Sunday, August 18, 2013

Horror classic Phantom of the Opera to be screened at the 7th International Silent Film Festival


August 23 -25, 2013
Shang Cineplex (Cinema 2), Shangri-La Plaza
Mandaluyong

August 23, 2013
7:30 PM Keisatsukan feat. Pulso (Japan)

August 24, 2013
5:00 PM La Grazia feat. Sinosikat? (Italy)
8:00 PM Ich möchte kein Mann sein feat. Pierre Oser and Composers’ Lab (Germany)

August 25, 2013
2:00 PM The Phantom of the Opera feat. Razorback (USA)
5:00 PM El Abuelo feat. Earthmover (Spain)
8:00 PM Kamera Obskura feat. SPY (Philippines)

The Shang Cineplex will soon be the place where cinema and music join forces together to create a unique film viewing experience as the Japan Foundation, Manila, the Embassy of Italy, the Goethe-Institut, the Embassy of the United States of America, Instituto Cervantes and the Film Development Council of the Philippines present the 7th International Silent Film Festival, Manila this August 23-25, 2013 at the Cinema 2 of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

For three days, the festival will screen six films while being accompanied by live music acts. Tomu Uchida’s Keisatsukan from Japan, Aldo De Benedetti’s La Grazia from Italy; Ernst Lubitsch’s Ich möchte kein Mann sein from Germany, Rupert Julian’s, The Phantom of the Opera from the USA, José Buchs’ El Abuelo from Spain and Raymond Red’s Kamera Obskura from the Philippines are this year’s lineup. The list of music acts providing the live score during each screening are Pulso, Sinosikat?, Composers Lab with Jonas Baes and Germany’s Pierre Oser, Razorback, Earthmover and SPY. Sinosikat? and Razorback are the only acts this year who had been part of previous editions of the festival.


During a recent press conference held at the Shang Cineplex, Kat Agarrado of Sinosikat? expressed her relief upon learning that La Grazia will be only half as long than the epic three hours that the band along with Ignacio Plaza did last year with La Casa de la Troya. But despite the length of that film, Kat was very pleased to know that the audience remained with them throughout the viewing. Razorback on the other hand will be tackling the horror classic The Phantom of the Opera that starred Lon Chaney. Kevin said that they won’t be using old riffs and rehashing old material like they did with L’inferno back in 2011. He said that the music that they will play this year will also be a teaser for their upcoming album. So this should clear out any confusion that Razorback will be playing Andrew Lloyd Webber music. It would be very odd and disturbing to hear Kevin Roy doing Music of the Night.

Pierre Oser, a seasoned performer and composer at silent film screenings will be collaborating with Composers Lab headed by Jonas Baes. Baes said that he and Oser will try to recreate through music the feel of 1918, which was when the film Ich möchte kein Mann sein was originally shown. He said that they are pegging L'Histoire du soldat by Igor Stravinsky that premiered on 1918 too.


Dru Ubaldo of Earthmover said that his group’s music tends to be cinematic and being part of the Silent Film Festival was really something that he aimed for. The group will be accompanying El Abuelo. Along with Earthmover, Pulso is another music act that I haven’t encountered prior to the Silent Film Festival press conference. Robby M of Pulso said that he and his band are honored to be part of the festival. They will be accompanying the opening film Keisatsukan. SPY, the trio who will be accompanying Kamera Obskura was given creative/artistic freedom by Raymond Red. Red, the only living filmmaker in the bunch, said that he wants whoever is accompanying his film to be given the same freedom as the rest of the acts participating at the festival.

As always, admission to the festival is free but one had to make prior reservations via the respective embassies/cultural institutions screening the films. And based on my experience during the past couple of years, seats do get filled up very quickly. The 7th International Silent Film Festival is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Spain, Philippine-Italian Association, EUNIC Cluster Philippines, The National Film Center - The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Pelikulared, and the FDCP’s Film Cultural Exchange Program (FCEP).


For tickets:
Tickets for the screenings will be distributed by the respective embassies and cultural agencies

Keisatsukan
The Japan Foundation, Manila 811-6155 to 58, email@jfmo.org.ph

La Grazia
Embassy of Italy 815-1310, culturale.manila@esterti.it

Ich möchte kein Mann sein
Goethe-Institut 817-0978, program@manila.goethe.org

The Phantom of the Opera
Embassy of the United States of America 301-2597, limlinganbc@state.gov

El Abuelo
Instituto Cervantes 526-1482 local 106, cultmni@cervantes.es

Kamera Obskura
Film Development Council of the Philippines/Pelikulared 817-0978

For other inquiries:
370-2500
www.shangrila-plaza.com

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