Just by the title alone of Mendoza’s new film, you will know that his penchant for graphic and gritty storytelling does not stop with highly sexual, rundown moviehouse film “Serbis”. His new film entitled “Kinatay (The Execution of P)” is about hitmen who dismember their victims. Sounds like a Haneke or Chan-Wook film to me. “Kinatay” stars Coco Martin, John Regala, Julio Diaz, Jhong Hilario, Lauren Novero, and Maria Isabel Lopez.
Aside from Mendoza, two other Filipino filmmakers will grace the coastal city of France, namely: Raya Martin (Now Showing, Autohystoria) and Adolfo Alix, Jr. (Adela, Donsol). Their collaborative work, “Manila”, is said to be a tribute to two of the country’s greatest directors: Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. It’s a two-part movie divided into day and night starring Piolo Pascual (Yes, Piolo, I’m not kidding!).
Meanwhile, Martin’s solo effort entitled “Independencia” will be screened in the Un Certain Regard section, a parallel competition dedicated to “young talent, innovative, and audacious works”. This period film shot in stark black and white is topbilled by Sid Lucero, Alessandra de Rossi, and Tetchie Agbayani.
Also to watch out for is the opening film of the festival, Pixar’s “Up”. In addition, Heath Ledger’s final film (not “The Dark Knight”) will also make its premiere at Cannes. “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” also stars Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law. Other notable filmmakers who will be in exhibition include Cristian Mungiu (4 Weeks, 3 Days, and 2 Days), Sam Raimi (Spider Man), and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep).
Here’s the complete line-up of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival:
OPENING FILM: Up, dir. Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, US
CLOSING FILM: Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky, dir. Jan Kounen, France
IN COMPETITION
Bright Star, dir. Jane Campion, Australia-UK-France
Spring Fever, dir. Lou Ye, China-France
Antichrist, dir. Lars Von Trier, Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy
Enter the Void, dir. Gaspar Noe, France
Face, dir. Tsai Ming-liang, France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium
Les herbes folles, dir. Alain Resnais, France-Italy
In the Beginning, dir. Xavier Giannoli, France
A Prophet, dir. Jacques Audiard, France
The White Ribbon, dir. Michael Haneke, Germany-Austria-France
Vengeance, dir. Johnnie To, Hong Kong-France-US
The Time That Remains, dir. Elia Suleiman, Israel-France-Belgium-Italy
Vincere, dir. Marco Bellocchio, Italy-France
Kinatay, dir. Brillante Mendoza, Philippines
Thirst, dir. Park Chan-wook, South Korea-US
Broken Embraces, dir.Pedro Almodovar, Spain
Map of the Sounds of Tokyo, dir. Isabel Coixet, Spain
Fish Tank, dir. Andrea Arnold, UK-Netherlands
Looking for Eric, dir. Ken Loach, UK-France-Belgium-Italy
Inglourious Basterds, dir. Quentin Tarantino, US
Taking Woodstock, dir. Ang Lee, US
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Samson & Delilah, dir. Warwick Thornton, Australia
Adrift, dir. Heitor Dhalia, Brazil
The Wind Journeys, dir. Ciro Guerra, Colombia
Demain des l'aube, dir. Denis Dercourt, France
Irene, dir. Alain Cavalier, France
Independancia, Raya Martin, Philippines-France-Germany
Le Pere de mes enfants, dir. Mia Hansen-Love, France-Germany
Dogtooth, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, Greece
Nobody Knows About the Persian Cats, dir. Bahman Ghobadi, Iran
Eyes Wide Open, dir. Haim Tabakman, Israel
Mother, dir. Bong Joon-ho, South Korea
The Silent Army, dir. Jean van de Velde, Netherlands
To Die Like a Man, dir. Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Portugal
Police, Adjective, dir. Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
Tales from the Golden Age, dir. Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru, Romania
Tale in the Darkness, dir. Nikolay Khomeriki, Russia
Tzar, dir. Pavel Lounguine, Russia-France
Nymph, dir. Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Petition, dir. Zhao Liang, China
L'epine dans le Coeur, dir. Michel Gondry, France
Min ye, dir. Souleyumane Cisse, France-Mali
Jaffa, dir. Keren Yedaya, Israel-France-Germany
Manila, dir. Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin, Philippines
My Neighbor, My Killer, dir. Anne Aghion, US
OUT OF COMPETITION
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, dir. Terry Gilliam, Canada-France
The Army of Crime, dir. Robert Guediguian, France
Agora, dir. Alejandro Amenabar, Spain
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
A Town Called Panic, dir. Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Belgium
Ne te retourne pas, dir. Marina de Van, France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy
Drag Me to Hell, dir. Sam Raimi, US
