Director Pepe Diokno’s “Engkwentro,” winner of two awards in last month’s Venice Film Festival, will have a special screening at the 11th Cinemanila on Oct. 21 and at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece on Nov. 14.

Proceeds from the Cinemanila screening at Cinema 6 of Market! Market! in Taguig City will benefit the victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The screening in Greece, on the other hand, will open the Filipino program in the Thessaloniki film fest.

In an interview with Manila Bulletin Entertainment Online at the opening of the Italian Film Festival on Oct. 14 at the Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, Diokno noted the similarities in Italian and Filipino cultures and cinemas.

“The Italians are very laissez faire, very warm. They have Italian time like our Filipino time. They have almost the same societal problems [like ours]. Italian cinema is influential to a lot of people [who] focus on the link between Italian neo-realism and some of our films,” he said.

The 22-year-old filmmaker recalled being impressed by the Italians’ friendliness when he was in Venice to represent “Engkwento.” The film went on to claim the Lion of the Future-“Luigi de Laurentiis” Award for Debut Film, and the top prize in the Horizons section for new trends in cinema.

He also found Venice a beautiful city although he wasn’t able to explore it because he spent most of his week there watching movies which, he said, were equally beautiful.

“Ang dami,” he replied when asked about his fondest memory of Venice. “There were a lot of firsts for me: first international film festival, first recognition and first time in Italy.”

“But of course I can’t take away the moment when we received the award. The winning moment stays with you forever,” he pointed out.

Aside from the “The True Legend of Tony Vilar,” the Italian film fest’s opener, Diokno said he looked forward to watching the other 12 selections in the lineup particularly “What I’m Doing Here,” a comedy road flick which is a complete departure from his award-winning film.

“Engkwentro” tells the story of two teenage brothers who belong to warring gangs in an unspecified city in the country. Diokno has denied a direct representation of the alleged “Davao death squads.”

After the screenings in Cinemanila and in Greece, “Engkwentro” will be shown nationwide. For details, log on to www.engkwentro.com.

Also included in the Filipino program of the Thessaloniki film fest are Brilliante Mendoza’s “Kinatay” and “Lola;” “Lav Diaz’s “Melancholia;” Raya Martin’s “A Song for Indio Nacional” and “Independencia;” Khavn dela Cruz’s “The Muzzled Horse of an Engineer in Search of Mechanical Saddles;” John Torres’ “Todo Todo Reros;” Jim Libiran’s “Tribu” and Sherad Anthony Sanchez’s “Imburnal.”