Toasting the Tribeca Three

Posted: April 22nd, 2012 ˑ Filled under: Entertainment ˑ 1 Comment

Filmmakers Ron Morales, Miguel Calayan and Ramona Diaz. Photos by Elton Lugay

Filmmakers, actors, moviegoers and writers packed the Kalayaan Hall’s cocktail reception for three Filipino filmmakers exhibiting at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“This is the first time we’ve seen the Kalayaan Hall this full,” noted Deputy Consul General Tess Dizon de Vega. “This is almost a fire hazard.”

It was clear as day who the star of the evening was. When Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda made his entrance, the crowd parted and then the program began. His “rock-and-roll fairy tale” called “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” was the subject of a two-hour documentary by Ramona Diaz. Diaz and two other filmmakers made this year’s Tribeca film selection. They are Ron Morales, writer-director of “Graceland,” and Miguel Calayan, director of “Prima.”

Consul General Mario de Leon exhorted the filmmakers to continue to “act, write, direct and produce” films that will put the Philippines on the world stage.

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