MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/07 December) — A Mindanao-made film titled “Crossfire” will compete in the prestigious 8th Dubai International Film Festival that will be held in the oil-rich Arabian country on December 7-14 this year.
Produced, written, and directed by Davao’s foremost indie film maker, Arnel M. Mardoquio, “Crossfire” tells the intertwined stories of Datu Mantukaw, Bae Magdas, her daughter Bitoon, and Lingig, her love interest.
To escape war and poverty, Bitoon seeks to work abroad only to fall victim to illegal recruiters. Meantime, Datu Mantucaw offers a rich bride price to marry Bitoon, which Bae Magdas could not refuse.
The story is set against the harsh realities of Mindanao’s internal refugees or bakwits, victims of the war that continues to ravage the countryside. They flock to makeshift houses in gymnasiums, schools, and churches to escape being caught in the crossfire.
The film has an all-Mindanao cast in keeping with Mardoquio’s mission of developing local talents in the island. Topbilling the cast are Perry Dizon as Datu Mantukaw, Alexis Libres as Lingig, Betya Villarojo as Bai Magdas, and AC Macheca as Bitoon.
According to Mardoquio, who is a member of the Davao Writers Guild, “Crossfire” will compete against films made by well-known and veteran directors from all over the world.
Gracing the affair is Tom Cruise who stars in one of the competing films. (MindaNews)
