August 8, 2019
THE 15th edition of Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the Philippines, culminates with Kerwin Go's "Mina-Anud," which will be screened on August 10, at 9pm, at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).
The one-hour-and 44-minute film follows two surfers, Ding and Carlo, who must decide whether the lure of riches is worth risking family and freedom, after three tons of cocaine land on the shores of a peaceful seaside community.
According to director Go, the film was inspired by true events. In 2009 in the province of Eastern Samar, the cocaine washed up on the shores of the province, and things turned downright surreal, director Go said.
"Being one of the poorest provinces in the country, people there lived a hand-to-mouth existence. The profits from the sale of cocaine enabled them to taste a little bit of a dream as they bought flatscreen T.V.s, gadgets, motorcycles, cars, and jewellery. I was there and witnessed this first hand," shared director Go.
Actors Dennis Trillo and Jerald Napoles headline the film, with special participation of Matteo Guidicelli as Paul. The film also stars Dionne Monsanto, Elia Ilano, Anthony Falcon, Marc Felix, Mara Lopez, Lou Veloso and Richard Manabat.
"The characters [of] the film are based on the director's friends and acquaintances who gave in to the temptation of easy money. Some made it out with their wallets heavier; others were not so lucky and wound up in jail," Go explained.
A big fan of bungled crime and dark comedies, director Go sees Mina-Anud as a black comedy film with a heart. "The greed and corruption that resulted from the arrival of the cocaine was a ripe breeding ground for black comedy. They say you should make a film about something you know, and that there are stories out there that only you can tell. For me, that would be this story."
The Cinemalaya Awarding Night will be on August 11, 7pm, also at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).