photo essay: pre-production stages of TOFARM film fest entry "SINANDOMENG"

IF YOU BELIEVE IN ONE GREAT ADVOCACY, ONE GREAT CAUSE, ONE VISION, ONE MISSION-, .... EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PROPER PLACES.

IF YOU BELIEVE IN ONE MAN'S DEPTH, COURAGE, PERSEVERANCE AND HONEST INTENTS- A TRUE WORK OF ART WILL EVOLVE.

AND WHEN OTHER PEOPLE- VETERAN FILM ARTISTS, GREAT ACTRESSES, ACTORS, YOUNG BUDDING FILM BUDS-, ALL JOIN-IN AND MIX-IN WITHIN THE BONDAGES OF ETERNITY- THAT CERTAIN WORK OF ART WILL DEFINITELY START ROLLING-IN.

Days and nights of bonding with director Byron Bryant at JCO Donuts in Araneta center, Cubao, made it all worthwhile. You begun to feel alive again, saw ART in a totally different way anew, embraced the Cinema once more, and cherished totally the TOFARM Film Festival's great advocacy to farmers and artists.

Reminisced the past, missed one Film Master in person of direk Celso Ad Castillo, plus more delightful moments that came-in from the cooperation of actors and actresses joining-in for the film "Sinandomeng".... ,, nights of drinking, meetings, parties, get-togethers with the cast and staff- WOW.

These are the Pre-Production Stages in preparation for the film "Sinandomeng", one of the film entries this year for the 2nd TOFARM Film Festival. 

And everything's ready. The shooting sked is set on April 2 at the beautiful farm community of Luisiana, Laguna proper. Even the Mayor there is all too-cooperative to welcome-in the film artists about to shoot there.

The cast is complete. With the special appearance of veteran radio icon Ms. Tessie Lagman in one scene of the film. Awesome.

The production staff, headed by Associate Director Soc Jose had completed the sequence breakdown. And nothing else matters for now.

Also part of the Creative Staff is young film artist Christopher Novabos.

Definitely, "Sinandomeng" will be the blockbuster film entry for this year's TOFARM Filmfest. It's a vision, it's a dream.

Just look at the pictures below and cherish all the wonderful moments during the Pre-Production stages of this light-comedy film!!!


(words by robert manuguid silverio, with photos courtesy of: director Byron Bryant's FB page)

THE CREATIVE TEAM OF "SINANDOMENG" WITH PUBLICIST ROBERT SILVERIO (IN GREEN SHIRT)

DIREK EMMAN DELA CRUZ SUPPORTS "SINANDOMENG" AS THE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER OF THIS FILM,  POSES FOR A PICTURE WITH  VETERAN ACTRESS LUI MANANSALA

lui manasala and the director of "sinandomeng" byron bryant

"SINANDOMENG" LINE PRODUCER CHANTEL GARCIA AND DIREK BYRON

DIREK BYRON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SOC JOSE AND PRETTY MS. CHANTEL GARCIA

LINE PRODUCER CHRISTOPHER NOVABOS AND DIREK SOC JOSE

PARTY TIME WITH THE CAST!!!

LEAD ACTRESS OF "SINANDOMENG"- MS SUE PRADO, BONDS WITH OTHER FEMALE MEMBERS OF THE CAST

GET-TOGETHER AT RICHARD SOMES' HOUSE WITH THE CAST AND STAFF OF "SINANDOMENG"

RESPECTED THEATER AND FILM ACTOR LOU VELOSO IS AMONG THE CAST OF "SINANDOMENG", BONDS WITH MS. LUI

FEMALE CAST OF "SINANDOMENG"

GREAT SHOT WITH LOU, LUI AND OTHERS

DIREK BYRON WITH LOU VELOSO

DIREK BYRON WITH HIS ART DEPARTMENT STAFF

SELFIE, SELFIE NA!!!

KAINAN NA!

NIGHTS OF PARTIES AND EATING WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND "SINANDOMENG"

"HIWAGA" SYNOPSIS, AN INDIE FILM WHICH WILL HAVE A SPECIAL BLOCK SCREENING TOMORROW AT CINEMA 5 OF FISHERMALL

CZEL SANTIAGO STARS IN "HIWAGA"

HANDSOME AND CUTE JOHN MCEARL OF "HIWAGA"

CZEL SANTIAGO AND JOHN MCEARL, STARS IN "HIWAGA"

JOHN MCEARL AND CZEL SANTIAGO DURING THE MALL PROMO TOUR OF "HIWAGA"

CHRISTIOHER NOVABOS, JOHN MCEARL, CZEL SANTIAGO,  SABEL OREDINA AND MAPUA PROFESSOR BENNY AGAPITO

A GREAT ENIGMATIC FILM, "HIWAGA" WILL HAVE A SPECIAL BLOCK SCREENING TOMORROW AT THE CINEMA 5 OF FISHERMALL. CELEBRITIES, FILM DIRECTORS, ACTORS AND ACTRESSES, PLUS SOME SELECTED MEDIA PEOPLE WERE ALL INVITED TO GRACE THIS SPECIAL BLOCK SCREENING.

ALSO EXPECTED TO ATTEND TOMORROW'S SPECIAL EVENT ARE THE YOUNG CAST OF THE FILM, HEADED BY CZEL SANTIAGO (HER FORMER SCREEN NAME IS EDSEL SANTIAGO, AS SEEN ON THE FILM POSTER BELOW) AND  JOHN MC EARL.

CZEL AND ANOTHER FEMALE CAST FROM "HIWAGA" IN PERSON OF ALTHEA OREDINA WILL ALSO BE CASTED IN THE FILM "SINANDOMENG" BY DIRECTOR BYRON BRYANT. "SINANDOMENG" IS AMONG THE FILM ENTRIES OF THIS YEAR'S TOFARM FILM FESTIVAL.

BELOW IS "HIWAGA"'s FILM SYNOPSIS. READ ON AND FEEL AMAZED BY THE GREAT STORY OF THIS FILM!

"HIWAGA" FILM POSTER

”HIWAGA" Journey to the Mystery of Life A Film by SIR RCA This film takes its roots from the song “Hiwaga” which awakens the senses, imparts morals, and tenders inspiration to those yearning for their parents, the abandoned, and the orphans who are searching for enlightenment. This masterpiece displays Filipino values as issues on environment, education, family, love, and spirituality are tackled. How were you forged and toughened by time? What is the extent of your faith? Can you fulfill a covenant? Sabel, a mystic healer from the Sacred Mountains, conjures power from an enchanted necklace given to her by “sentinels of nature” and water from a miraculous spring. Ironically, she’s able to minister to the needs of others, but helpless with her own malady and on her dying breath, left her children Lorraine, John, Hannah, and Princess with a promise. With her demise, her children were taken to Bahay Kalinga, an orphanage in Manila, where their faith were tested in several occasions. They knew that they will eventually be separated so they made a pact that they will someday reunite no matter what. True enough, they got adopted by people of diversified backgrounds. Painful as it was, they picked up their lives and learned to assimilate with their new families. After a decade, John returned to the Sacred Mountains much to the delight of the “sentinels of nature.” John met and fell for Angelica, who was in the company of hikers who infuriated the sentinels when they defiled the environment and ridiculed their guide. After experiencing bizarre incidents, the hikers realized their blunder, begged pardon, and atoned for their actions. Later on, John finished school as class Valedictorian. By some twist of fate, Angelica brought her friend Hannah, John’s long lost sibling, to the graduation ceremonies. Hannah didn’t immediately recognize John until he sings “Hiwaga,” the song taught to them by their departed mother. Their reunion was captured on video and went viral in social media. Princess, their youngest sibling who just returned from abroad, came across the video and immediately got in touch with John. They arranged to meet in his graduation party to surprise Hannah. The reunion of the siblings even became more emotional with the coincidental attendance of Lorraine, who was working for the catering company which hosted the party. As the saying goes, the right moment will come to those who are steadfast in hoping and believing. The four siblings separated by time and circumstances, were able to overcome challenges. That night, their destiny unfolded, they were reunited. This is ENIGMA, journey to the mystery of life!

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