Quentin Tarantino to come to Manila

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, director of “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill,” will be hitting Philippine shores in August to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during special ceremonies in the Ninth Cinemanila International Film Festival.

Tarantino will be receiving the distinction for his iconic contributions to world cinema and continued support to the proliferation and promotion of Asian and independent films.

Tarantino's love for Asian films has inspired him to make use of various cinematic styles from films of the region such as wire kung-fu scenes, sword fights and stylized action scenes in his own movies. His admiration for Asian cinema has made him one of its most significant advocates; the release of Zhang Yimou's “Hero” and Wong Kar Wai's “Chungking Express” in the US were made possible by Tarantino.

Renowned for cult favorites like “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill,” Tarantino has won accolades and citations from various groups, including an Oscar nomination for his direction of the critically acclaimed film “Pulp Fiction.” In 2004, he was selected to be the head of the jury of the Cannes Film Festival.

Catch renowned director Quentin Tarantino as he graces the Festival this August. The Cinemanila International Film Festival, now on its ninth year, will have its official run from August 8 to 19, 2007. It will showcase the best of local and foreign cinema, including recent winners from the Berlin and Cannes film festivals. A special Asean Night celebrating the works of the region's best filmmakers will open the event on 8 August. Cinemanila will also be having a special Focus on the films of Bollywood (August 10), South Africa (August 11), and Turkey (August 12). Everyone is invited to the screenings and to the seminars and workshops. These include Master Classes in Directing ( August 10 to 11) and Scriptwriting (August 12 and 13), a seminar on the Importance of Film Archiving in the Philippines (August 14), and a seminar on Indie Filmmaking (August 15 and 16).

The CIFF is organized jointly by the Independent Cinema Association of the Philippines (ICAP), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), and a specially commissioned inter-agency committee.

For more information, you may refer to the official CIFF website (http://www.cinemanila.com.ph) or contact the Cinemanila Secretariat through its email address: cinemanila@gmail.com.