An Invitation from Direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya

CALL SLIP FOR APPLICANTS for film education and apprenticeship
ASIA PACIFIC FILM INSTITUTE
Schoolyear 2006-2007

I always thought it would be sooner rather than later. It's here now!

The birth of a new cinema has been announced by an exciting wave of Pinoy indie filmmakers debuting here and abroad, thanks to doting "midwives" like Cine Manila, Cinemalaya, SM Megamall, Star Cinema and many other institutions committed to keep feature films moving in our big screens. They provide financial assistance, professional services, and exhibition venues to ensure a good incubation and growth of new filmmakers and audiences. The old movie industry is dead. Long Live the new movie industry!

APFI earnestly joins this movement through film education and professional apprenticeship. Our curriculum and faculty reflect the professional, international standard on which we base our courses to train students for the SCIENCE, ART, AND COMMERCE OF MOTION PICTURES.
Special attention is given to WRITING, PRODUCING AND DIRECTING FEATURE FILMS ON SHOESTRING BUDGETS. Our Film Production Course starts with the Motion Picture Language, its traditions, conventions and applications; then moves on to intensive, practical shooting drills both in our classrooms and on locations in the living set; to a thorough immersion in post production techniques; and, finally, the production of indie films aimed for alternative marketing in mainstream venues. APFI students can expect to obtain an in-depth, hands-on training in the feature film narrative for the big screen.

Too, APFI offers a SUMMER COURSE in JUNIOR VIDEO PRODUCTION for students 12 –16 years old.

All this at an affordable tuition IN PESOS payable at low monthly installments! The days are over when aspiring Asian filmmakers needed blood relations to get a foot in the door of the industry, and/or a prohibitively expensive U.S. or U.K. diploma to jumpstart a career. At APFI, filmmaking is taught in the context of Asian cultures and at Asian costs of living and learning.

To ensure maximum learning, APFI limits admissions to twenty students per class mentored by more than a dozen professional filmmaker-instructors. Storytelling techniques are taught in both 35mm and video technologies. APFI prides itself in having the ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL qualifications to teach the evolving techniques of feature filmmaking. All our instructors are multi-awarded filmmakers who are also passionate about sharing their theoretical knowledge, practical experience, AND vast connections in movie industries here and abroad.

Do visit our web site, register now, book an appointment for an interview, and enroll at APFI. Study film and join a movement. We hope to have you aboard when the new cinema industry takes off.

Registration, Interviews and Enrollment are from December 1, 2005 to Januray 15, 2006.

Call time is NOW!

MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA
Director of Studies
Asia Pacific Film Institute

finally saw harry potpot!

and i so don't like michael gambon as dumbledore. as in. AS IN. AS IIIIIIIN. just thinking about his super UN-dumbledore-ness makes my blood boil. grr. i wish they'd find someone else... *sigh*

other than that and a few minor things (the lack of transition shots, for one...), it was a fairly good movie. i cried when cedric "i-dig-you" diggory died. wah. i hate getting attached to backstreet-boy-look-alikes.

can't wait for the next one... its bound to get reeeeeeeally dark. yeeeeeebaaaah... ralph fiennes as voldemort. why, hellooooo dark side! :P

what a way to find the light...

it was about 4 in the morning when i woke up to use the bathroom. nothing new... except that all the blinds were drawn and there was barely any light peeking through the windows. i stepped out of bed and as i prodded my usual way to the bathroom, i began to feel a tinge of fear. i didn't mind it at first and continued to walk... but then the dark grew too suffocating that i began to panic. i was suddenly scared shitless. i tried to feel my way around, looking for the light switch where i thought it was, but found nothing. i could've sworn that the walls in my room disappeared for a minute. i was freaking scared, almost in tears, when i painfully stubbed my toe against some sharp edge.

being in limbo is one of the worst things ever... worse than guilt for doing something unforgivable... worse than feeling sick and tired of a routine... worse than wanting out of something you know you can get out of, but choosing not to.

is it because of the choices we're accustomed to having when we're outisde of limbo? the freedom of having options and possibilities? is it the helplessness? the restlessness of not knowing? is it the rejection? is it being forgotten and misunderstood? is it the pain brought about by something completely out of our hands?

ah ewan. all i know is i'm buying my night-light later today.

obladeeh

turned 24 on the set of Maging Akin Muli last thursday. i think boss X was too nice to me 'cuz i didn't have to control the crowd of hundreds that came to the shoot. hehehe. in fairness, the people from magalang were easier to deal with than those in betis. magalang talaga sila. must've been the cooler weather in this town. :P
pierre gave me the best birthday gift: a whole day with his Canon 10D. *irish jig* i spent most of the day applying the *few* things i learned in tom's photography class.... heehee.
the day ended with birthday blessings from Fr. Raul, the parish priest of San Bartolome Church in magalang. how awesome is that? it was a great day. couldn't have enjoyed nov 17 more. :)

when i got home on saturday, my family (plus mike) got together later in the evening for a simple birthday dinner at Uno along tomas morato. after blowing the candle on my birthday cheesecake with my super kulit nephews, raphael stares at the solitary candle on the cake, then asks me, "tita mic? you turn one today!?!" hahaha. he's been teasing me that he's older than me since then. gotta love four-year-old-sarcasm. :P

shooting days 4 and 5

THEY'RE BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK...

and they're back with a vengeance... hehe.

chinese backstreeboys

day 3

day 3 of the shoot was great. and it's bound to get more exciting. ;)

click on the convict below for pictures.

the scorpios celebrate

party pooper

"Scorpios are intuitive, probing and very focused on knowing who's who and what's what. Scorpions can lose their temper (and even become vengeful) when someone gets in their way, so it's best to give them plenty of room."

kael celebrated his 4th birthday at jollibee greenmeadows last week. it was one of the funnest parties ever. i swear. jollibee parties are the best. they're always fun and the food is ALWAYS yummeeeey. but i've also noticed that jollibee is always kawawa in the parties he hosts. during robi's last year, jollibee was forced to give the maniac-of-a-celebrant a lap dance. it was soooo funny... but soooo wrooooooooong. :P

this time, poor jollibee was sent out of his own turf because the birthday celebrant was too scared of him. hehehe. imagine that... a mere four year old had the power to throw out a philippine icon loved by many for decades. hahaha. ang kael nga naman... :P

jollibee-fearing

yes. rejection can be too painful for a big, orange, dancing bee. :P

party popper

"...while Scorpions adhere to sly and subtle manipulation to get what they want, they'd much rather take a scientific, even mystical path. The Scorpio-born are powerful and passionate, qualities which serve them well, as long as they don't let them deteriorate into self-indulgence or compulsion."

matthew turned two last sunday. we had a simple (?) lunch at home, with everything that is just fattening and suicidal on the menu: yellow cab pizza (as requested by the celebrant), patatim (PATAAAAATIIIIIM), roasted chicken (hi bird flu! is that you?), pansit (let's go, carbs!), go nuts donuts LITE (yea whatever), lemon squares, ice cream, and yummy, yummy caramel birthday cake. gotta love food. hehe.

what wasn't so lovely was matt popping all the balloons mike and i put up the night before. it took him about 30 minutes to pop over 30 balloons. geez. buti nalang mike's pump was still there, so we got to fill the place up with loads more balloonies. the kids helped out with balloon-pumping. it was, surprisingly, REALLY fun. heehee.

matthew pumpin' it

AUGH! he's sooo adorable!!! what scares me most about this hottie is that he KNOWS he's a cute one and is quickly learning the advantages of that. he's more manipulative than his kuya. tsk tsk. we're in for something with this kid. :P

poopy party

"The great strength of the Scorpio-born is in their determination, passion and motivation. Scorpions don't know the word quit, which is why they usually get the job done. A powerhouse? Like no other. "

ate er had the nerve to ask me yesterday how old i'm turning this month. gaaaaw. yes. my birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. it never bothered me before, really... the thought of being a year older... but i don't know why the number 24 just... makes me feel iffy. bleeeech... its the year before i turn 25... and 25 is like... 25. blech.

anyhow i'll be in pampanga on the week of my birthday for a shoot so i'll be working and not thinking of my age. haha. it'll be my first time to celebrate my birthday on a set. and i'm going to be one of those people to control a crowd of hundreds. yeheeeeey. gotta love professional filmmaking! hehe.

what depresses me, tho, is the thought of missing the premiere of harry potpot 4. guess i'll have to settle for regular screening... which isn't bad. maarte lang talaga ako. hehe. i super can't wait to see it. every time i go to podium, i stare at that life-size cut-out of harry potter and the gang. i'm so sick. :P

ooh.

my sister, raissa, just arrived from the airport (she's in town for work for a few weeks) and she just handed me my birthday gift: CDs of alicia keys, lifehouse, and ricky martin. hahahaha. RICKY MARTIN. good gosh. she's been gone for too long to think that i like ricky martin. hahaha. thanks for the gift, ate. i love you. :)

TO ALL THE SCORPIOS...

happy birthday, wild, complicated ones! cheers!!!