FILIPINO filmmaker Brillante Mendoza returned to Tokyo for a fourth consecutive year on Oct. 25 to join the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival, not only as a participating director, but as president of the jury tasked to determine this year’s winning films.
At the festival’s opening at a packed Roppongi Hills Arena, Mendoza was given a distinguished welcome as he walked the red carpet alongside four other international film personalities completing the five-member jury.
He heads the panel composed of American film producer Bryan Burk, Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, Hong Kong film director Stanley Kwan, and Japanese actress Kaho Minami.
“It’s very exciting and I’m very honored,” told ABS-CBN News on the sidelines of the red carpet. “Nakaka-proud because I’ll be judging this time other people’s work. Iba ‘yun ‘pag nag-judge ka ng trabaho ng ibang filmmaker because you know exactly how it feels, you know exactly the experience of these filmmakers. Nakakaba rin.”
Mendoza is a celebrated figure at the annual festival. In 2015, he was honored with a retrospective of his body of work dubbed “The World of Brillante Ma Mendoza.” In 2016, he collaborated with filmmakers from Japan and Cambodia for the “Reflections” omnibus film for that year’s Asian Three-Fold Mirror. And last year, Mendoza led a master class for aspiring directors and actors.
In addition to being jury president this year, Mendoza is one of the filmmakers behind the non-competition omnibus film “Lakbayan” (World Focus section), along with Lav Diaz and now-National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik.
Mendoza is no stranger to juror duties. Early this year, he was similarly president of jury at the second edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival. He drew from that experience as he answered a hypothetical question about not reaching a consensus on a winning film.
“There are times that you have to choose a film that you don’t necessarily like. A good film can be a film that you don’t necessarily like. It doesn’t mean that if you don’t like a film, it’s not a good film. I would like to say that, ‘The film is good,’ rather than, ‘I like the film.’ These are two different things. As jury president, that’s what I would do,” he said.
Over the years since he made his directorial debut in 2005 with “Masahista (The Masseur),” Mendoza has cemented his status as one of the most accomplished Filipino directors on the world stage. That he is, in Tokyo, “a filmmaker from a developing country, judging films in a festival hosted by a developed country” is not lost on Mendoza.
He brought this up as he shared hopes of helping open wider doors for Filipino filmmakers internationally.
“I just do my best, because I am happy doing what I’m doing,” he told ABS-CBN News. “Of course, nagbibigay siya ng pride sa bansa natin at natutuwa ako, at siyempre proud ako na nangyayari ‘yun. Pero ayoko kasi isipin ‘yun, na ganun. Hayaan ko lang mangyari lahat.”
“Ang ginagawa ko naman ay ginagawa ko first and foremost kasi nagkakaroon ako ng fulfillment. I’m even more fulfilled, kasi hindi lang ako ang naaapektuhan; naaapektuhan ko rin ang bansa natin, and of course ang mga Pilipino,” he said. (ABS-CBN News)
