Manila is a two-part indie film inspired by Ishmael Bernal’s 1980 film Manila by Night and Lino Brocka’s 1979 film Jaguar. It is divided into a “Day” and “Night” episode directed by Raya Martin and Adolfo Alix, Jr., respectively.

Manila was first exhibited at the 61st Cannes Film Festival and the 31st Moscow International Film Festival and it is set to be screened in 6 more international film festivals.

Now, Filipinos will finally have the chance to watch this black-and-white film at the following theaters, released by Star Cinema: SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Manila, SM Fairview, Robinsons Ermita, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway, Trinoma, Glorietta 4, Sta. Lucia, SM Davao, SM Cebu, SM Pampanga, and SM Taytay.

An MJM Production and Bicycle Pictures production, Manila also stars Rosanna Roces, Jay Manalo, Alessandra de Rossi, Baron Geisler, Iza Calzado, Angelica Panganiban, Jiro Manio, William Martinez, Anita Linda, Marissa Delgado, Menggie Cobarrubias, John Lapus, Katherine Luna, Aleck Bovick, and Jon Avila.

VIDEO LINK: Manila – Full Trailer

Also starring in Karera are Allan Paule, Menggie Cobarrubias, Soliman Cruz, Kristofer King, Marife Necesito, Arnold Reyes, Edgar Allan Guzman, Mercedes Cabral, Cherry Madrigal, Kenneth Ocampo, Jess Evardone and Moises Magisa.

Karera is written by Jerome David Zamora and helmed by Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr., director of notable films as Kalayaan, Imoral, Adela, Aurora, Daybreak, Manila, Batanes, Tambolista, Nars, Kadin and Donsol.

Synopsis: KARERA captures a day in the life of the Domingo family, which seems to be a microcosm of the Filipino society racing against time and opportunity as they gamble with their personal choices in a series of complicated moral, spiritual, political and social issues.

The mother, LV (Guillen), runs a “bookies” (an illegal horse race betting outlet) in their house. Today, the money she is supposed-to-remit is missing. She struggles to look for the missing money and traces who might get hold of it. Ace (Manalo), LV’s eldest, who works as a “sota” (horse caretaker) is torn between pursuing an illegal arrangement with one of the other trainors to injure the horse he takes care of in exchange for a hefty sum of money that he can use for his placement fee. Daisy (Roces), the matriarch’s daughter, is running away from policemen after an arrangement that she needs to pinpoint all the other illegal karera outlets to spare her family. Bingo (Bascon), their youngest, is impatiently waiting for his girlfriend to have sex with him after a bet with his friends.

What happens is a raw and gritty drama of human survival.

Video Link: Karera – Movie Trailer

The reviewers from the Movie Television Review and Classification Board or MTRCB ruled twice saying that the controversial rape scenes in the movie are not fit for public viewing. Director Adolfo Alix, Jr., on the other hand, stands by his cut of the film and is currently appealing the decision to Malacañang.

Alix, who also wrote the script for Aurora, was known for critically-acclaimed indie films such as Tambolista, Donsol (RP’s entry to the 2006 Oscars), Batanes and Adela.

Aurora stars Sid Lucero, Kristofer King, Angeli Bayani and Rosanna Roces. The film explores an intimate portrait of a captor and a captive as they both struggle to survive in the depths of a jungle.

A social worker named Aurora (Rosanna Roces) is kidnapped by members of the Lost Command. After a military raid in the middle of the night, she gets lost in the forest. She walks aimlessly in the thick forest, hoping to find her way out to freedom. She is found by Fadi (Sid Lucero), one of her captors. Aurora tries every way in order to run away. Will she see the break of dawn alive?

Video link: Aurora Movie Trailer