resistance Films Festival
Robinson's Galleria, IndieSine
Quezon City, The Philppines
December 5-11, 2007
The Singh Family Home Videos
Directed By: Emmanuel A. Dela Cruz
A documentary work in progress, "The Singh Family Home Videos" charts an intimate look at the family life of the filmmaker's neighbors, a Punjabi Indian family who has assimilated into the Filipino culture and community. Is nationality a matter of origin? Is identity a matter of choice? Or is your "home" a matter of where you are or where you'll be?
A fictional narrative feature based on this work, tentatively called "1434456" is slated to be produced in 2008 by the inependent film group, ufo Pictures("Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros," "Sarong Banggi" and "Endo") and is vying for a Cinemalaya subsidy.
About the Director
Emmanuel A. Dela Cruz was born in Aparri, Cagayan and fell in love with cinema at a young age as he grew up watching movies at double and triple-feature cinema houses in his home town. Film reels just happened to be delivered through the local PNR bus station, run by his parents which gave his family free passes to the movies. After dabbling in acting, writing and translating plays for several theatre companies including The UP Repertory Company (Santuwayro, Ama Namin, Oras Na, Seremonyas), Bulwagang Gantimpla(Manuk Buangsi, the musicale) and Dulang Talyer(Three Rats), he eventually pursued film studies at the University Of the Phillipines, reaping several awards from the Gawad CCP for his short student works: Pula sa Bughaw, Tatlong Lamok and She: Dalagang Pilipina and winning awards for his writing, namely: 2nd prize for his first feature-length screenplay “Pain sa Dilim” from the FDFPI in 1995 and one of the five best Stories for Film in the recent FAP Scriptwriting Awards, 2005 for his film story "Sa Diddib ng mga Alon."
Working for local TV stations like ABC 5, GMA 7 and ABS-CBN has given him the opportunity to work on several show formats(talk, public service, youth dramas, music videos and teleseryes) as creator, writer, segment producer, director and creative consultant. Among these breakthrough programs are: Pangako Sa `Yo, Tabing-ilog and Martin Late @ Night. Recently directed for the multi-part pre-election primer Philippine Agenda with GMA news and Public Affairs and fro the said station's year-end special for 2007: Ingay ng Bayan.
His near decade-long stint in Star Cinema where he rose from the creative pool to being a Creative Consultant to the Core Group of the movie company and a Creative Project Head gave him a chance to make a contribution to some of the company’s biggest hits: Tanging-Ina, Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay ko, Milan and D' Anothers. Aside from earning credits for his stories in several hit films: Kailangan Kita, Kung Ako na Lang Sana and My 1st Romance. Likewise, he's currently heading the creative teams of three ongoing movie projects of the company slated for 2007-2008 releases most notably fellow ufo colleague Jade Castro's sophomore film Big Love after the success of Endo, ufo Pictures 3rd feature(Cinemalaya 2007 Jury Prize, In Competition in Nates, France) he helped produce.
Having written, directed and co-produced his first feature-length digital work “Sarong Banggi”(winning an URIAN Best Actress for Jaclyn Jose, an Audience Prize Best Actress, Phuket film fest and a Breakthrough Performance by an Actor by the Entertainment Press's 3rd Golden Screen Awards for new comer Angelo Ilagan, Official Selection- ImaginAsian Theatre, New York, CineAsia, Barcelona and to the first Phuket International Film Festival, October 2007) under the Cinemalaya Grant, he is currently pursuing both his mainstream and independently-inclined movie projects. Under the helm of ufo Pictures (producers of “Sarong Banggi,” and the Cinemalaya Jury Prize-winners Endo (Cinemalaya 2007), and the internationally acclaimed “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros”) an independent production group he put up with Raymond Lee(writer of Anak, Tanging Yaman, Kailangan Kita and Milan) and their like-minded screenwriter friends from the industry: Michiko Yamamoto(of Magnifico fame), Ned Trespeces (Jologs) and Jade Castro (Endo, `D Anothers, First Day High), they hope to produce story-driven and material-oriented movies for their company and the rest of the independent and mainstrean film community.
As the founding chairperson and a board member of the Independent Filmmakers' Cooperative of the Philippines (IFC), he has spearheaded the launch of INDIE SINE, the first independently-run theatre in the country launched last January 16, 2007 in Robinson's Galeria cinema 8 and which has continually supported inedependent theatrical releases and continues to break new ground in alternative independent dictribution. Recently passing the reins to the new IFC Chairperson Doy Del Mundo, the cooperative has doubled its membership and has set to reinvigorate the scene together with its partner embassies, institutions and private funders.
He continues to produce independent works (Imagining Edsa for IMAHE NASYON - Official Selection for the 20th Singapore International Film Festival) and for film advocacies (SPILL for an omnibus film exposing the Guimaras oil spill disaster of 2006). He also recently completed his undergraduate production thesis – Gabon(Cloud) awarded Best Direction for the shorts category of the recently concluded Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Festival 2007 and nominated for Best Short Film by the Gawad URIAN. Gabon had the distinction of being part of the launch of UPFI Cine Adarna's Friday Film Bar this August, and was screened together with Lamberto Avellana's epic film“Badjao.”
He has completed a 40-min. documentary “The Singh Family Home Videos,” an intimate look at the family life of his neighbors, an Indian family who has assimilated into the Filipino culture and community. This has further inspired him to deepen his understanding of the cross-cultural experience by envisioning a fictional narrative based on this film, called "14334456: The Singalong Singhs" vying for another Cinemalaya grant.
Together with Raymond Lee and under ufo pictures, he is currently in production of a feature-length documentary Queen B about the life and passions of famous Filipina model turned philanthropist Bessie Badilla which will partly be shot and culminate in Brazil's Mardi Gras Carnival in 2008.
He is hopeful the the new wave of Pinoy independent filmmaking will give rise to a more “meaningful, dynamic and thought-provoking” visions that focuses on the human experience/realities either past or current.