In honor of one of the most important and influential filmmakers in Philippine cinema, the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will close its 21st edition with Mike De Leon’s Kakabakaba Ka Ba? at the Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinemas 1 & Premiere Theater on October 11, 8:00 PM.
Directed and written by De Leon himself, alongside Clodualdo Del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio, Kakabakaba Ka Ba? is a 1980 satirical musical-comedy about four Filipinos who fall victim to a contraband-planting scheme as they fly back to the country, and are then caught in the middle of a crime syndicate plotting on using materials from the Catholic church to control the nation.
The film features a star-studded cast with the likes of Christopher De Leon, often referred to as the ‘King of Philippine Drama’, Charo Santos-Concio, Jay Ilagan, and Sando Andolong, who play the four main characters of the film.
Mike De Leon’s background of being born into a post-war society reflects heavily on his films. His filmography is widely regarded for their staunch critique on the country’s corruption and impunity, with many of his films recognized and awarded both locally and internationally and considered as some of the best to offer from the country.
De Leon has shared his love for the art of filmmaking as he had grown up in the lot of LVN Pictures, a film studio founded by his Grandmother Doña Sisang. He has since been very vocal on how this has shaped his perspective in the film industry and his process as a filmmaker, and also shared how the Philippines, and the state of its socio-political environment, has influenced how he has approached his films, through the camera lens and through the script.
The country continues to honor Mike De Leon’s influence in Philippine cinema. Last 2022, De Leon’s films had a retrospective screening at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Besides films that he has directed, the screening also featured behind-the-scenes footage for Maynila, sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag where he served as the film’s cinematographer.
His international ventures include the Directors’ Fortnight at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival where his films Kisapmata (1981) and Batch ‘81 (1982) were featured, while his 1984 hit Sister Stella L. was the Philippine’s entry for the 1985 Venice Film Festival.
Besides international recognition, De Leon has won numerous local awards for his work, with Kakabakaba Ka Ba? winning two FAMAS awards for Best Editing and Best Sound and five Gawad Urian awards for Best Direction, Best Supporting Actor for Johnny Delgado, Best Editing, Best Music, and Best Sound.
Tickets are priced at Php 350 for regular and Php 250 for discounted, available at the Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinemas ticketing booth or online through redcarpetattheshang.com.
For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and the Cinemalaya website (www.cinemalaya.org). Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya Facebook pages and other social media accounts on X, Instagram, and TikTok.
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