Philippines: UST Cinevita to screen “Lababo” on March 6

“Lababo,” which won the grand prize in the first Viva – Pinoy Box Office (PBO) Digitales short film competition, will be shown on March 6, Thursday, 4:50 P.M. at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Thomas Aquinas Research Center (TARC) auditorium as part of the second CineVita Film Festival.

Advocacy filmmaker Seymour Barros Sanchez co-directed the short film with former University of Makati Film Society chairperson Ginalyn Dulla during the height of the protests against the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement in the wake of the conviction of US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith for the rape of a Filipina at the Subic Bay Freeport.

“Lababo” (Kitchen Sink Drama) covers significant dates concerning the Philippines’ relationship with the US. Parallel to these events are the lives of two Filipinas (Nerissa Icot and Virnie Tolentino) who fall for the same American soldier (Stephen Patrick Moore).

“Lababo” also went on to represent the Philippines at the 48th International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao, Spain, a first for the country, and also competed at the 8th International Panorama of Independent Film and Video in Athens, Greece. It was also shown at the Jakarta Slingshortfest (Internal Affairs Program) in Indonesia, 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival, and 19th Gawad Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for Alternative Film and Video.

To celebrate life, truth, and faith and uphold the cinema as tool of meaningful expression and authentic education, The Varsitarian, the 80-year-old student publication of UST, is holding the CineVita film festival, which focuses on positive, life-affirming features, short films, and documentaries. “Lababo” falls under the women empowerment theme of CineVita.

CineVita is a non-profit and educational endeavor of The Varsitarian, UST Institute of Religion, UST Journalism Society, UST Literary Society, and UST Concilium Philosophiae. All documentaries and local films are open to the public. Foreign full-length films are exclusive to lecturers, film critics, and students. Admission is free.

Sanchez, a former editor in chief of the Philippine Collegian, also directed “Pagbugtaw” as part of the “Guimaras: Short Films on the Oil Spill” project organized by ABC 5 and the Philippine Independent Filmmakers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, “Sinulog for Beginners,” which won second prize at the Sinulog 2006 Video Documentary Competition, and “Bodong,” finalist in the Moonrise Environmental and Cultural Film Festival last year. He previously served as the competition officer of ABC 5’s “Dokyu: Ang Bagong Mata ng Pinoy Documentaries” student documentary competition.

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