The Filipino short film “Radikals” has been chosen to compete at the 63rd Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week), a parallel section of the renowned Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
“La Semaine de la Critique materializes each year its role as talent scouter in a selection of 10 short films and 10 feature films presented during the Cannes Film Festival,” according to the competition website.
The poster for the 63rd Semaine de la Critique (Photo from the Semaine de la Critique)
"Radikals"
Directed by Arvin Belarmino, “Radikals” follows a chicken-dance group and its neophyte who faces a heckler after a bad performance, leading to strange events that reveal what the group does to their weakest link. It features a unique traditional dance called Bakte, which hails from the Imus, Cavite. Its stars are Elora Españo, Timothy Castillo and Ross Pesigan.
“Radikals” is a film that acknowledges the power of dance and art in bridging the most eccentric of minds.
"In art, if you don't do your best and pour your heart and soul into your craft, it will eat you alive. If you don't find the courage to share your voice with the world, you will end up losing it — blending in with the ordinary people," said Belarmino.
Belarmino is a filmmaker who has earned several awards for his short films, both locally and internationally. He was the sole Filipino director selected for the Festival de Cannes Cinefondation La Residence in 2022.
An alumnus of Talents Tokyo, Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Produire Au Sud Workshop Nantes, and Institut Francais' La Fabrique program, Belarmino has been making his mark in the international film scene through his unique voice and striking presence in prestigious film labs and programs.
He was recently chosen as one of the filmmakers for the Cannes Directors Fortnight Factory 2024 program.
Producer Kristine De Leon said “Radikals” was made possible through a co-production, involving a multinational collaboration of the Philippines, US, Bangladesh, and France.
It was made through the collaboration of eight reputable companies: WAF Studios, Terminal Six Post, and James Lau Rentals in the Philippines; 9 Films and A Forceful Tide Productions in the US; Runout Films and Green Screen in Bangladesh; and DW Films in France.
Belarmino is gearing up for the production of his first feature film, "RIA," a project currently in development that has garnered recognition from various prestigious international film labs. The filming of "RIA" is scheduled to start in 2025.