Cinephiles and movie fans will witness how and why a young mind becomes a mature force to save lives when Tsardyer screens at the 6th Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival from November 10 to 16 at the Shangri-La Plaza Cineplex!
Written and directed by Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez and using the Pinoy colloquial translation of a cell phone’s ‘charger,’ its cast is headed by Martin delos Santos who will portray the 10-year old Shihab, Jhong Hilario, Dimples Romana, Pipo Alfad III, Nor Domingo, Bombi Plata, Skarlet Romero, Raul Morit and Dido dela Paz.
Tsardyer is about the real-life role of a 10-year old Tausug boy used by the Abu Sayyaf group to “charge” their cell phones down the mountains. Shihab, the young boy must always make it in time to the rebels’ camp before the battery of the next cellphone runs out. However, things go awry when one of the captives, a woman journalist, befriends him and earns his trust. Fearing for the life of his newfound friend, Shihab is now caught between his loyalty to his Tausug brothers and the motherly compassion of the journalist. But when he hears what the abductors plan to do to their prisoners, Shihab races not only to save them but to save war from erupting once again in the jungles of Jolo, Sulu.
Writer-director Barros-Sanchez, after finishing his Political Science studies at the University of the East from 1991 to 1996, supplemented his education by averting to Film at the U.P. Diliman Film Institute because it was such time when his inkling for cinema was fueling. Came 1998, he started scriptwriting workshops under multi-awarded writer Ricky Lee followed by film workshops under noted directors Peque Gallaga, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Lore Reyes and Gabby Fernandez. He directed music videos and won the Best Music Video Award at the 2005 Awit Awards for directing the music video of the mega-hit Hari ng Sablay. Tsyardyer to note is his second entry into this year’s festival. In 2005 his Original melodrama Anak Ni Brocka was a finalist in the 1st Cinema One Originals. That year too, his indie comedy hit Lasponggols also became a finalist in the 1st Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. In 2008 his indie short Katayan (Slaughter House) became an entry into the Chicago Fil-Am Film Festival and the Los Angeles Indie Film Festival.
Divulging that what inspired him to develop the story and helm Tsardyer “is the raw bravery nung batang Tausug lalo na nung namamalayan na niyang may mga buhay na nakataya so he kept doing the phone charging,” Barros-Sanchez said. Plus since Tsardyer is “loosely based on a small article published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer during the release of Ces Drilon and her ABS-CBN camera crew Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama by the Abu Sayyaff,” that great news is an anchor for the director to this time focus on the particular phase of a real-life Tausug boy whose menial task for the hostage takers become a big responsibility that will save lives.
Tsardyer will introduce characters who are just as powerful as they are memorable when the 2010 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival kicks off from November 10 to 16 at the Cinema of the Shangri-La Plaza Cineplex. The Cinema One Awards Night will be held on November 14 at the Dolphy Theater of the ABS-CBN.
The Cinema One Originals is an annual project of Cinema One channel, the premiere movie cable channel in the Philippines
Cast
Martin delos Santos - Shihab
Neil Ryan Sese - Ahmad Salim, Shihab’s father
Dimples Romana - Leslie Piñera, TV reporter
Pipo Alfad III - Commander Karim
Mon Confiado - Buboy Sebastian, cameraman
Bombi Plata - Chad Alabastero, assistant cameraman
Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino - Karla Zaballero, Leslie’s boss
Raul Morit - Omar, Karim’s assistant
Dido dela Paz - General Eduardo Marquez
Frank Corona - Colonel Guerrero
Aileen Surian - Wahida, Shihab’s mother
To view the rest of the Entries:
Cinema One Digital Film Festival 2010
