TOFARM BARES FILM FESTIVAL AND SONG WRITING COMPETITION FINALISTS
Photos by Noli A. Berioso
TOFARM ushers 2017 with two grand events that celebrate the lives of farmers in a non-conventional yet highly artistic way.
The 2nd TOFARM Film Festival is set to light up the silver screen once more with a new batch of entries. Following its succesful debut in July 2016, this year’s edition of the TOFARM Film Festival promises to be another bountiful harvest of cinematic excellence.
“We were overwhelmed with the turnout of lasy tear’s festival,” says Festival Director Maryo J. Delos Reyes “The festival was warmly received by the movie industry, and a lot of independent producers and directors expressed their interest to join this year.”
He also notes that the number of script submitted doubled this year. With this year’s theme, “Planting the seeds of change”, a total of six films were chosen to be this year’s official entries.
“Baklad” by Topel Lee, “High Tide” by Tara Illenberger, “Instalado” by Jason Paul Laxamana, “Kamunggay” by Victor Acedillo, Jr., “Sinandomeng” by Byron Bryant and “What a Home Feels Like” by Joseph Abello.
On the other hand, TOFARM also announces the list of entries that qualified for the first ever TOFARM Singwriting Competition.
Launched in May 2016, the competition is open to both amateur and professiona songwriters, whose task is to come up with an original composition about the agricukture, with the central theme “ Planting the seeds of change.”Notes musical director Ria-Villena Osorio is at the helm of the competition, together with the selection panel composed of Josefino Chino Toledo, Luchie Roque, Olivier Ochanine and Jedf Balsamo. “I am excited to work on this new project of TOFARM . This is the first time I will be heading a competition that celebrates farmers and farming,” Osorio enthuses.
The finalists are “langit Ng Tagumpay” by Elmar Jan Bolano, “Bayani Ng Lupa” by Agila Malaya, “Magtatani Ako” by Edwin Marollano, “Binhi Ng Pagbabago” by Gino Torres, “Ika’y Mahalaga” by Henry C. Aburo, “Balik Na Salinlahi” by En Gallardo, “Binhi Ng Pagbabago” by John Christian P. Jose, “Tayo” by Daryl Cielo, “T’yaga Lang At Sipag” by Robert David and “magtanim Ng Bago” by LJ Manzano.
Both TOFARM Film Festival and Songwriting Competition are under the patronage of Dr. Milagros O. How, TOFARM Chief Advocate and Executive Vice-President of Universal Harvester, Inc. Her vision is to give due recognitionto the selfless contribution of farmers to the nation