film festivals: are you one of the watchers?

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Film festivals in Manila are slowly sprouting around this time of the year. Last June, the French embassy sponsored the :L’amour, toujours l’amour!" The French film fest was a free admission thing. The thing is during the french film fest stint, my mother has been with us, thus, I declined watching any of the movies it featured. This month, the Japanese Foundation, Manila Inc. is sponsoring the 2008 Eiga Sai. It opened last July 8. Last night, I was able to watch the movie "Juvenile Jungle". It was a story of two brothers who liked one girl -- the other in love and the other obsessed. In the end, it's an Abel-Cain sort of story I think. It was a period film, depicting the 1950s era I think. I did not really realize that America has such impact to Japan, the way it did in my country. I was just awed on how America has influenced Japan. Anyways, Egai Sai screening venues are at the Shangri-La Plaza Cinema 3 (July 8 to 13, 26 & 27), CCP Dream Theater (August 7 to 10), and UP Film Institute (August 11 to 14 & 16). ADMISSION IS FREE. Within July also is also Cinemalaya Film Fest. Last year, I was able to watch the movie PISAY, and really I was awed by how the movie portrayed HS students in Pisay during the 80s. Nonetheless, films that are not mainstreamed to commercial movie outfits seemed to be with essence and you could see how potential Lino-Brocka wannabes can make a masterpiece within limited budget. Now, my question, are you also fond of watching filmfests? What movies have you watched and from what countries are these films?