Balay Habi Studio

13/11/2022

23/10/2022

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: Project Wiyawi

04/10/2022

24/08/2022

22/03/2022

HIFF Film Lab Mentor: Carla Pulido Ocampo

Carla Pulido Ocampo is a Filipino filmmaker and cultural worker. She is co-founder of associations that are purveyors of alternative cinema culture in Northern Philippines: Habi Collective Media, Balay Habi Studio, and Pelicula Union.

Currently, she is best known for her filmography centering on the culture and lore of Northern Philippines. She is writer, researcher, and editor for the seminal documentary Walang R**e sa Bontok (international title: Bontok, R**eless); and is the editor, writer and director of the short film Tokwifi (translated title: Star) which won the Special Jury Prize at the 7th QCinema International Film Festival in 2019, and achieved a grand slam in the year 2020 by winning Best Short Film honors in the 16th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, and in the prestigious Gawad Urian and FAMAS Awards.

22/03/2022

HIFF Film Lab Mentor: Mark Lester Valle

Lester is an Ilokano-Pangasinense and an adopted son of the Bontok Igorot community in Mountain Province, Central Cordillera. As a son of intersecting bloodlines from Philippine northern territories, he speaks three languages in the vernacular: Iloko, Pangasinan, and Bontok. This makes him a sought-after community organizer and regional arbitrator, in the national sphere of culture and the arts.

As a founding member of film and media groups Pelicula Union and Habi Collective Media, Lester is a dedicated mentor to budding grassroots filmmakers, not only imparting technical know-how, but also driving the importance of ethical filmmaking: anchored on social justice, cultural sensitivity, multi-sector research, and gender-fairness.

Lester is best known as the director, cinematographer, and producer of the documentary Walang R**e sa Bontok (international title: Bontok, R**eless) which won the Gawad Urian award for Best Documentary in the year 2015. Since the release of the film, he has committed himself to become a staunch ally of the national women’s movement and anti-r**e culture initiatives.

He is also the cinematographer and producer of the multi-awarded short film Tokwifi (Star) which won both the Gawad Urian and the FAMAS Award for Best Short Film in the year 2020.

13/11/2021

01/03/2021

10/02/2021

Be inspired in arts, culture, and nationalism as Lester Valle, Filmmaker, Founder of Habi Collective Media, and Khryss Arañas, Singer-Songwriter, Co-Project Head of Project Pesante, share with us their advocacies to unfold current cultural issues, love for Filipino history, lifeways, and arts. Join us for the season-ender of Making a Difference with Erika Mison this Saturday, Feb 13 at 3PM, Only here in !

WATCH IT LIVE
on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruOZA3sSEX8

page:
https://www.facebook.com/104057591209651/posts/236658717949537/

05/02/2021

Our growing filmography. Hope to work with more grassroots filmmakers, soon! 🥰

23/11/2020

"The highlight of this year's special edition is a project that brought together filmmakers from Southeast Asia and Japan to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and create an omnibus film that imagines their world under lockdown. Participating filmmakers are Nontawat Numbenchapol (Thailand), Bagane Fiola (Philippines), Takayuki Yoshida (Japan), Carla Pulido Ocampo (Philippines), Mark Lester Valle (Philippines), Daniel Rudi Haryanto (Indonesia), Hassanodden Hosni Hashim (Philippines), Edmund Telmo (Philippines), Abdul Zainidi (Brunei), Mervine Aquino (Philippines), Ligaya Villablanca (Philippines) and Gladys Ng (Singapore). The film, produced by Salamindanaw and Los Otros, is assembled by John Torres."

11/11/2020

Carla Pulido Ocampo's Tokwifi bagged the Best Short Film award at the 2020 Gawad Urian! Pasasalamat para sa mga Manunuri at pagpupugay para kay Direk Carla at sa mga taong bumuo ng pelikulang ito! 🌟

17/09/2020

15/09/2020

09/09/2020

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Register now for free and get a chance to win a production grant and premiere your film in Lutas 2021!
(Limited slots only)

Click here to register:
https://bit.ly/2R5E0Vh

22/08/2020

14/08/2020

JUST IN: is finalist in SeaShorts Film Festival (Malaysia) :)

Star (Tokwifi) | Philippines | 2019 | 20′
Dir. Carla Pulido Ocampo

A 1950s showbiz star, trapped inside a television, crashes down to earth. A frightened but probing indigenous farmer saves her. Deep into the night, the two try their best to engage each other. But glitches, language differences, and the offensive political incorrectness of 1950s TV all get in the way.

SeaShorts Competition is a competition dedicated to finding and nurturing new Southeast Asian filmmaking talents who take a distinctive approach to short form cinema. A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies (Ora Srawung, Mati Suwung) | Indonesia | 2020 | 18′Dir. Destian Rendra Pratama Mrs. Endah’s shop ...

14/08/2020

“Tayo po ay lumaki sa kultura na kapag pelikula mo, sasabihin mo my film, my set, my staff, my story, a film by. Pero sa pag-shoot po namin ng ‘Tokwifi,’ itinuro po sa amin na kapag gumagawa ka ng pelikula, ito’y isang komunal na gawain. Hindi mo ito magagawa kung wala kang kasamang barangay, kung wala kang kasamang komunidad.” ~Carla Pulido Ocampo

THE Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival’s first virtual Award Program on Wednesday saw “Tokwifi” as this year’s big winner. “Tokwifi” (Star, pronounced “tok-wee-fee”) — a story about a 1950s mestiza star, trapped inside a television that fell from the sky and dreams up ...

13/08/2020

NEXT STOP: Minikino Film Week | Bali International Short Film Festival

10/08/2020

"There are wonderful performances here from Kurt ‘Ayeo-eo’ Lumbag Alalag as Limmayug and Adrienne Vergara as the woman in the television. While Lumbag Alalag has to act with a television, Vergara is quintessentially acting on her own and Ocampo has to direct them that they are in synch with each other and the scene is magical."

- Wanggo Gallaga

https://www.clickthecity.com/movies/article/65453/cinemalaya-2020-main-competition-shorts-set-a-film-reviews/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Cinemalaya 2020 is now online and streaming! All five films of Set A of the competition shorts boast of exquisite cinematography.

02/08/2020

TOKWIFI (Star) by Carla Pulido Ocampo

GENRE -- Fantasy, Magic-Realism

As Limmayug carries firewood back to his home village, something falls from the sky: a 1950s television, with a hysterical showbiz star trapped inside it. She is Laura Blancaflor. The frightened man saves the television -- nay, saves Laura -- from the flames of the impact.

Worlds apart in their language and methods, the two try their best to engage each other. But for Limmayug, an indigenous man from an off-the-grid mountain town, Laura’s TV talk seems too contrived and, alas, during commercial breaks, uncontrollably tactless as well.

CAST:

Kurt "Ayeo-eo" Lumbag Alalag and Adrienne Vergara, with Julian Chumacog, Julia Bete, Kay-An Lao-ed, Basilio Fatog, Roger Federico, Claudine Tikan, Britney Te-elan, Shane Daweg, Garnet Poloc, Ronnie Ing-inga

PRODUCTION STAFF:

Director / Screenwriter -- Carla Pulido Ocampo
Executive Producer -- QCinema International Film Festival
Production House -- Balay Habi Studio
Co-presented by Network of Asia Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence (NAPIESV) and LGU-BONTOC
Producers – Quezon City Film Development Commission, Eduardo Lejano Jr., Manet Dayrit, Lester Valle, Sherlynne Angeles-Eddiva, Harianne Gasmen, Vladimir Hernandez, Miguel Noel Ocampo, Leah Pulido Ocampo, Joni Pulido-Ferrier
Line Producer / Assistant Director – Kyla Angeles Domingo
Cinematographer – Lester Valle
Editor / Colorist -- Carla Pulido Ocampo
Script Consultants -- Rocky Acofo Cajigan, Kay-an Khawaen, Beau Killip Macliing
Production Designer -- Rocky Acofo Cajigan
Musical Scorers – Jason Canoy, Maryjane Alejo, Joi Barrios-Leblanc, Rica Saturay-Palis, and Mebuyan
Sound Designer -- Willie Apa, Jr.
2nd Assistant Directors – Claire Kaplaan Lafadchan, Kay-An Khawaen
Production Assistants – Kyle Bacani, Lance Mancenido, Samae Buenaventura, Clarisse Corpuz, Karl Dy, Darryl Casugay
Art Department – Lee Law-ed, Kurt Balaso, Shane Daweg, Roger Federico
Wardrobe Master – Kim Perez
Hair and Makeup Artist – Sabrina Apolinar
Special Effects – Stephen Lenihan, III
2nd Camera – Marco Lopez
Gaffer – Johannes Santelices
Poster Designer – Carla Pulido Ocampo
BTS Photographer – JJ Lopez Buenaventura, Krizza Mae Pacleb

TRAILER LINK -- https://vimeo.com/442299357

01/08/2020

“TOKWIFI”
Directed by Carla Pulido Ocampo

FILMMAKER’S PROFILE:

CARLA PULIDO OCAMPO is a film editor, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, and cultural worker residing in the indigenous territory of Bontoc, in the mountainous region of the Philippine Cordilleras. She is a co-founder of groups that are purveyors of alternative cinema culture in Northern Philippines: Habi Collective, Balay Habi Studio, and Pelicula Union.

Currently, she is best known for her filmography centering on the culture and lore of the indigenous Bontok Igorot people. She is writer, researcher, and editor for the seminal documentary “Walang R**e sa Bontok.” Her short film “Tokwifi” won the Special Jury Prize at the 7th QCinema International Film Festival in 2019.

FILMMAKER’S STATEMENT:

“Tokwifi” (Star, pronounced “tok-wee-fee”) is a short film that explores the what-ifs of differing love languages. But more than that, it is also a parable reflecting two significant issues in Philippine media – (1) How women characters are “boxed” within men-dependent stereotypes throughout the history of local television, and (2) How famous Philippine personalities – labeling our indigenous mountain people as “primitive,” “uncivilized” or perennially unkempt – has time and again broken the indigenous heart.

31/07/2020

07/03/2020

WALANG R**E SA BONTOK (2014) - Mark Lester Valle; Carla Pulido Ocampo with GMA Network
Kabundukan | March 20 | 2:40 PM, UPFI Film Center, Cine Adarna

Tickets available at daang-dokyu.eventbrite.com. More info at daangdokyu.ph

WALANG R**E SA BONTOK (2014) - Mark Lester Valle; Carla Pulido Ocampo with GMA Network
Kabundukan | March 20 | 2:40 PM, UPFI Film Center, Cine Adarna

Synopsis:
Two women, both victims of sexual abuse, yearn and search for a utopia where women can live without being sexually violated. By chance, they encounter a study by renowned anthropologist June Prill-Brett, which mentions that the Bontok of the Philippine Cordilleras have lived for eras without a term, nor concept, nor incidence, of r**e. At last, a utopia, where the most heinous of gender crimes is unheard of. Or is it?

Daang Dokyu is set to present classic and contemporary titles gathered from different countries and regions from March 16 to 21, 2020 at the Cine Adarna, UPFI Film Center, Diliman, Quezon City.

Tickets available at daang-dokyu.eventbrite.com. More info at daangdokyu.ph