Filipino-Australian filmmaker Matthew Victor Pastor has recently held the international premiere of his documentary film untitled / unfinished as part of the official selection at the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival 2024 in the Philippines.
Nominated alongside other diasporic filmmakers like Filipino-American filmmaker Paul Factora (Way of the Balisong), independent cinema was celebrated at the historic Metropolitan Theatre during the Gabi ng Parangal on September 8, 2024.
After a four-year hiatus, the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival has reopened its doors with a new selection of full-length features, shorts, and documentaries aimed at reaching wider audiences.
Founded in 2015, Sinag Maynila is a non-profit film festival born from the vision of Solar Entertainment president and current festival CEO Wilson Tieng, along with Cannes-winning director Brillante Mendoza.
“I’m so excited to be back. When I first attended Sinag Maynila in 2018, the spark of independent cinema was lit in me. I made many films with that flame. After a tough few years, coming back to Sinag Maynila has re-ignited that flame, and I hope to make films for many years to come,” said Matthew regarding his nomination.
The festival showcased a wide range of films in competition, from regional productions to internationally made Filipino stories. One such film was the short documentary Way of the Balisong, which filmmaker Paul Factora traveled from Los Angeles to present.
“Sinag was amazing! I’ve had my eye on this festival for a long time because of their commitment to the true independent filmmaker. It was indeed a blessing to have our Balisong documentary accepted and to be part of their 2024 festival!” Paul remarked.
He is currently working on the feature film version of Balisong, set to be released in the future.
Her Locket emerged as the biggest winner of the sixth edition of Sinag Maynila, taking home multiple awards, including Best Film at the Gabi ng Parangal.
Matthew is a Melbourne-based award-winning filmmaker who creates feature and short films about the Filipino-Australian experience. His work as a director and cinematographer has been showcased at local and international film festivals, including the St Kilda Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, and Melbourne International Film Festival. In 2019, his film Melodrama / Random / Melbourne was nominated for a FAMAS Award for Best Musical Score.
