Ilonggo Short Film BUKOG in Gawad Alternatibo 2020

“BUKOG” (Fish Bone) is an Ilonggo short film selected as one of the finalists in the Short Feature Category of the 32^nd Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video.

The short film is written and directed by Kevin Pison Piamonte and co-directed by Kenneth De la Cruz. The film is a dark comedy and a social satire, tackling issues on the Filipino superstitious beliefs.

“Bukog” or “Fishbone” is a story set in the household of a seafarer. What starts off as a quiet weekend with the plan to go to the mall for a movie, becomes a day of agitation as Marta’s daughter, Marie, swallows some fish bones. The solution starts off with bananas and moves on to a slew of superstitious beliefs.

And in all these, they have become oblivious to the doctor who lives next door. In the background of the story is a news commentary of a very popular radio station about the use of plastic and how plastic can eventually affect our waters and our marine life.

Produced by Busan Asian Film School & FDCP Fellow Robert Rodriguez for ERK Productions, the film stars an all-Ilonggo cast: JP Libo-on, Elaisha Pomida, Elsie Flores-Gancia, Dora Jane Balleras and Sanny Lumayno. ERK Productions is also composed of Ilonggo filmmakers Emmanuel Lerona and Ruperto Quitag.

The film was shot just a week before the national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID19. The project was somehow rushed into production to be part of the Busan International Short Film Festival Special Section as producer Bobby Rodriguez was going for his Asian Film School Fellowship. As it turned out, the fellowship was postponed to 2021 and the film was instead sent for selection to Gawad Alternatibo.

The selected films for Gawad Alternatibo will be streamed online starting August 7 and will run until August 13. Individual film screening schedules will be announced by Gawad Alternatibo via their Facebook Page soon.

Two other films by Ilonggo filmmakers made it to the short feature category: Nino Maldecir’s ‘Sa Hunasan may Santermo’ and Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arli Sweet Sumagaysay’s ‘Utwas’. In addition, Richard Olano Jr.’s “Hindi Na Tayo Bata” has been included in the Curated Section. The inclusion of these films signals a promising future for regional filmmakers that can provide richer diversity in the kinds of films they make.

Kevin Pison Piamonte directed ‘Land from God’ a documentary that premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2018 and the Sinesaysay documentary ‘Daan Patungong Tawaya’ funded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.