In celebration of its 100 years in the country, Nestlé Philippines, in cooperation with Star Cinema and Cinema One, offers free movie showing this weekend at select SM cinemas featuring 100 minute anthology of 10 short films themed "Kasambuhay, Habambuhay" (Companion in Life, For Life) highlighting the values embodied by each of its pillar brands and how Nestlé has become a Kasambuhay to Filipino families for generations.
The "Kasambuhay, Habambuhay" Short Film Anthology was unveiled Friday night at Rockwell Cinema 2, Makati City.
Nestlé Philippines CEO and Chairman John Miller and Director of Communications Sandra Puno graced the Gold Carpet premiere of the anthology.
“This relationship with the Filipino consumers, anchored on the quality of our brands and the role that these much loved brands have played in helping nurture and nourish Filipino families, is what led us to our centennial theme Kasambuhay, Habambuhay,” Miller said.
Most sought after Kapamilya stars Jake Cuenca, Bianca Gonzalez, Melissa Ricks, Luis Manzano, Mariel Rodriguez and Toni Gonzaga added glitter to the night as they welcomed the distinguished guests of the evening.
The 10 short films are: “The Howl and The Fussyket,” “Unplugged,” “Silup,” “Isang Tasang Pangarap,” “Sali Salita,” “Oh! Pa Ra Sa Ta U Wa Yeah,” “Downtown,” “Tingala sa Baba,” “Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko” and “Sign Seeker.”
Some of the country’s acclaimed actors such as John Lloyed Cruz, Eugene Domingo, Gloria Romero, Eddie Garcia, Marvin Agustin, Neil Colera, Solenn Heussaff, Kaye Abad and Jillian Ward showcase their talents in the short films.
10 featured "Kasambuhay, Habambuhay" short films in the anthology are:
The Howl & the Fussyket - (directed by Chris Martinez): Eight-year old Aaron (Gerald Pesigan) is dead set on winning the Grand Prize in his 2nd Grade declamation contest. He is determined to win despite his obvious “f” and “p” speech defect, a proclivity common amongst some Filipinos to interchange the pronunciation of English words with the letters “f” and “p”. His mother (Eugene Domingo) takes an active albeit humorous role in preparing him for the competition. This is a story of perseverance, family unity and the real meaning of triumph and possibly the “Rocky” of all declamation contests!
Sign Seeker - (directed by Carlo Directo): A superstitious guy, Bien (John Lloyd Cruz), seeks all sorts of “divine” signs that will determine his decision of asking the girl of his dreams (Solenn Heussaff) out on a date. The fear of rejection swallows him whole, making him justify his cause to seek for more unfathomable signs. But when each sign he asks for materializes, he soon learns that he has to be careful with what he wishes.
Oh! Pa Ra Sa Ta U Wa Yeah! - (directed by Jeorge Agcaoili): The Clemente family is off to an outing but teenage son, Nicos (Neil Coleta), seems out of it. Nicos is besotted with his ladylove, Mattina (Colleen Garcia), whom he can’t quite figure out. The inside info that Nicos gets from Mattina’s younger sister, Bettina (Jillian Ward), doesn’t seem to be helping. Seeing his son’s despair, Nicos’ father finally shares to his son an ancient family heirloom. It is a 100-year old manual containing the secrets, alphabetically arranged, of how men in their clan courted women. Through this, Nicos finally learns what every man should know by heart — the ABC’s of what women truly want.
Downtown - (directed by: Stephen Ngo): In a Chinese community in downtown Manila, we meet a man who has floated through life with his ladylove by his side. But now, times have changed as he begins each day waking up alone on his bed made for two. He realizes that his coffee has it better because, at least, it has a creamer to be its mate. In these moments, he misses his beloved the most and decides to get his act together for a second shot at the greatest thing in life— love.
Tingala sa Baba - (directed by Henry Frejas): In a typical playground, life plays a game of irony when two 8-year old kids are on a seesaw. One is a rather hefty child from a well-to-do family who is stuck at the bottom, whereas a lanky child brought up in poverty is on top. Rich kid is looking up to the poor boy, who in turn, is looking down on him. How will the rich kid reverse their positions? The answer to that question will make one realize that friendship is more valuable than money, while the other will discover his true worth as a friend.
Unplugged - (directed by Raul Jorolan): A football coach (Marvin Agustin) takes his team of teenage boys out on a fieldtrip to the provincial home of his grandfather (Eddie Garcia). But instead of bonding as a team, the boys are more caught up with their gadgets. The coach’s grandfather is determined to change all that as he challenges the boys to detach from their virtual distractions and explore the great outdoors instead. The boys then unlock a new world of natural wonder and discovery, realizing that going offline is the only way to reconnect back to a life that is unplugged.
Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko - (directed by Chris Martinez): This comedic version of the classic “Romeo and Juliet” narrates the story of star-crossed lovers born into warring families who each happen to be proud owners of their own carinderias (local eateries) battling for their town’s cuisine supremacy. Old wounds are reopened among the Montano and the Capule families when the former’s loyal customers start patronizing the latter. Young lovers Romina Montano and Julius Capule are caught in this web of intrigue, espionage and extra rice.
Silup - (directed by Jun Reyes): Silup is “Pulis” (police) spelled backwards. We peek into the life of a Manila cop (Sid Lucero) whose day is made up of dealing with denizens and the crimes they commit. At work, he may be all tough and stern, but at home, we see his more sensitive side. He has this mysterious routine of taking out a can of sterilized milk from a cupboard and depositing his revolver in its place. Later on, it is revealed why he makes the switch and how it is like to live by his duty as a policeman to serve and protect.
Isang Tasang Pangarap - (directed by Sid Maderazo): In a small town devastated by calamity and chaos, Elias (Ramon Bautista), still holds on to the one thing he considers sacred—a shiny red coffee mug. For him, this mug not only symbolizes his love for coffee but his hope for a better life. After an enlightening encounter with a strange sari-sari store owner, he is suddenly gifted with the ability to tell the future. Soon enough, he is proclaimed as “The Coffee Psychic” and personifies hope for the townsfolk. But can hope truly spring eternal in this comedic homage to the award-winning epic Filipino film, “Himala” (Miracle)?
Sali Salita - (directed by A/F Benaza): A mother who writes children’s storybooks, ironically, doesn’t have enough time to create stories for her own son. The restless child finds a chance to create his own stories when his grandfather (Bodjie Pascua), comes up with a game. They fill an old milk can with pieces of paper, each containing a word which will be a “story-starter”. Tales of heroes and villains, magic and places fill up the child’s imagination. But the child’s made-up story is in need of a happy ending. Now, it depends on the storyteller mother to create the greatest ending of them all.
The 100-minute showcase will be shown for free on June 11 and 12 in the following SM Cinemas: Megamall, Southmall, Rosales, Davao, and Cebu.
