Daniel Padilla, Charo Santos movie to premiere in Switzerland film festival

The Filipino film Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine), starring Daniel Padilla and Charo Santos-Concio, is set to compete and make its world premiere at the 74th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

On Thursday, July 1, the Locarno Film Festival announced the list of movies that made it to its festival, which will run from August 1 to 14.

In a Facebook post, writer and director Carlo Francisco Manatad expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the cast and crew of his film. 

The movie is the lone Philippine entry selected for Concorso Cineasti del Presente (Filmmakers of the Present Competition), in which films from emerging directors across the world are given spotlight.

Kun Maupay Man It Panahon tells the tale of Norma (Santos-Concio) and her son Miguel (Padilla) as they struggle with a disaster that ravaged their whole region. 

Set in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda, prisoners like Miguel are given a temporary release by the local jail warden under one condition: Surrender on an agreed date, or they will be hunted and gunned down. As he freely walks in the city, he sets out to look for his girlfriend and his mother Norma.

Kun Maupay Man It Panahon’s cast includes MNL48 member Francinne Rifol. It is written by Giancarlo Abrahan (Sila-sila, Dagitab) and Jérémie Dubois (The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Lion).

The film is a joint production of Black Sheep, Dreamscape Entertainment, iWant, Globe Studios, Quantum Films, Cinematografica Films, and Plan C, as well as some foreign production houses, such as France’s House on Fire, Singapore’s AAND, and Indonesia’s KawanKawan.

Joining Kun Maupay Man It Panahon in the film festival are three other Philippine films in the open doors screening category: the documentary Aswang by Alyx Arumpac, and short films Next Picture by Cris Bringas, and Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss by Sonny Calvento.

According to their website, the Locarno Film Festival is one of the longest-running, annual film festivals. It celebrates auteur cinema and is known for becoming a platform for art house movies from around the world. – with reports from Paolo Alejandrino/ Rappler.com

Paolo Alejandrino is a Rappler intern