Another Filipino filmmaker is set to make us proud: Carlo Francisco Manatad is representing the Philippines at the La Semaine de la Critique (International Critics Week), a parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Manatad’s film is called Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month, and tells the story of a gas station attendant who goes about her last day at a run-down gas station that’s about to permanently close.
The short film stars Angeli Bayani as Jodilerks, along with Ross Pesigan and Ogie Tiglao.
Jodilerks is one of 10 entries in the Short Films in Competition, chosen from 1,700 submitted entries. It is the only Asian film in across both feature and short film categories. It will compete for the Leica Cine Discovery Prize for Short Film and the Canal+ Award for Short Film.
Earlier month, Manatad won the Best Comedy Award at the Aspen Shortsfest in Colorado, an Oscar-qualifying film festival, for his short film Fatima Maria Torres and the Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25. In 2013, he was also part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner for Oasis Redux.
The La Semaine de la Critique focuses on discovering new talents. Famous directors who get their start in the competition include Bernardo Bertolucci, Philippe Garrel, Wong Kar-wai, Guillermo del Toro, Gaspar Noé, and many more.
The festival will run from May 18 to 26.
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