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The 17th Busan International Film Festival to Kick Off on Oct. 4 for 10-Day Run

Benito Bautista, Harana director

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The Harana documentary from the Philippines will be competing in the Busan Film Festival scheduled for Oct.4-13 , 2012.

The film has generated interest not only amongst Kababayans in Manila, but also in Guam, Hawaii and several prominent film festivals in California and NYK. It is something that they could be proud about.

Kababayan is a Tagalog word that means fellow Filipino, countryman, or townmate. It is used throughout the Philippines and throughout the various Philippine languages.

The Harana documentary film explores the vanished custom of Harana and its music through the eyes of classical guitarist Florante Aguilar.

Harana poster

Born and raised in the Philippines, as a young boy in the province of Cavite, Florante heard music and mythical stories spoken by his elders. Now living in the US and championing Filipino music Florante travels back to the home country to search for and rediscover the last surviving practitioners of a long lost art before its complete demise.

Led by award winning, San Francisco director Benito Bautista, the film contains a treasure trove of beautiful Filipino music awaiting to be rediscovered.

Intent on preserving vanishing customs, the film rekindles a connection with the past before it is irrevocably lost, and portrays a side of the Philippines rarely seen. Presenting the newest trailer of this documentary film will be its director, Benito Bautista, and producer, Fides Enriquez.

About the Film

Upon his father's death, Florante, a classically trained guitarist returns to the Philippines after 12 years of absence. During his stay he rediscovers the music of harana - a long-forgotten tradition of Filipino serenading when men sang under the window at night to fearlessly declare their love for a woman.

Intent on unearthing these unheralded songs, Florante travels to the remote provinces where he discovers three of the last surviving practitioners - a farmer, a fisherman and a tricycle driver. Astounded by their golden voices, Florante asks them to travel with him to perform and record these unknown songs. During their travels, the haranistas meet Brian, a shy young man who for years has been secretly in love with a schoolmate. The haranistas, who have not serenaded in the last thirty years, offered their services to serenade Brian's object of affection, resulting in one of the most tender moments of genuine harana captured on film.

Word soon spread around Manila of leathery faced men whose style of untrained but sincere and expressive singing t ouch the hearts everywhere they performed, culminating in a series of triumphant live performances - from the small village to prestigious concert halls to recording the first authentic harana album in the last fifty years. But the question remains - can harana be restored to its former glory or is it doomed to vanish silently into the night forever?

Led by award winning director Benito Bautista, the riveting film contains a treasure trove of beautiful Filipino music awaiting to be rediscovered. Intent on preserving vanishing customs, the film rekindles a connection with the past before it is irrevocably lost, and portrays a side of the Philippines rarely seen on the screen.

In the meantime, continuing the special bond with the Busan International Film Festival, Tang Wei will host the Festivals Opening Ceremony this year.

Tang Wei gained international fame with her role in Lust, Caution, and was selected as one of Varietys up and coming stars under 20 in 2007. She visited the Busan International Film Festival with her film Late Autumn in 2010 and Xu Xia in 2011

The 17th Busan International Film Festival announces its Special Program in Focus, Poland in Close-up: The Great Polish Masters. Poland in Close-up: The Great Polish Masters will explore the past and the present of the Polish cinema that is rich with more than 100 years of history.

Important films of ten master Polish filmmakers who have established their importance in broader European cinema history will be screened in Busan.

Poland in Close-up: The Great Polish Masters was made possible through cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Polish Film Institute, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Korea, and the Polish National Film Archive.

General Registration for sales booths and market screenings at the Asian Film Market 2012 opened June 15 and closed August 31; however, badge registration remains currently online until October 3. The 7th Asian Film Market will take place from October 8 to 11 at BEXCO (Busan Exhibition & Convention Center) in Centum City, Busan.

This year, a total of 170 Exhibitors (including BIFCOM exhibitors), joined the film festival, up 7% from a year ealier.

European, Korean, Thai, Taiwanese Pavilions have Registered

This year, Thiland will set up their Pavilion along with twenty Thai sales companies. Twelve companies will be based in the Taiwanese Pavilion, thirteen companies in the Korean Pavilion (run by the Korean Film Council), and more than thirty companies at the European Film Promotion.

Market Screenings have increased from 62 to 73 films and from 64 to 84 screenings. Market Screening will take place at Lotte Cinema theaters in the Centum area.

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