After several auditions and meetings with different actors, from the newcomers to those who want to make an onscreen comeback, from the "straight" to the "closet" actors, filmmaker Joselito Altarejos has finally decided who his lead actor in his next film, "Little Boy/ Big Boy".
The "Big Boy" is Paolo Rivero lead actor of the hit film "Daybreak" and star of gay flicks "Paolo Vs. Paolo" and "M2M 4: Exxxxtreme".
Paolo will play Raymund, a twentysomething graphic designer who is enjoying his "gay" life to the fullest until he is confronted with the responsibilities of being a father and guardian to his 8 year old nephew.
The story and screenplay of "Little Boy/ Big Boy" was written by this blog author.
Up Next, this blog shall introduce the several other boys in this gay film produced by Viva Digital.
For their powerful performance as a mother and a gay son, Shamaine Buencamino and Kenjie Garcia gets nominated from the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Best supporting actress and New Movie Actor of the year for the film "Ang Lihim ni Antonio" (Antonio's Secret)
Veteran theater actress Shamain Buencamino is up against other distringuished actresses: Tetchie Agbayani (Yanggaw), Gloria Romero (Paupahan), Tessie Tomas (100)and Snooky Serna (Paupahan)
Meanwhilem Kenjie Garcia's co-nominees for New Movie Actor of the Year are Julian Duque (Boses), Bojong Fernandez (Ploning), Carlo Guevara (Desperadas 2), Sherwin Ordoñez (Kurap) and Prince Stefan (Shake, Rattle & Roll X, “Class Picture” episode)
Therapists are still offering treatments for homosexuality despite there being no evidence that such methods work, research suggests.
A significant minority of mental health professionals had agreed to help at least one patient "reduce" their gay or lesbian feelings when asked to do so. The survey, published in the journal BMC Psychiatry and conducted by London researchers, involved 1,400 therapists.
Many were acting with the "best of intentions", said the lead author. Only 4% said they would attempt to change a client's sexual orientation, but when asked if they would help curb homosexual feelings some 17% - or one in six - said they had done so.
The incidence appeared to be as prevalent in recent years as decades earlier. "Of course it's incumbent on a professional to assist a client who wants help, but this should be done using evidence-based therapies - exploring their distress and helping them to adjust to their situation," said Professor Michael King of University College London.
"We know now that efforts to change people's sexual orientation result in very little change and can cause immense harm.
"We found it very worrying that there was a significant minority who appeared to ignore this - even if they had all the right intentions."
'Right to treatment'
The Royal College of Psychiatrists says all homosexuals have "a right to protection from therapies that are potentially damaging, particularly those that purport to change sexual orientation".
In the US, where there has been heated debate on the issue of "curing" homosexuality, The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has urged all "ethical practitioners to refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation". However there are organisations which campaign both for an individual's right to seek treatment and a professional's right to offer it.
They point to work by Robert Spitzer, a psychiatrist who lobbied for the removal of homosexuality from APA's list of mental illnesses but went on to suggest in a controversial 2001 study that therapy could bring about change in sexual orientation.
Researchers in the UK are launching a website to collect stories from around the world about such therapies.
They hope in this way to uncover stories from India, South America and China where little is known about the prevalence of such practices.
Derek Munn, of the gay rights campaign group Stonewall, said: "The conclusions of this research are a welcome reminder that what lesbian and gay people need is equal treatment by society, not misguided treatment by a minority of health professionals."
Lifted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7963828.stm
I directed an event last weekend where Survivor's Jace Flores was one of the guests. It was my first time to see him and meet him since I never had the chance to catch an episode of Survivor. I first heard of his name from my TV addicted gay housemates who shriek in delight everytime Jace appears on TV.
Jace wasn't exactly the "artista looking" guy as I imagined him to be. He was simple yet he exuded a very strong sex appeal.
He came from Hawaii. His thwang was quite apparent. Back then before his Survivor days, he was busy playing basketball for his school and helping others with their weight training. He was passionate with fitness.
He came to Manila hoping to play professional basketball. I was surprised by this answer because he didn't seem like your typical basketball player. His height was barely 5'9". I figured, he must be really good and skillful to in playing with the ball.
Jacen enjoys the popularity he has received after surviving his popular reality TV show. And for him, the best part of being a Survivor is getting booted out earlier, as it gave him the chance to eat "real" food.
Our chat was cut short as our event was about to start. And I was just glad to get to know this hunky guy, who's the apple of the eye of so many gay men I know.
I have been meeting a lot of gay men here in Manila who are so addicted to playing badminton, and I can’t help but wonder why many Filipino gay men are into this sport? Is badminton the new volleyball?
Here are my speculations why badminton is such a hit among gay men:
• Compared to volleyball (which has been the “official” sport of swishy gay men in school), it is much easier to participate in badminton because there is no need to gather a group of six people per team. You can come to a badminton court alone, and get yourself into the queue and you get to play instantly
• Badminton does not threaten the physical assets of the gay man – no bruises, no scratches, etc. (unless you are stupid enough to hit your face with your racquet)
• Badminton shorts are shorter than the usual sporty shorts. There is always an excuse to display the legs
• Because so many other gay men play badminton, it has become an enjoyable social activity to hunt for mates.
The search is on for the lead character of my latest film with Joselito Altarejos "Little Boy, Big Boy".
Raymund, the lead character is a 28 year old graphic designer, who lives his "gay" life to the fullest and is suddenly confronted by the responsibility of being a father to an 8 year old boy.
The film will portray the gay man and his capacity to nurture and to learn the true meaning of love.
Several actors have auditioned. But a decision has not been made. Shoot is all set on April. But the question still lingers on us.
From Accountant to Actor-Director by Bayani San Diego
MANILA, Philippines—An accountant-teacher by profession, Felbert P. Go makes his debut as actor-scriptwriter-producer-director in the independent feature “Hikbi (Cry for Redemption).”
Although he worked as production accountant in movies like Gil Portes’ “Homecoming” and Joel Lamangan’s “Manay Po,” nothing prepared him for shooting his own film, he said.
Making things tougher, he chose to mine his own life for his first feature “Hikbi”—a brutally candid account of his tumultuous journey as a gay man, where he bared his body and soul for the camera.
Helping him out is his mentor, internationally renowned filmmaker Lav Diaz, who not only lent his camera, but also acted as the movie’s consultant and music scorer.
As bonus, Diaz appears in a cameo role as a folk singer in the film.
“Hikbi” will have a theatrical run in Robinsons Galleria and Isetann Recto this month.
What was the biggest challenge in making this film?
Casting the lead role of Ram. Two days before the start of the shoot, I decided to play Ram. I remembered what Lav Diaz told me about the importance of “immersing” actors to bring out the best in them.
To prepare, I watched “Monster,” starring Charlize Theron, five times in two days. I believe I had to become unbelievably monstrous to conquer my fears.
How long was the shoot? What was the camera you used?
It took four days, shooting from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight. I used Lav’s camera, a Panasonic DVX 100.
What are some tips that you’ve picked up from Lav?
So many tips you can’t learn from a prestigious film school. One key lesson is to be honest because I’m telling my story. I’ve defied hypocrisy as far as gender is concerned.
Was it difficult sharing such a personal story onscreen?
It’s really hard. But getting approval from the other key character helped me get through it. I would like to thank my co-actor, Adrian Landicho, who just happens to be the real guy (Ram’s lover) in the story as well.
What’s your take on the glut of gay films in the indie scene?
Maybe it’s because we lead interesting, exciting lives. We are human beings as well, with a variety of experiences worthy of being heard and watched.
Filmmaking is a big leap from accountancy.
It is. Writing is my way to find myself. I feel that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
HIKBI is showing on March 25 at Robinsons Galleria April 1 at Isetann Recto
My yoga client was sharing with me the situation of his 24 year old nephew. She pities her nephew because he has suffered too much discrimination from his family. His parents have openly expressed how they cannot accept his sexual orientation.
My client thinks that the family’s failure to accept their son has severely affected his self esteem. He hasn’t been doing well in school. And he can’t stick to a job. She was asking me for some advice on how she can help his nephew, whom she thinks has a lot of potential as a person.
My advice was to help her nephew move out their house.
His parents’ opinion on him being a gay man is very difficult to change. And living your life everyday facing discrimination from the very people who should accept you and love you is a life of daily suffering.
Living independently will teach her nephew to come to terms with his own life. And this training would certainly build his self esteem. And this is something that is difficult to learn living with a prejudiced family.
Living alone would also give him a chance to build healthy relationships with other people. And such relationships are important for one’s personal happiness. In one psychological study I have read, with regards to personal satisfaction, it doesn’t matter whether all the relationships of a person are ideal. What matters is that a person has at least one healthy relationship in his life whether it’s a friend, a lover or a family member.
We are looking for actors (preferably gay men) who would like to appear in our film "Little Boy/ Big Boy" (directed by Joselito Altarejos). Actors must be 20 to 35 year old, fit and someone who would enjoy wearing nothing but underwear onscreen together with other actors of the film.
Interested?
Email me your pictures (close up and full body) at lex(at)lexuality.com
(Note from Lex: Here's an interesting email from the yahoo group "The Philippine Cinema" from a person named "komiks". This could have had more bearing if it was sent with the contact person's details. Anyway, i enjoyed reading this so I am sharing it with you guys.)
On Sept. 1, 1980, he opened his first shop on Banaue street in Quezon City as a bid to join the big names in the made-to-order industry at 17 and a college sophomore (at UST, where he was majoring in Fine Arts). Boyet Fajardo believed that he had what it takes to make it in fashion alongside the more established names like Ben Farrales.
Today, Boyet is one of the biggest names in RTW. His Boyet Fajardo line is carried in all Robinsons stores—there are about 20 of them all over Metro Manila and in the provinces—and the Landmark. Since making the big shift from couture clothes to RTW
Boyet Fajardo can truly be called a success. He has become both an artistic and financial success. In fact, he recently had his new office-cum-residenc e located in Valle Verde, officially blessed. The house, which has a large garden, is doted with Boyet’a favorite antiques and paintings. He also recently bought a house in nearby Acropolis, which was blessed on Nov. 28, a blessing that was attended by many of Boyet’s longtime clients and friends.
He has truly come a long way…..
Well that is how he was, till we came across and saw how far his success has made him.
Last March 13, 2009, a Friday the 13th, (specially for the store people of Duty Free Phils), We and our Tatay Rey, who just arrived from ABU DHABI (as OFW) a day before. went to Duty Free Phils Fiestamall in Paranaque ( just beside NAIA 1) to shop and point. Or we point and he’ll buy…hehehe:)
While waiting in line at the cashiers to pay our goodies…we saw a customer at the top of his voice berating the cashiers and managers of duty free for, by his accounts, messing around with him. From what my sister told me, it was about a credit card purchase that the cashier (who we heard was just a casual employee) was kindly asking for the irate customer's other ID’s to vouch the legit owner of the credit card which is also “unsigned”, a normal operating procedure when shopping there to avoid misuse of those with con minds.
He might have thought a celebrated person like he is. with all his accolades and fame has gone unrecognized by this cashier person. A new worker who is carefully doing his job. A job he is trained to do. Tsk tsk tsk…
While Store Managers and officers were sought to appease the matter, explaining to him that it is all included as a standard operating procedure in credit card payment for the safety, not only for the company but also his own. Ignoring all this, he pulled out his phone and threatened to call on high positioned people whom he allegedly knew, to seem to us like do a power-play and make these people realize how important he is.. he went on using words like “leche kayo, di nyo ko kilala? AKO SI BOYET FAJARDO! AT Itong P..I.. NA BABAENG ITO, (pointing to a lady officer) at ang baklang ito (pointing to the cashier) ay walang kwentang mga tao! I want them fired!!!
His yelling and berating went on and on, he cannot calm down and as he appeared to have bloodshot eyes, like that of a drunk person and or under an influence. He goes on to say, that only if the cashier kneel down before him and/or allow him to freely slap the persons face, may he get satisfied!!!
AND, you know what happened next….the ill-fated cashier, with all the onlookers including us watching, stand down and just simply gave in to probably he thought would end the matter, so crying in shame he slowly knelt down and apologize (for actually doing his job) before this self proclaimed GOD…. No slapping was made to the cashier’s face but the incident landed a harsher and reverberating sound to the faces of the lesser people of this society.
Go on let us patronize Mr Boyet Fajardo's products and services and let us give him more money,to make him more powerful, affluent and comfortable to do such awful discrimination and victimize the underprivileged over and over and over again.
Obama's administration has supported the UN Declaration of Gay Rights which the previous US president George W. Bush has refused to sign.
This news article was lifted from yahoo news:
US to sign UN gay rights declaration By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writer – Wed Mar 18, 12:28 am ET
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned.
U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration's French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.
The move was made after an interagency review of the Bush administration's position on the nonbinding document, which was signed by all 27 European Union members as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries, the officials said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress was still being notified of the decision. They said the administration had decided to sign the declaration to demonstrate that the United States supports human rights for all.
"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," said one official.
"As such, we join with the other supporters of this statement and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora," the official said.
The official added that the United States was concerned about "violence and human rights abuses against gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual individuals" and was also "troubled by the criminalization of sexual orientation in many countries."
"In the words of the United States Supreme Court, the right to be free from criminalization on the basis of sexual orientation 'has been accepted as an integral part of human freedom'," the official said.
Gay rights and other groups had criticized the Bush administration when it refused to sign the declaration when it was presented at the United Nations on Dec. 19. U.S. officials said then that the U.S. opposed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation but that parts of the declaration raised legal questions that needed further review.
According to negotiators, the Bush team had concerns that those parts could commit the federal government on matters that fall under state jurisdiction. In some states, landlords and private employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; on the federal level, gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military.
It was not immediately clear on Tuesday how the Obama administration had come to a different conclusion.
When it was voted on in December, 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the declaration — which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with anti-gay discrimination.
But 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality — and in several, homosexual acts can be punished by execution. More than 50 nations, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, opposed the declaration.
Some Islamic countries said at the time that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest. The declaration was also opposed by the Vatican.
One of the best blog writers I have ever stumbled upon on the net is Dr. Albert's blog.
The following is an honestly hilarious account when he admitted a suicidal gay man in the ER.
This is a case of a 23 year old patient who came in to the ER due to abdominal pain. This was a result of an intentional ingestion of several ferrous sulfate tablets all at once. It came after an ugly dispute with a domestic partner and an ongoing feud with a father.
I was in the middle of a late night dinner when a patient in vague epigastric distress was accompanied by a sister and a friend for consult. The patient has the physicality of a beauty queen: a svelte body, a smooth porcelain skin, silky long black hair, and hips that could launch a thousand ships.
"Ouch ang sakit!' the patient uttered in a deep tone of masculine voice while laying in a fetal position on the bed.
My hormonal expectations were instantly crushed upon hearing the patient's Darth Vader-like voice. Suprisingly, the curvaceous body was just induced by synthetic estrogen and the perfectly coned breasts were merely implanted artificially. The patient was a tranny (a transsexual aka a gay dude who dresses and looks like a female.) He could be easily mistaken for a woman if not only for his Michael Clarke Duncan vocal chords.
Rainbow Rights Project, Inc., in cooperation with Ang Ladlad Party-list and the UP Film Institute, would like to invite you to a forum on election and party-list law for LGBTs on Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Ishmael Art Gallery, University of the Philippines (across the lagoon, and beside the Carillon) in preparation for the 2010 Philippine National Elections.
Our resource person for the forum is Atty. Luie Tito F. Guia, a renowned election law expert, who will impart valuable information that would level the electoral playing field for LGBTs, an unrepresented marginalized sector.
Video City has a promo on original Filipino gay DVD's which includes "Ang Lihim ni Antonio", "Ang Lalake sa Parola", "Hubad" (starring Johnron Tanada), "Men of Provoq", "Masahista", etc.
Each DVD costs only Php250, and you get another adult DVD for free.
I bought my extra copies at the 5th level of Edsa Shangri-la mall.
Here's an article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer that may have serious implications on erotic gay films shown at the University of the Philippines.
Censors board vs UP over permitsBy Bayani San Diego Jr. Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 20:30:00 03/17/2009
TWO GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the University of the Philippines (UP), are at loggerheads.
In a letter sent to UP president Emerlinda R. Roman on Feb. 17, board chair Marissa Laguardia expressed concern over "the public and commercial exhibition of films in the UP Film [Institute] that have no corresponding permits."
Some of these films, Laguardia said in the letter, were shown in UP "despite the fact that they had been classified by the [board] as unfit for public exhibition."
Commercial
Laguardia pointed out that these films were shown "not for educational purposes but clearly for commercial exhibition … [and were] made available to the public at a cost between P150 to P250 per person."
Laguardia reiterated that Presidential Decree No. 1986 "prohibits the public and commercial exhibition of films without a permit from the board."
She added that Republic Act No. 9500 or the UP Charter of 2008 "doesn't exempt UP or the UP Film [Institute] from the jurisdiction of the MTRCB."
Academic freedom
Responding to Laguardia's letter, UP vice president for legal affairs Theodore O. Te on March 2 requested the MTRCB for copies of the "reports" on the alleged screenings of films without permits, as well as on the commercial screenings that charged P150 to P250 per ticket.
In his reply, Te stressed that the UP Film Center and UP Film Institute "are integral parts of the academic and educational purposes of the University and … covered by academic freedom guaranteed not only by RA 9500, but also by the Constitution. "
Te said the request for "specific details and not general imputations" was being made "so we may also investigate these alleged violations."
MTRCB member Mario Hernando told the Inquirer that during the tenure of chair Armida Siguion-Reyna, the MTRCB identified these venues as "censorship- free": Cultural Center of the Philippines, embassies, and University of the Philippines.
Is it okay to spend for your boyfriend? This is the question that was posted over dinner of an Italian pasta in an Ortigas restaurant together with some of my gay men neighbors.
Well, the answer during that evening is a resounding yes. Straight people spend for their partners. So why should it be different for us, gay men?
But there are some variations in perspective on this matter.
At one point, the idea is if the other one earns less than the partner (which is the case most of the time, as it is impossible to find a boyfriend to earn exactly like one does), the partner with the less income should at least purchase something that he can afford for both of them. i.e. The wealthier partner pays for the dinner while the less wealthier partner pays for the movie tickets. There should be at least a palpable effort from the other partner to show that he himself is an “investor” in this relationship.
On the other hand, the other camp says it should not matter whether the other partner actually spends or not as long as the amount that you pay for is something that you can always afford to lose. And I must admit, I belong to this camp. I don’t want to bother myself with the democratic process of financial contribution between partners. If I know that this person is worth my time and I don’t mind losing money that I can afford to lose, then why bother with “equality” of financial contributions?
My apologies to Lexuality Readers. This blog has been silent for a few days. My new antivirus has made my internet connection impossibly slow. And I have also been battling with a bad case of tonsillitis. This condition has made me unable to swallow which sadly has caused a rift between me and my boyfriend (just kiddding).
Army fired 11 soldiers in Jan. as openly gay by Anne Flaherty
WASHINGTON – The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military's policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman. Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed.
In a statement released on Thursday, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist.
"How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?" asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending.
The Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was instituted after President Bill Clinton tried to lift the ban on gay service members in 1993. It refers to the military practice of not asking recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members are banned from saying they are gay or bisexual, engaging in homosexual activity or trying to marry a member of the same sex.
The military discharged nearly 10,000 service members under the policy in a 10-year period, from 1997 to 2007. The number fired each year dropped sharply after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, when forces were stretched thin. Whereas more than 1,200 were dismissed in 2000 and again in 2001 for violating the policy, about half as many — 627 — were fired in 2007.
The Pentagon has not released its 2008 figures.
The White House has said President Barack Obama has begun consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen on how to lift the ban. But the administration won't say how soon that might happen or whether a group of experts will be commissioned to study the issue in-depth, as some Democrats have suggested.
Likewise, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill support repealing the ban but have not promised to press the issue immediately.
I can't help but reminisce my younger days of being a "baklita" (pre-pubescent gay boy) as I watch these talented boys dance to that catchy Beyonce song.
Ang Lihim ni Antonio's star Kenjie Garcia gets nominated for his breakthrough performance for this film at the 6th Golden Screen Awards.
Kenjie is up against other new actors: Cedric Amit (Ploning), Coke Bolipata (Boses), Fritz Arvhie Chavez (Dose), Julian Duque (Boses), Bojong Fernandez (Ploning) and Timothy Mabalot (Brutus).
Hopefully, this nomination opens new doors for him as Kenjie has been missing acting in front of the camera for quite some time.
First time filmmaker Felbert Go's personal work, Hikbi will have its regular run on March 18 at the Robinsons Galleria Indiesine. It is a story of a tumultuous relationship between a gay man in his 30's and a tricycle driver who does sexual services on the side.
Our film, Ang Lihim ni Antonio (Antonio's Secret) has been invited to the Torino Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Italy this April 26 to 30, 2008.
Among the previous Filpino films invited in this festival was "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) and "Masahista" (The Masseur).
Here's a historical background of the festival from their website:
In 1981 Ottavio Mai and Giovanni Minerba decided to "resist" a kind of cinema that used the homosexual "character" for secondary and/or offensive roles, making their first film on video Dalla vita di Piero. Acclaimed at the Turin Film Festival, the film was invited to many international film festivals.
And the idea of the Turin International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival “From Sodom to Hollywood” was born: Mai and Minerba attended many festivals to follow their work and realized that a great amount of important gay films never came out in Italy. They started studying an idea of a festival to be presented to the official institutions of Region, Province and the city of Turin: but they were not given an answer for three years. In 1985 the “enlightened” Marziano Marzano was elected in the city council as councillor responsible for Culture and, among many controversies, some of them still existing, the festival came to life in 1986, with the financial support from Turin Province and Piedmont Region, besides the artistic and cultural support of many important national and international institutions like Museo Nazionale del Cinema, British Council, Goethe Institut, Colegio de Salamanca, B.F.I., Canadian Embassy, Spanish Culture Office, Centre Culturel Français.
In the beginning it was only a film show, but in 1989 it became a real festival, and in 1990 it obtained an official recognition from the Ministry of Tourism and Show.
Among its goals, this Festival has always had not only the need to show new films, but to keep a particularly aware Italian “eye” on the artistic and internationally acclaimed cinema that otherwise would never have a go in our country. A kind of cinema that has always had many difficulties to find a distribution in Italy. Think about the difficult distribution of videos, artistic documentaries and short films.. Attended by “professionals” (film critics and journalists), students and passionate film experts, this Festival has always kept a strong bond with the common filmgoer, offering spectacular moments taken from international realities and giving the new generation the opportunity to discover, through many retrospectives, the fundamental characters of gay films and culture. This is the peculiarity of this Festival: in fact, comparing it with other international gay film festivals, you will notice that the Turin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is one of a few in the world to receive a general recognition from the public and the press, newspapers and TV, following the event with increasing interest and support.
I'm one of your avid fans and I enjoy all your movies. Now that the Indie Film industry is booming in the Philippines and most of the Indie Films are about gays, I was wondering if I could ask some of your views.
Some Pinoy gay blogs post the promo pictures of gay Indie Films, and majority of the films have frontal nudity. There are various replies regarding this issue, some feel that it is nice and (adds) enjoy(ment for the moviegoers), while some say, and i quote, that the guys are being exploited do to nudity to make the gay market more enthusiastic about the movie.
I believe that if the story really does need the nudity, why not, and I don't want to be a hypocrite to say that I don't enjoy seeing that also. But I believe that the film is sometimes being watched because of the nudity, at parang hindi nakikita ng iba ang value ng film at ang pinakastorya nya.
What do you think about this issue? I know that you have been able to experience this on your movies. I enjoyed watching all your movies, but some people like the movie less kung wala syang frontal, for example, Kambyo, which I really enjoyed since it was a light and fun film about true friendship and being happy and gay people. But since the movie did not have frontals in it unlike your previous movies such as Antonio, which was also nice, many were not so thrilled about it, as a writer, what can you say about the gay indie Film industry, especially now that as you blogged, the people are planning to hold the first queeriosity film fest. Is frontal nudity important in a film to be successful, and how important is it?
Hope you'll gladly answer my questions, being a respected person in this industry, your opinion means a lot.
Mike
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Dear Mike,
Allow me to address the issues you raised one bye one.
Exploitation is a relative term. I know many men who would willingly bare in front of the camera even without any talent fee just because they enjoy the feeling of being appreciated sexually with their images on stills or moving pictures. Hence, money and poverty are not the only factors when we judge the idea of "baring on screen". Check out different social networking sites, you would see a significant number of individuals baring their bodies in front of the public. And they are never paid for such. For this reason, to simply dismiss "baring onscreen" as just a form of exploitation is plainly ignorant.
To me, every human being has the right to enjoy their sexuality even if it entails watching a movie and masturbating along with the film as long as no minors are employed in the production of the film and no adult has been forced perform something beyond his free will.
With this fact in mind, there is nothing wrong in producing a film for the purpose of sexual gratification for its audience. As long as these materials are clearly marketed as a product of adult entertainment, then no one should be misled on what kind of film it will be.
For all these people who have issues on "sexy films" and "gay adult entertainment", they should be smart enough to acknowledge that no one is forcing them to watch these films. Why should they even take the effort of criticizing it when they can just ignore it? Certainly, there is nothing wrong with these kinds of products. And what could actually be wrong is the way they understand things in this world.
From March 11 to 17, MGA PINAKAMAHABANG ONE NIGHT STAND will be shown at robinsons indie sine Galleria.
This series of four sexy short films about separate nights in the lives of different gay men in different compromising situations are created by three directors: Eduardo Roy Jr., Crisaldo Pablo and Harbi Estradough.
I was listening to the spokesperson of the Philippine Army and he was announcing on the radio that the Armed Forces of the Philippines are looking for at least six thousand soldiers. And he mentioned especially that gay men and lesbians are welcome to apply!
He announced that sexual orientation is never an issue in the Philippine Army as long as one is willing to adhere to the standards of the organization meaning a man should wear pants, wear his hair short, etc.
Such announcement is a welcome development among the GLBT in the country. If interested you may visit the recruitement center at the Fort Bonifacio, Taguig city.
To continue with my gay bar series posts with Mr. D from Singapore, we went to Klub Modelo, a strip bar beside a gas station in front of the Children's Hospital at La Loma, Quezon City.
Now, this is the bar that I enjoyed the most only because there seems to be a rule here that only stocky men are allowed to dance onstage. And I must admit, I have always been weirdly attracted to bulky men with broad shoulders and bulging muscles with some generous amount of fat all over his body. And to my big surprise, all their men are designed for my taste.
There are no VIP rooms in here. And there is nothing special with their production numbers despite the fact that it was then, a Saturday night with a full crowd.
At the center of the area is the lavatory with a loud signage that says any "macho dancer" who uses this rest room gets a deduction of Php50 (USD10) from his night's salary.
Entrance to the bar is Php250. Men's drinks also cost around that price. And their food as expected is over priced. And we had a difficult time finding a cab at 3am outside the bar.
Isa po ako sa inyong masugid na taga-hanga dahil sa kagandahan ng inyong mga obra at angking galing at katapangan upang iwagayway ang bandila ng LGBT.
Ako po si Liryc Paolo Dela Cruz,17, mula sa bayan ng south cotabato. kasalukuyan po akong nag-aaral sa ateneo de davao university. Nakagawa na rin po ako ng maikling pelikula na binigyang parangal ni kidlat tahimik. Masaya po ako't naging kontak ko kayo dito sa multiply. May ginagawa po akong pananaliksik ngayon patungkol sa estado ng industriya ng indie films.
Nais ko po sanang hingan kayo ng reaksyon ukol dito. bakit sa tingin niyo po hindi gaano kumikita ang mga pelikulang indie at ano ba ang mga rason kung bakit hindi ito napapansin ng madla.
MARAMING SALAMAT PO
LIRYC PAOLO DELA CRUZ
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Hi Lyric Paolo,
First of all, congratulations for being able to create your own film (recognized by one of the pillars of independent filmmaking in the country, Kidlat Tahimik)
Let me clarify some ideas in your inquiry.
First, independent films (or the films created by private individuals or those films produced with relatively low budget) do make money especially those with gay themes.
Although, they could never earn money as much as a typical Star Cinema romantic film simply because there are a lot less theaters willing to exhibit films in digital format.
It is true that the “madla” or the masses are not familiar with independent films because of the following reasons:
Most independent films are “cerebral” in nature. The Filipino masses don’t want to think when they watch movies. They want their films to be “escapist” something that does not challenge the way they think but rather visualize their life fantasies. Hence, even if you put a big star in an independent film, it never guarantees support from the madla (Judy Ann Santos for Ploning; Piolo Pascual for Chopseuy; Sam Milby for Cul de Sac)
Majority of the independent films coming out nowadays are “mature and gay” in nature. The “masses” do not “mature gay men” for their films. They want something family oriented or romantic in nature (straight romance, that is).
These are the realities that confront the independent filmmaker. Our cultural psyche has been “Americanized” for the past decades and for that reason, the Filipino masses will always crave for the instant “Hollywood fantasy”.
There has been some talk about the UP Film Center being turned into a venue of "trashy gay .
movies" as written by one columnist in a local tabloid.
As far as the columnist is concerned, UP must have a board of reviewers to approve which films must be shown so as not to "tarnish" the name of this premiere university
I have been a UP Student (oo78164) and have been part of the community, and our university has been the vanguard of freedom of expression in this country. Humans, in this case the gay men have the capacity to decipher which for them is trash and which is not, which film is worth their time and which one is not. In this case, we don't need a board to tell us which film must be shown or not.
Two, there is absolutely nothing wrong with films being produced for the purpose of sexual pleasure for its audience. Every adult human being has the right to enjoy their sexuality even if that entails watching a movie and masturbating with the scenes of such film. Such films will only be morally wrong if it hires minors or if it forces actors to perform things beyond what they are willing to do.
The real issue here is the lack of a "legal industry" that caters to adult entertainment. You see, "porn producers" have to parade their films as "your-typical-independent-film" so they could get released on regular venues. Hence, they are forced to add some minor plot and considerable characterization in their intended visual sex feast just so they could exhibit their "gay entertainment films".
If only there is a film venue for adult entertainment where censorship does not exist, then such kind of problem shall cease to exist.
I'm currently working on a new sccript for the new Joselito Altarejos film "Big Boy/ Small Boy", a story about a carefree urban gay man who suddenly discovers the joy of playing a father to a little boy.
The intention of this story is to illustrate the capacity of a gay man for an "unconditional love", that a gay man is not just an organism of pleasure, but he can also be a source of nurturing and care.
At this moment, I'm still writing scene 8 of the film.
