After the well-received two night run of Ellen Ongkeko Marfil´s 2008 film “Boses”, The First Reel: Philippine Film Festival in Berlin premiered Dan Villegas´ 2014 romantic comedy, “English Only Please” to a packed theater in Berlin. The screening was followed by a roundtable discussion at Kino Moviemento, the oldest running movie theater in Germany.

The film´s humorous take on language and culture was the jumping off point for the panel discussion on “Language and Migration” which tackled some of the themes raised by the film on the links between language, migration and identity, and on straddling “hyphenated” identities and forging connections with the Philippines. The panelists are second generation Filipino Germans – Cathy Dierang, a student at Humboldt University, Patrick Soeder, a graphic designer and entrepreneur, Jason Thamm, sound designer and recordist, and Johannah Joy Bittenbinder, a law student at Humboldt University. The spirited discussion was moderated by Filipina filmmaker, visual artist and photographer Ms. Kay Abaño.

The First Reel was the first festival of Philippine Films in Berlin held on 18-20 and 25-27 November 2015. With a successful reception from the Filipino and German public, it aimed to contribute to the international promotion of Philippine Cinema. The six-day event showcased four full length films which included Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil´s “Boses”, Dan Villegas´ “English Only Please”, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo´s “Ang Huling Cha-cha ni Anita”, and Jerrold Tarog´s much acclaimed “Heneral Luna.” The festival also includes five short films – Rina Tsou´s “Chicharon” , Sari Estrada´s “Asan si Lolo Me?”, Trinka Lat´s “April Fools”, Martika Ramirez Escobar´s “Pusong Bato” and Chris Costello and Mihk Vergara´s “Ang Maskot.”

The First Reel was a collaboration among the Philippine Embassy in Germany, the Philippine Studies Series Berlin and the Kapisanan ng mga Pilipino sa Aachen, e.V.

The Philippine Studies Series Berlin is an initiative of Filipino scholars in Berlin to provide a platform for lectures, discussions, and film events regarding the Philippines in order to promote Philippine studies in Berlin. Kapisanan ng mga Pilipino sa Aachen e.V. is a Filipino organization in North Rhine Westphalia. END

The First Reel: Philippine Film Festival in Berlin Panel Discussion on “Southeast Asian Cinema in the Global Arena” (Photos by Divina Hasselmann and Myls Rubio).

The First Reel: Philippine Film Festival in Berlin premiered with Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil´s film about the healing power of music, kindness and friendship. The screening of “Boses” (Voices) in Berlin was graced by one of Philippine cinema´s premiere actors, Mr. Ricky Davao. The 2008 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival entry was warmly received by an appreciative audience at Kino Moviemento in Berlin, the oldest running movie theater in Germany.

The second screening of “Boses” was followed by Q&A and meet and greet with actor Ricky Davao (photos by Divina Hasselmann and Myls Rubio)

The First Reel was the first festival of Philippine Films in Berlin which aimed to contribute to the international promotion of Philippine cinema. The festival was collaboration among the Philippine Embassy in Germany, the Philippine Studies Series Berlin and the Kapisanan ng mga Pilipino sa Aachen, e.V. Philippine Studies Series Berlin is an initiative of Filipino scholars in Berlin to provide a platform for lectures, discussions, and film events regarding the Philippines in order to promote Philippine studies in Berlin. Kapisanan ng mga Pilipino sa Aachen e.V. is a Filipino organization in North Rhine Westphalia.

The first screening of “Boses” was followed by a panel discussion on “Southeast Asian Cinema in the Global Arena” which was moderated by film scholar and professor of media theory at Hochschule Mainz Mr. Tilman Baumgaertel. The producers, film scholars, film enthusiasts, and artists discussed the state and future of Southeast Asian cinema in the region and in the global stage. The second screening of the same film was followed by a Q&A and meet and greet with Mr. Ricky Davao.

The Philippine Embassy promoted the film festival via e-newsletter, brochures and posters, including billboard advertising at one of the prime subway stations in Berlin – Hermannplatz (U7).

The six-day event showcased four full-length films which include Dan Villegas´ “English Only Please”, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo´s “Ang Huling Cha-cha ni Anita”, and Jerrold Tarog´s much acclaimed “Heneral Luna.” The festival also included five short films – Rina Tsou´s “Chicharon” , Sari Estrada´s “Asan si Lolo Me?”, Trinka Lat´s “April Fools”, Martika Ramirez Escobar´s “Pusong Bato” and Chris Costello and Mihk Vergara´s “Ang Maskot.”