Who could've predicted that the producer behind the noontime show ?Eat Bulaga? would bankroll six digital movies by veteran filmmakers?

In a brave move, Tony Tuviera of APT Entertainment teamed up with the Directors? Guild of the Philippines, Inc. (DGPI) in producing six movies that veer away from the formulaic: Lore Reyes? ?Litsonero,? Joel Lamangan?s ?Fuchsia,? Soxie Topacio?s ?Ded na si Lolo,? Maryo J. de los Reyes? ?Kamoteng Kahoy,? Mel Chionglo?s ?Bente? and Peque Gallaga?s ?Agaton at Mindy.?

Director-driven
Explained Tony Y. Reyes, DGPI president and executive producer of the six films in the festival dubbed Sine Direk: ?These projects are director-driven, but audience-friendly.?

Gallaga clarified, ?It?s a chance to do a personal project without taking into account the corporate requirements of established producers.?

These days, Gallaga said, movies are created by a committee. With Sine Direk, filmmakers are allowed ?to express themselves freely and make a direct contribution to their audience, without interference from ?Execoms? which are mostly concerned with churning out predictable products.?

He asserted that the same indie spirit fueled ?the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema in the 1970s.?

Lamangan said the Sine Direk films would never get produced in the current scene. ?No mainstream producer would invest in a project whose main actors are septuagenarians. I made this film because I wanted to tell a different story.?

Chionglo pointed out that directors shouldn?t be afraid to tackle un-commercial subjects like ?socio-political issues.? ?The demands of entertainment shouldn?t negate this; rather, they should serve as a challenge to filmmakers.?

De los Reyes said Sine Direk is ?a labor of love for the directors who want to revive the movie industry,? adding that not a few artists ?generously gave their time, talent and resources? for the fest, which will run in SM cinemas from April 29 till June.

Mainstream stars

Among the mainstream stars participating in the fest are: Gloria Romero, Eddie Garcia, Robert Arevalo, Armida Siguion-Reyna, Iza Calzado (?Fuchsia?); Paolo Contis, Michael de Mesa, Maricel Laxa and Karylle (?Litsonero?); Roderick Paulate, Manilyn Reynes, Gina Alajar, Elizabeth Oropesa, Chanda Romero (?Ded na si Lolo?); Nash Aguas, Yul Servo, Robert Villar Jr., Sharlene San Pedro (?Kamoteng Kahoy?); Richard Gomez, Ricky Davao, Jinggoy Estrada, Lani Mercado (?Bente?); Dina Bonnevie, Cherie Gil, Desiree del Valle (?Agaton at Mindy?).

Romero said she joined Sine Direk because it serves a noble cause. Reyes noted that the festival aims to raise funds for the college scholarship fund earmarked for deserving children of marginalized movie workers.