An indie drama that explores the loneliness and missed opportunities of an ailing, 70-year-old gay man is testing Philippine sensibilities about sexuality and, if it passes the Academy Awards’ nomination process, may get a shot as the country’s entry in the best foreign-language film competition next year.
“Bwakaw,” or “Voracious,” has received positive reviews and local awards, and is doing the rounds of international film festivals in Toronto, New York, Hawaii and Tokyo.
Writer and director Jun Robles Lana says the movie is named after a stray dog with a voracious appetite for life that Rene, the main character, strikes a friendship with. Bwakaw’s zest for life contrasts with Rene’s grumpy disposition.
Rene came out of the closet in his twilight years, thinks it is too late for love and only awaits his own death. He has made a will and labeled his few possessions to be given away to his few friends. He even bought a coffin at a funeral home’s closing-out sale.
But when Bwakaw dies after an illness, Rene, played by veteran actor Eddie Garcia, finds new appreciation for life. “It’s the dog that basically teaches him to live life to the fullest,” Lana said in an interview Wednesday.
“It’s really more about loneliness, although you can’t help that some people or critics are branding it a gay film simply because the character is gay, but that’s really beside the point,” he said.
Lana admits that while Filipinos are generally gay-friendly — the most popular movie star is Vice Ganda, an out-and-out gay comedian — local mainstream audiences might not be too receptive to a serious take on homosexuality in the conservative and predominantly Roman Catholic society.
“We tend to look at gay characters as iconic, funny characters,” he said. “So when you make a movie like this, you really have to market it in such a way that it would be more appealing to them.”
He said that the movie focuses on the comedy aspect in order to appeal to a wider audience.
But the filmmaker hopes that between the laughs, moviegoers will find that it is more than a comedy.
He said he made the film with the intention to honor his mentor, writer Rene Villanueva, who died in 2007. He described Villanueva, who came out as gay later in his life, as generous and harsh at the same time, and an inspiration for the main character, Rene.
Lana said the drama “eventually became a story about growing old, missed opportunities, about how desire is inextricable from our lives.”
For Lana, who started in art house films but has for the last few years been mainly involved in commercial movies, “Bwakaw” was also “a return to my roots.”
“I did not expect this film which I made for very personal reasons would resonate with so many people and not just Filipinos,” he said. “I’m really just thankful for all the wonderful things going our way.”
The Philippines has submitted entries to the Academy Awards for many years but has never been nominated or even short-listed.
There are presently around 40 entries for the best foreign-language category. The list is to be pared down to 10 films late this year, and to five nominees by January.
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More