CEBU CITY, Philippines — After eight years, Cebuano filmmaker Victor Villanueva is back in this year’s Cinema One Originals.
Villanueva confirmed to Cebu Daily News Digital that he would direct the movie “Lucid” written by Natts Jadaone and produced by Dan Villegas.
“I am honored to be working with such talented people,” he said.
For him, working with Jadaone and Dan Villegas in this project is random.
Jadaone had a concept that she developed while they had a writing workshop with Ricky Lee last year.
“I am surprised ako ang magdirect ani pero na excited ko pero nahadlok. It is a different genre, so medyo terrifying for me, but I would like to take the challenge,” Villanueva said.
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The Cebuano filmmaker is known for his comedy films like “Patay Na Si Hesus” (2016) and “Kusina Kings” (2018).
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“I cannot reveal pa so much of the plot (Lucid), pero it has this suspense thriller romance vibe going for it and a dash of surrealness, and medyo dark siya,” he added.
Villanueva said that they still had to announce soon the complete cast for this new film.
Cinema One Originals is an annual independent film festival in the Philippines.
Villanueva’s first Cinema One Originals entry was the “Paranormal Romance” in 2011 topbilled by Phoebe Kaye Fernandez, Van Roxas, Publio Briones III, and Paul Jake Castillo.
“Actually, Cinema One ang nitabang sa jumpstart sa akong filmmaking career. So being back again after how many years feels like home,” he said.
Completing the Cinema One Originals 2019 entries this year are “Ascendant” (Sherad Anthony Sanchez), “Metamorphosis” (J.E Tiglao), “O” (Kevin Dayrit), “Sila-Sila” (Giancarlo Abrahan), “Tayo Muna Habang Di Pa Tayo” (Denise O’Hara), “Utopia” (Dustin Celestino and Dustin Uy) and “Yours Truly, Shirley” (Nigel Santos)./dbs