It's Me, Gracee: Brillante Mendoza

Cignal Entertainment movies bag top plums at the 19th Asian Film Festival in Italy

19th Asian Asian Film Festival Thursday, May 12, 2022

Philippine cinema takes the spotlight on the international stage following the remarkable victory of Cignal Entertainment’s Big Night! and Resbak (Payback), which bagged major awards at the 19th Asian Film Festival held from April 7 to 13, 2022 at the Farnese Arthouse in Rome, Italy. Deemed as one of the most significant exhibitions of Asia films in the world, the festival featured 30 films from Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Out of all the nominees from the eight participating countries, director Brillante Mendoza (Resbak) was bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Roma Lazio Film Commission, while Christian Bables (Big Night!) and Vince Rillon (Resbak [Payback]) won Best Actor. Both Resbak (Payback) and Big Night! are produced by Cignal Entertainment and will also be available on streaming platforms soon.

Directed by Mendoza, Resbak (Payback) follows the story of Isaac (played by Vince Rillon), a motorbike thief who gets rebuffed after asking his boss for help when he gets chased by the police. Isaac then plans vengeance against his boss. The film, carrying the international name “Payback,” is set to be released in the Philippines soon.

Meanwhile, Big Night!, directed by Jun Robles Lana, is situated in present-day Philippines and tackles the country’s controversial war on drugs through the experiences of Dharna (Christian Bables), a gay beautician who was mistakenly placed on the current watchlist of drug users. Big Night! was the most-awarded film at the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival, scoring big by winning the Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score, and the Best Picture and Gender Sensitivity awards.

Cignal Entertainment continues to support and showcase fresh, relevant, and internationally appealing films that represent uniquely Filipino stories. “Being recognized on the international stage by a prestigious institution further ignites our desire to continuously evolve and produce top-caliber movies. We thank the 19th Asian Film Festival for bestowing us such great honor and recognition. We also congratulate Director Brillante Mendoza, Christian Bables, Vince Rillon, and everyone who gave their utmost dedication into bringing Resbak (Payback) and Big Night! to life,” shared Cignal and TV5 CEO and President Robert P. Galang.

For more information on the winners of the 19th Asian Film Festival, visit www.asianfilmfestival.info/.

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TV5 Partners with Award Winning Director Brillante Mendoza this 2017

Brillante Mendoza Wednesday, December 21, 2016

TV5 truly embodies how Filipinos never back down in everything. It's a network that continuously innovates their shows bringing it closer to the Filipino audience.

TV5 is bringing another first to Philippine free television! After its unmatched sports coverage of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season, fearless news reporting segments and its’s unique, Tagalized versions of popular American US television series, it will now give the Filipino audience the brilliance of a world-class director right in their homes.

Last December 19, 2016, TV5 proudly announced its collaboration with acclaimed director, Brillante Mendoza, for it’s its newest offering, Brillante Mendoza Presents. The show will feature made-for-television movies created exclusively for TV5.

During the Mediacon of Direk Brillante Mendoza partnership with TV5 where Coach Chot Reyes was also present and TV5 executives, Direk Brillante shared how excited he was to be part of the network. He said that the collaboration and the talk was fast unlike with the other networks. He shared how his works will be part of TV5's grand line up for 2017 wherew viewers can expect nothing less from the award winning director.

Brillante Mendoza is synonymous with excellent films that reflect the unfiltered realities of society. “There are many ways to make a movie on a limited budget without compromising the filmmaker’s vision,” said Brillante Ma. Mendoza, award-winning independent director.

He has a string of award-winning movies under his belt, most notably “Kinatay,” which won for him the best director award at the prestigious 2009 Cannes International Film Festival in France.

Maximizing a small budget has always been the biggest challenge for an indie filmmaker, said Mendoza. “You need alternative ways to achieve what you want because you don’t have a big production company backing you up."

Brillante Ma. Mendoza is from San Fernando, Pampanga. He took up Advertising Arts at the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas. Aside from his victory in Cannes, Mendoza bagged the best director award at the 2012 Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia for “Thy Womb,” and the best film honors at the 2009 Dubai International Film Festival for “Lola,” and at the 2008 Durban IFF for “Foster Child.”

His latest work “Ma’ Rosa” is an equally political hostage drama in which small-time drug-sellers are detained by police extorting a payout. Another film the pictures out the reality in the country which is sometimes to real it hurts but his films only depicts the reality of what goes on in the society which is what mainstream films usually don't tackle.

Viewers can expect the same quality of storytelling and craftsmanship in Brillante Mendoza Presents. For TV5, this is a testament to their commitment to provide viewers with shows that raise the level of free TV entertainment.

Brillante said that his partnership with TV5 will also showcase his art in film making which mostly about the society although he needs to tame it down since they also need to follow the guideline for TV from MTRCB. His first series, "AMO" is a 13 episode series that will also tackle about drugs and more. This will start this coming February 2017. Brillante Mendoza Presents will start January 21, 2017 and will air once a month.

Coach Chot said that TV5 is giving the director another space to feature his work and reach out to Filipinos from all walks of life. The stories will be authentic and unique, definitely a far cry from the usual TV dramas.

Watch the Mediacon of TV5 with Brillante Mendoza: