MANILA, Philippines - Two of the 10 finalists in this year?s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival have decided to drop out of the competition.

Emman dela Cruz, whose film ?1434456? tells of the struggles of migrant sectors in the country, backed out due to problems in casting, the film?s writer Raymond Lee told Inquirer Entertainment on Friday.

Edith Asuncion, director of ?Antiparang Basag,? who also withdrew from the festival, pointed to the lack of a counterpart financing scheme. Her film tells of a woman?s brief encounter with four octogenarians who escaped from a nursing home.

Substitutes

Taking Dela Cruz?s slot is Jay Abello, whose film ?Namet? is a love story of two chefs fighting over the rights to a restaurant.

Critically acclaimed director Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil is getting the other slot. Her film, titled ?Boses,? is the story of a violinist who comes from a traumatic relationship and who works in a shelter for abused children, where he finds a child prodigy.

?We?re afraid to not meet the deadline. This is the kind of project that lives or dies depending on casting choices,? Lee said of Dela Cruz?s film.

Indian cast

?1434456? is the story of a Punjabi widower fondly called Jimmy Paybsiks, who faces the challenges of finding a more permanent sense of home and country for his children. The film examines the colorful stories of the Indian minority in the country.

UFO Pictures, the film?s producer, scheduled a series of auditions for Filipino-Indian actors, but no one turned up, said Lee.

He added that there are four main characters in the film. Jimmy, in his early 40s, is the lovable father of two. He is amiable, speaks fluent Hindi and rides a motorcycle.

Jimmy?s son, between 18 to 21, is rebellious but loving. He takes on family responsibility at a young age and knows how to ride a motorcycle.

Jimmy?s daughter, born in the Philippines, has a growing desire to learn about her Indian origin. She is sweet, funny, smart, dances well and speaks Tagalog fluently. She can be from 9 to 13.

Pro or not

The son?s wife, aged between 17 and 21, is a free thinker and strong-willed. She will learn an Indian dance in the course of shooting the film.

?They don?t have to be professional actors. We are willing to work with them step by step,? Lee said. ?This could be the first Filipino film with an all-Indian cast.?

Lee said interested actors may e-mail UFO Pictures at ufo1434456@yahoo.com or call 0917-3950048.

?Namet,? which is Ilonggo for ?yummy,? is a production of Giant Sponge Inc. and Produksyon Tarmontina Inc.

?Boses,? produced by Marfil?s Erasto Productions, casts violinist Alfonso ?Coke? Bolipata in the lead. Real-life child prodigy Julian Duque will also be part of the film.

Duque has just earned a scholarship to the famed Juilliard School in New York.

(Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)