Filipino film project selected for development at Cannes

Filmmaker Ralston Jover is at Cannes Film Festival to develop his new film project, 'The Dog Show'

LONDON - The latest film project by a Filipino filmmaker has been selected for a special industry project at the Cannes Film Festival 2012.

“The Dog Show” by screenwriter and director Ralston Jover is among this year’s selection at L‘Atelier by Festival de Cannes’s Cinefondation, which aims to support the creation of new works from filmmakers around the world.

The Atelier, founded in 2005, provides selected filmmakers the opportunity to meet producers and distributors at Cannes, as well as access to festival screenings and events. Each project is also included in Livre des Projets, a brochure presented to the film industry and the media. 72 films have so far been made with the help of the initiative, 20 of which are in pre-production.

“I feel privileged and honored to be one of the 15 projects chosen for development at Cannes. I was surprised and never expected it,” Jover told ABS-CBN Europe.

“Cannes is where cineastes really celebrate film. Everyone is here and everything is happening with unrelenting thrill and excitement for films. Being within this sphere, one could not help but be lost in the frenzy of long queues for the elusive theatre tickets, be witness to the glitz and glamour of red carpet premieres, get inside the cinema where thousands of viewers are clapping their hands when the director and stars arrive, and the film hasn’t even started yet.”

Ralston Jover was chosen for Cannes Cinefondation L'Atelier for his preview work including 'Bakal Boys'

The Manila-based filmmaker made it to the festival on the strength of his proposed project and his previous work including “Children Metal Divers” (Bakal Boys), featured at the London Pan-Asian Film Festival in 2009. He also wrote a number of critically-acclaimed screenplays including “Foster Child”, directed by Brillante Mendoza, selected for Cannes in 2007.

His new project, “The Dog Show”, is a film about a man called Sergio who earns his living showcasing his dogs Habagat and Bagwis at animal stunt shows. It aims to explore the idea of what separates man from beast, as Sergio fights to be reunited with his youngest son taken away by his wife who left him with his eldest son and a mentally-retarded daughter.

“I’m learning a lot about co-production ventures, sales distribution options and story pitching techniques. L’Atelier is a unique platform for filmmakers to learn how to present projects to the wide range of network available that yields maximum support. It’s like learning the business side of filmmaking, and not just honing your creative skills,” he added.

Other film projects at L’Atelier 2012 include “In Your Name” by Marco Van Geffen (Netherlands), “Cannibal” by Manuel Martin Cuenca (Spain), “To Kill A Man” by Alejandro Almendras (Chile), “Des Etoiles” by Dyana Gaye (France/Senegal), “Odysseys” by Malek Bensmail (Algeria), “Du Zooey and Ma” by Robin Weng (China), “Touch Me Not” by Adina Pintilie (Romania), “The Untold Tale” by Shivajee Chandrasbhushan (India), “3000 Nights” by Mai Masri (Palestine), “Blessed Benefits” by Mahmoud Al Massad (Jordan), “Underground Fragrance” by Pengfei Song (China), “Tristes Monroes” by Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt (France/Portugal), “The Last Land” by Pablo Lamar (Paraguay).

The 65th Cannes Film Festival runs until 27 May.
 

Scenes under development from 'The Dog Show' by Ralston Jover