Kaibigan by Jonah Lim

[Cardinal Bunal]

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I think this is the remake of Requiem in F Minor which either Mr. Lim directed or was actively involved with, right?

Magneto should be in the know of this so I hope he says something. I really admire Mr. Lim and his insights when he held a forum in cafa about 2 years ago (back when the department was still in the rapunzel or engineering building in TC)...

Yeah, really I hope Magneto says something.

And if I'm right about this being the Filipino rendition of that film, let me say that even the American version was one of the most beautiful shorts I've seen. It works as a whole, it didn't need any twists and it had great resolve also very touching. And this was anti (what was the name of the decease/sickness??) awareness kind of thing...

I hope Magneto the Flame Alchemist will show up and give more info almost very sure he's in the know....

[Cardinal Bunal]

Bump!

Wa lagi to nitubag si Magneto...

oh well, i guess I'll have to look this up then for more info...

[Cardinal Bunal]

Nov 12, 2005
Updated 04:10am (Mla time)
Irma Faith Pal
Inquirer News Service



WHILE SOME PEOPLE REFER TO THE FILM industry as a dying industry in the Philippines, Jonah A. Lim sees infinite possibilities.

In fact, this 40-year-old film professor at the Silliman University School of Communication is just starting to make waves in the international experimental and short films scene.

His short film, “Kaibigan (Friend)” was awarded Best Foreign Film at last month’s 6th Annual Christian WYSIWYG (What-you-See-is-What-you-Get) Film Festival in San Francisco, California.

The honor came as a pleasant surprise to Lim because he made the film to use it as a “teaching aid” in his TV production class, to explain how a short film is made.

Lim has been a film and audio-visual communications professor of the Silliman University School of Communication here for nine years.

This Manila-born and Manila-raised professor relocated to Dumaguete in 1996 because he said he was tired of the fast-paced life in Manila.

Lim said it has become his habit to surf the Internet to look for updates on the video and film industry and on film courses in the academe.

His resourcefulness paid off as it gave him ideas about class projects, teaching aids, and teaching techniques.

Sometimes, while surfing, he would chance upon scholarship offerings to study film abroad as well as “pop-up” calls for entries to film festivals.

“I would join filmfests when the organizers’ objectives match with mine,” said Lim.

One of these was the 6th Annual Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival whose goal was to promote family entertainment and positive messages. This year’s theme was “Renaissance of the 7th Art.”

His entry was a short film that he conceptualized, wrote, edited, produced and directed last year for his TV Production class, to demonstrate to his students how a short film is made.

The short film “Kaibigan” is based on a true-to-life story that first appeared in a magazine. It tells about how a boy found Jesus Christ after losing his best friend in an accident.

Low budget

His class of seven mass communications students helped him conduct auditions for the various roles for this “teaching aid.”

“I just applied all that I learned from film school, starting with the casting, as all actors, professional or budding, have to suit their characters,” he said.

Veteran stage actress Dessa Quesada Palm, who spends most of her time in Dumaguete, got the plum role of mother of the boy.

The others who made it to the auditions were from Dumaguete City—physical therapist Lynn Larena Olegario, music student Chris Vidad, Pastor Princeton Apura, Silliman Church Pastor Haniel Taganas, and Keanu Medalla and Carlo Bollos, SU School of Basic Education pupils.

Lim said that while they auditioned for the roles, the cast rendered their talents for free because the film was supposed to be simply a class activity and a low-budget production.

The original musical score was created by Alan Valencia, former faculty member of the SU College of Performing Arts.

“We just used a digital 8 camera, tripods, lights, lapel microphones, non-linear editing using the Pinnacle Studio computer program—basic equipment that Silliman Masscom had invested for its video laboratory,” Lim said.

Jonah’s short film entry was submitted in MPEG format on a compact disc, which was hand-carried to the United States in May by his sister-in-law, Dr. Susan G. Lim, who then mailed it to the San Francisco WYSIWYG headquarters. Then he waited.

Lim got a piece of good news on Sept. 17 when he received an e-mail from the organizers that his film won an award.

The awarding ceremony was to be held on Oct. 22 at the WYSIWYG Filworks Studio and Sound Stage on Treasure Island in San Francisco.

“But they did not tell me what category,” he said.

Lim, however, did not have enough money to go to San Francisco to collect his award.

“A few days after the awarding, they e-mailed me again telling me that they were sending me a trophy for Best Foreign Film. I couldn’t believe it. I checked their website (wysiwygsf@earthlink.net) to see the title of my film in the list of winners. I never expected it to go this far. I was just so ecstatic,” he said.

Lim’s glass star trophy eventually arrived here Wednesday through an international courier. He got it only after the Bureau of Customs waived about P4,000 in taxes for the declared value of his prize.

Not a novice

But this professor is not exactly a neophyte when it comes to filmmaking. Nor is it the first time that his works are cited in international filmfests.

Lim got his degree in Bachelor in Communications, major in Film and Audio-Visual Communications, from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

He earned his Master of Fine Arts in Film and TV Production from Chapman University, a top film school in the United States.

Lim recalled that in graduate school, he included his parents—both retirees—in the cast for a class project. That time, the Lims, now in their 70s, were conveniently based in Orange County, California where Chapman University is located.

“Low-budget” seems to be a key factor in most of Lim’s over 25 short films that have so far been screened in Toronto, California, Burma, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, GMA 7, IBC 13, the local SkyCable, various schools here, etc.

“I was always looking for ways where I would keep the budget at a minimum,” Jonah recalled with a smile.

But “low budget” does not necessary mean low quality as evidenced by his films, which have been cited in international film festivals.

Recognitions

His short film, “Afternoon Delight” was an official selection in last year’s Raetihi Filmfest in New Zealand and in the Eksperimento Film and Video Festival in Manila.

The film was about a woman who realized that the people she hated were the same ones who ended up helping her.

His other film “Social Cancer” was also the 2002 Eksperimento official selection.

Lim’s master’s thesis at Chapman University, “Rescue in F Minor” got the Jury Citation for Short Fiction during the 2001 Eksperimento Film and Video Fest.

The film, which was about a man who accidentally killed his younger brother and then recovered with the help of a physically abused boy, was also in the official selection of the 2001 CineManila International Filmfest.

Last year, “Kaibigan” was screened as a nominee for Best Feature Film in the Sabaoth International Filmfest in Milan, Italy.

“The various awards and citations only make me want to create more,” said Lim.

He said he planned to continue producing films on the side while teaching eager mass communications students the ropes of filmmaking.

A full-length (1.5 hours) feature film is now on the drawing board, for which he plans to continue to experiment with non-mainstream, non-studio production.

“I will continue to work on universal themes of human relationships, the family, positive values which I believe are attractive to cross-cultural audiences,” said Lim.

He also planned to continue to conduct workshops for organizations and help them with their film and video projects through documentaries or narratives. “I’d be happy to know that my students in class, or the participants in my workshops, will have learned from me enough to be able to effectively apply the basics of film and video production,” Lim said.




I thought this was a full-feature... but anyway, I'm sure both the American version and the Filipino version are good... I wonder how we can see this...

[Flame alchemist]

I am shocked that I do not know about this...

thanks for the info

[Cardinal Bunal]

I am shocked that I do not know about this...

thanks for the info

But I take it you were there sa forum ni Jonah Lim two years ago ... anyway fighter kaayo siya, NOT like that other filmmaker who also guested in cafa and started talking about his "visual metaphors blah blah blah blah"... hehe just won't mention his name. And I don't think I should be comparing the two either....

[vanceloma]

you are so full of hate...

[Cardinal Bunal]

Insert Quote
you are so full of hate...

I'm a lover NOT a fighter...

The Girl Is Mine
The Doggone Girl Is Mine
I Know She's Mine
Because The Doggone Girl Is Mine



back on topic, ihisgot sad diri kung makakuha ka sa scoop on this film - diba you're an insider?

[vanceloma]

yup,

just did.

nagkaila man diay nmi ani sauna....i think