Instituto Cervantes Manila

Spanish Actress Maribel Verdú Graces Instituto Cervantes’ PELíCULA

 

 

Within the framework of Instituto Cervantes’ PELíCULA–Spanish Film Festival, cinema-goers will have the opportunity to meet and chat with Y tu mamá también actress Maribel Verdú, who will be presenting her films Blancanieves and Felices 140 on October 9, at 4:30 and 7pm at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1. After the 7pm screening, Verdú will hold a dialogue with the public.

 

Maribel Verdú (Madrid, 1970), one of the main actresses of contemporary Spanish cinema, began acting at thirteen, appearing in various commercials. Then she jumped to cinema. Her role in Amantes (1991) by Vicente Aranda marked a turning point in her screen career. Thereafter she has worked with some of the best Spanish directors: Fernando Trueba in the Oscar-awarded Belle Époque (1992); Bigas Luna in Huevos de Oro (1993); and Carlos Saura en Goya en Burdeos, amongst others. On the international stage, her career hit a highpoint when she starred in Y tu mamá también (2001) by Alfonso Cuarón, followed by Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) by Guillermo del Toro. She also has worked for Coppola in Tetro (2009). Several times nominated for the Goya Awards -the most important prize in Spanish cinema-, she finally received one for her role in Siete mesas de billar francés (Seven Billiard Tables, 2007), and repeated with Blancanieves (2012).

 

 

The Spanish Film Festival has traditionally been graced by the presence of foreign filmmakers. In this edition, aside from Maribel Verdú other filmmakers will present their works. On October 12, at 9:30 pm, Spanish journalist Ramón Vilaró will premiere in the Philippines his film “De aliados a masacrados” (2014), a documentary about how the Filipino-Spanish population of Manila was decimated during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the Second World War. On the following day, October 13, the Czech filmmaker Lenka Kny will present her comedy “Milagro en Praga” (2013), and will have an open forum after the screening. The romantic comedy film is about two families, a Mexican family and a Czech family, who cross paths in Prague over the Christmas holidays. The screening is co-presented by the Embassy of Mexico and the Embassy of the Czech Republic.

 

From October 8 to 18, PELÍCULA-PELIKULA, the Spanish Film Festival, will be featuring the best of contemporary Spanish cinema at the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas. Aside from those mentioned, the line-up of films shows a list of genres ranging from romance and comedy (Ocho apellidos vascos, Tres bodas de más, Gente en sitios) to documentary (Paco de Lucía, La plaga), suspense (Relatos salvajes) and drama (Loreak, Hermosa juventud, Artico).

 

A date in Intramuros

 

The Festival will have a second leg in Intramuros, from October 19 to 25. It is during this time that the exhibit entitled “Spanish Cinema in 20 Posters” will be displayed at the NCCA Building, alongside the film screenings. The exhibit will let you explore Spanish cinema by means of the posters of some of its most emblematic films, from the 1953 film Bienvenido Míster Marshall to the 2012 film Blancanieves, encouraging one to reflect on its history and to be inspired by the beauty of the advertising graphics, illuminating the visual style of the different cinematic periods. The second leg of PELÍCULA is made possible by Intramuros Administration and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

 

And thanks to the collaboration of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), a selection of films shown in the Manila leg of the Festival will travel to other cities in the Philippines, namely Baguio, Ilo-ilo, Zamboanga and Davao.

 

Also, one should not miss the “Audience Choice” Award that happens in every edition of PELÍCULA. During Festival, the audience will be given stubs with which they can rate the movies they have seen. For every five movies, members of the audience qualify to join the raffle where they get a chance to win a round-trip ticket to Spain and other exciting prizes.

 

Presented by Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Spain–AECID, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Intramuros Administration, and Ayala Cinemas, PELÍCULA is made possible by Maersk, Rustan’s, NCCA, Emperador Distillers, Ayala Malls Cinemas & Greenbelt, Vibal Foundation, Qatar Airways, San Miguel Corporation, Buzz Productions, and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Ayala Museum, the Embassy of Argentina, the Embassy of Mexico, the Embassy of the Czech Republic, the Embassy of Colombia, Bodegas Vivanco and Barcino.  

 

For the schedule, line-up of films and further information on the Festival, please visit the official website of Instituto Cervantes (www.manila.cervantes.es) or log on to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila