08 November 2016 — Filipino romantic comedy and drama films were the centerpiece of this year’s 7th Philippine Film Festival in Hong Kong.
Organized by the Philippine Consulate General, in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the two-week festival, which ran from October 14 to 30, featured a collection of six romantic comedies and dramas which topped the Philippine movie charts in the last two years.
The featured films were as follows: “Everything About Her,” starring Vilma Santos, Angel Locsin and Xian Lim; “Every Day I Love You,” featuring Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil; “Bride for Rent” with Kim Chiu and Xian Lim; “That Thing Called Tadhana,” an indie film whose lead characters were portrayed by Angelica Panganiban and JM De Guzman; “Crazy Beautiful You,” top-billed by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla; and Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga’s “Starting Over Again.”
These films were screened at various locations on different show dates at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, the Domestic Worker’s Empowerment Program at the University of Hong Kong, Delia Memorial School, and at the Philippine Consulate General.
The Opening Gala on October 14 was held at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre with a screening of “Everything About Her”. Invited guests were members of the Consular Corps, local media, project partners, notable Hong Kong residents and other members of the Filipino Community in Hong Kong.
In her address, Consul General Bernardita Catalla said that the featured films for this year, while they seem to take a comedic approach to life, “reflect the resilience, self-sacrificing attitude and loving values of the Filipinos.”
The Film Festival was first conducted in 2009 and has been an annual project of the Consulate to promote the Filipino Film industry and to provide opportunities for Filipinos in Hong Kong as well as locals to enjoy Filipino artistry in film. END
