Announcement by Edwin A. Santos
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
: @Edwin_A_Santos | 
: Edwin A. Santos
We all know that Filipinos celebrate Independence Day every year on June 12 and Filipino American History Month in all of October, but it seems we are celebrating modern history for Filipinos during this last week of March and the first part of April — for 2018 only, that is.
Mikhail Red‘s critically-raved and multiple award winning feature Birdshot (2016) starring Mary Joy Apostol, Arnold Reyes, Ku Aquino and John Arcilla was acquired by Netflix earlier this year. It made its worldwide premiere this past Monday, March 26, 2018 on the streaming channel. It is the First Local Film from The Philippines to do so.
The film won three awards at the 2017 L.A. Philippine International Film Festival where Arnold Reyes (won for Best Actor), Mikhael Red (won for Best Director) and Birdshot (won for Best Picture). Watch it on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80222896
Delano Manongs will air tonight, March 27, 2018 on PBS stations nationwide after the documentary “Dolores” at Independent Lens | PBS. Check your local listings.
Netflix has also picked up the drug war drama Amo directed by Brillante Mendoza as its First Series from The Philippines. The series stars Vince Rillon, Derek Ramsay, Allen Dizon and Felix Roco. It will premiere Monday, April 9, 2018 worldwide.
Amo tells the story of Joseph, a high school student who starts out as a small-time “shabu” peddler, whose involvement in the drug trade eventually gets him entangled in the violent and dangerous circle of drug lords, crooked cops, and corrupt government officials.
Making its World Premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival on Saturday, April 7, 2018 and later at the San Diego Asian Film Festival on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, Ulam: Main Dish is a food documentary following the rise of the Filipino food movement via the chefs crossing over to the center of the American table.
ULAM Main Dish – Official Trailer #1 (HD) from HIFF on Vimeo.
Featuring: Alvin Cailan (Egglsut, Unit 120), Nicole Ponseca & Miguel Trinidad (Maharlika, Jeepney), Romy Dorotan & Amy Besa (Purple Yam), Johneric Concordia & Christine Araquel-Concordia (The Park’s Finest), Charles Olalia (Ricebar), Chase Valencia & Chad Valencia (LASA), and Andre Guerrero (The Oinkster, Maximiliano, The Little Bear).
We hope to see it make its Los Angeles Premiere sometime in May…
Lastly, Bitter Melon is the third film from writer/director H.P. Mendoza (I Am A Ghost, Fruit Fly, Colma: The Musical) and starring Patrick Epino (Awesome Asian Bad Guys) will be premiering at CAAMFEST 2018 as its Centerpiece Film — also sometime in May.
BITTER MELON (Trailer #1) from Ersatz Film on Vimeo.
A Filipino-American family reunites in San Francisco for a Christmas party only to discover that one of the sons, Troy, is ruling the family house with fear and violence. What starts as a light holiday party turns dark as the youngest son, Declan, masterminds a plan to murder the physically and emotionally abusive Troy.
