april-2012

M EET THE MOVIE MAVERICKS
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THESE ARE exciting times for Philippine cinema. It is
enjoying a surge of creative energy from a bunch of young
and talented writers, directors, producers and actors who are
forming the new face of Filipino fi lm, both in the Philippines
and overseas. So who fares the best and counts among
the brightest?
The breakout star
Eugene Domingo is probably the hardest working actress in
the country today, appearing in television and starring in a
couple of commercial and independent fi lms, most of them
box offi ce hits. She exploded on the scene playing twins in
Kimmy Dora, and has done everything from drama to broad
comedy. In Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the
Septic Tank), she even satirizes herself, proving to all that she
can be a viable leading lady in romantic roles and a scenestealer
in supporting ones. With her theatrical background,
Domingo is committed to her craft and tireless in her work —
the poster girl for authentic talent in an industry littered with
leggy starlets and mere posers.
The dynamic duo
Monster Jimenez and Mario Cornejo
are partners and collaborators whose
fi lms are consistently smart, funny
and thought-provoking. In 2005, they
co-wrote Big Time — a deliciously
dark comedy about petty criminals
and a heist gone wrong — which he
directed and she produced and edited.
In 2010, the roles were reversed in
Kano: An American and his Harem,
a documentary directed by Monster
and produced by Mario. Kano, the
harrowing story of a Vietnam vet who
set up a harem in the Philippines, has
traveled to international festivals and
won in 2011 best documentary from the
prestigious Gawad Urian Awards given
by the Filipino Film Critics Association.