KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — A co-production between Malaysia and Philippines called Singing in Graveyards is set to represent Asia at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival.
The movie, which will be making its world premiere at said festival, is the only Asian movie that will be competing at the festival’s 31st edition of Critics’ Week, In Competition.
It is also up for the Lion of the Future Award from the Main Section of the festival.
Singing in Graveyards marks the directorial debut by Malaysian producer Bradley Liew, who received the Visions Sud Est Production Support Fund to make his first feature.
This isn’t the first time for the 26-year-old filmmaker to collaborate with Filipino talents, as he also previously produced Lav Diaz’s When The Waves Are Gone, which won the Paris Coproduction Village Award at the 20th Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).
Starring Filipino-British singer-songwriter Pepe Smith, Singing in Graveyards tells the story of 68-year-old Pepe, an impersonator of a Filipino rock legend who lives alone on the borders of reality, imagination and mysticism.
Also part of the cast are Filipino actors Mercedes Cabral, Susan Africa, Sunshine Teodoro, Bernardo Bernando, Matt Daclan and Joel Saracho, as well as producer Bianca Balbuena, filmmaker Lav Diaz, and singer Ely Buendia.
The 2016 Venice International Film Festival will run at Venice Lido from August 31 to September 10.
(Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com)
