Film producer, actor and director Vince Tañada’s experience at Cannes has inspired him to explore more themes and translate them into films. The exposure to a global film festival like Cannes, with its diverse range of films and international filmmakers, has undoubtedly broadened his horizons and fueled his creative aspirations.
“It’s a life-changing experience for me and my team,” Tañada told Manila Standard Entertainment in an interview.
“Being in the presence of renowned directors, actors, and film enthusiasts from around the world has sparked new ideas and perspectives within me. At Cannes, there are no stars, only artists. Witnessing the power of storytelling on an international stage and seeing the impact it can have on audiences worldwide has undoubtedly motivated me to further his own storytelling endeavors,” he went on.
Straight from Cannes, France, the group of Tañada, with Johnrey Rivas and OJ Arci, was immediately greeted with intrigue. The group went to the Cannes International Film Festival to screen their films Ako si Ninoy and The Embalmer at the Marche du Film.
Some camps claim that they were sent by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to represent the country. Second, they allegedly paid to have their movie screened.
“They are not true,” Tañada said. “I never said that the FDCP sent our group to Cannes, and it is very unfair because Maison ZBZ, represented by Evelyn Vargas, and Philstagers, would lose their significance. We never mentioned FDCP at all.”
“As for the payment, we had a booth there where we could hold meetings. We shared it with others. It is not true that if you have money, you can screen your film anywhere. We went through the accreditation process, and Cannes granted us permission to screen our movie after we submitted the requirements and had our movie reviewed,” he Tañada.
Tañada is happy because Philstagers became part of Cannes. It served as the world premiere of The Embalmer (Ang Bangkay). And he also explained that Cannes Film Festival is not just about competition.
“People often think of Cannes as just a competition, but it also involves gatherings of film enthusiasts and artists from all over the world. There are 3,500 participants, and we are fortunate to have two movies being screened,” he related.
“Our film is not part of the competition, but we are part of the Marche du Film. We are still lucky because we are representing our country, and no one was included there because it is true that we are from the Philippines and we are representing our country,” Tañada added.
Meanwhile, the controversial director shared the good news that the screenings of Ako si Ninoy and The Embalmer at Cannes were productive.
“There are a lot of enthusiasts and distributors who showed interest and approached me because our screening for Ako si Ninoy was full.
“For The Embalmer, many desire to collaborate with us, and international film festivals invited us, such as in Barcelona, New York, and Nicaragua.
“We are proud that we are from the Philippines. We think that there will be more job opportunities for our people once we have investors in the movie. Darwin Reyna of Barcelona mentioned to me that he is not bringing our film Ako si Ninoy to the Barcelona Film Festival because he believes in artistry. He is bringing the film because he is a vanguard of truth.”
“The screening of Ako si Ninoy at the Barcelona Film Festival will push through,” said director Tañada.
Philstagers is currently in a celebratory mood, and Tañada has set the record straight that Katips did not fail, and neither did Ako si Ninoy, despite claims being spread by his critics.
“If our movies flopped, why are we continuously making films?” he asked.
It is the group’s first time attending Cannes with the said films being screened.
“It hurts to be divirginized because there are critics. Why are they getting angry?” Tañada ended in jest.