ÉCU - THE EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

A lot can be achieved within the span of a movie's length, but the fathom of questioning representation through movements including Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and Time's Up amongst the fear of cancel culture means it seems like entertainment is no longer prioritized as Hollywood's main achievement. As far as the film industry goes, it is fair to state that the West’s film culture, for as long as it's been thriving, has dominantly been a force conducted by white people. Thus there is no surprise that in recent years the spotlight has had to atone to a more diversified audience. I mean, since when was xenophobia cool unless it's to make fun of western culture itself?  After all, Hollywood's idea of a clever roar only comes from outraged socialists who lost to an orange, but if an orange who's been indicted four times is capable of re-running for president in this age of cancel culture, then anything is possible. It is clear that the UK’s film industry and Hol...

Source: The Art of Love Project “The fiercest competitor of love is fear,” says Philippe Weibel. “I think that nowadays a lot of people are afraid of getting hurt and… many of us have become so focussed on our careers that it’s almost a pain to get to know new people, and so tech is filling the gap that’s left in peoples’ lives.” Weibel is the writer, producer, and director of The Art of Love (2022). A refreshingly heartfelt comedy-drama, The Art of Love combines the whacky and the provocative with the poignant message at its core: namely, the escalating emotional isolation of people in modern Western civilisation.  Played by Alexandra Gilbreath and Oliver Walker respectively, The Art of Love follows the stories of two contrasting individuals: 55-year-old London Underground worker Eva and 35-year-old Adam, influencer and face of a booming sex-toy start-up, ‘The Art of Love’. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship after Eva’s success writing reviews for ‘The Art of Love’ push...

Well, there we are! The end of another thrilling weekend of groundbreaking cinema. As the doors to the Power Plant Cinema close and the sun sets over Manila, let’s take a look at the third and final day of this year’s All Asian Independent Film Festival. The start of the afternoon saw the final entry of the Filipino Film Students Special Competition, A Personal Reminiscence by Mark Daniel B. De Castro. This powerful, emotive reflection on the experiences of colonial history explores the relationship between identity, homeland and literature, and certainly provided a thought-provoking start to the day’s events. It means a lot to AAIFF to have been able to platform such an eloquent examination of Filipino cultural heritage within the Philippines itself. In an interview, Mark Daniel told us about his love of filmmaking as a powerful tool to tell stories about "things that are not being talked about" and "inspire creativity within a community". Filmmakers and staff at A...

The second day of the festival is successfully behind us and we hope it was full of wonderful cinematic experiences for everyone who attended! We started the day with screenings of two of the films from the Filipino Film Student Corner. Both Eyesight and To Be With Ma are very personal and touching, albeit for very different reasons. Eyesight , an experimental story by Monique Chua, offers an intimate depiction of life with asymmetrical eyes, sharing with us a different perspective through a cinematic lens. Aron Abad’s To Be With Ma highlights the importance of being with your loved ones despite the obstacles in the way. It is a story many of us, unfortunately, can relate to and Aron Abad managed to depict the true emotions in a very credible way.   Aron Abad’s To Be With Ma Later in the afternoon, we got the chance to see the Best of ÉCU's 2023 Official Selection . The films screened, including Lena , Noona and Courage offered a range of snapshots into European life that provi...

A warm welcome to the first day of the All Asian Independent Film Festival to all the cinephiles, film enthusiasts and lovers of independent cinema. In the heart of Manila, a vibrant tapestry of cultures and stories is unfolding as the  All Asian Independent Film Festival kicks off its cinematic celebration. We are looking forward to showcasing the remarkable works of some of the most brilliant filmmakers from across Asia. Over the next three days we invite you to embark on a journey that transcends borders and dives deep into diverse narratives. The festival promises an experience full of creativity, with filmmakers pushing boundaries of storytelling. The founder of the All Asian Independent Film Festival Scott Hillier and the festival coordinator Rodrigo Estrada  Wails of the Shadows Dancing — a film of our students corner section — was the first to be shown at our festival, as part of Filipino Film Students Special Competition. A film about the artist and dancer Amalia, ...

  WHY ARE PERIOD DRAMAS SO POPULAR IN THE 21ST CENTURY? Although the term “period drama” is often believed to describe all of those movies set in the 18th or 19th century, it actually refers to any film production that takes place in a historical period with drama in it. That is why The Crown (2016-present) is considered to be a period drama as well as Persuasion (2022) or Peaky Blinders (2017-2022). However, what it is most surprising is that historical romantic movies are becoming more popular nowadays than they were before. Bear in mind that the famous Netflix TV series Bridgerton only came out three years ago, in 2020. What is it, then, that makes them so appreciated in the present era?   ROMANCE First of all, romance is the key to gain the audience’s attention; as a matter of fact, the way the love story is told is crucial. According to many psychologists, the idea of forbidden love is very appealing to our brain, because it is linked to the unconscious desire for w...

If we take a little glimpse at the film culture of the Philippines and especially its cinema, we can face a huge heritage already developed since the early 20th century. The Philippines which is now considered as one of the oldest film industries in Asia, discovered the film genre itself as a new art medium at that time. Particularly Philippine literature as well as theatre — popular at the time — were fundamental for the films characterization. Philippine cinema has continued to evolve since then, especially due to political influences. Today, it features a range and variety of genres, from mainstream blockbusters to thought-provoking independent films. The latter has actually existed almost as long as commercial cinema but was further marginalized. As it often referred to the realities of life within society and politics which tended to reveal social as well as political conditions. The Fifties — considered the first golden age of Philippine cinema — saw the release of many artistic ...