Dennis Trillo, Matteo Guidicelli to close this year's Cinemalaya with 'Mina-Anud'

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Dennis Trillo, Matteo Guidicelli to close this year's Cinemalaya with 'Mina-Anud'

Totel V. de Jesus

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MANILA -- When 111 cocaine bricks were found by fishermen floating on the waters off the coast of a sleepy island village in Eastern Samar sometime in December 2009, it made front page and primetime news.

But not included in the follow-up reports was what happened next to the fishermen in Barangay Mina-Anud in Llorente town and how their lives were changed by the incident.

This is the premise of the debut film by Cebuano filmmaker Kerwin Go titled "Mina-Anud," which in Filipino sounds like "may naanod" or "something brought by the waves."

"Inspired by true events" is how the film producers would like to describe "Mina-Anud." For its world premiere, it will be the closing film in this year's Cinemalaya at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), which ends on August 11. "Mina Anud" will be shown a day earlier, on August 10 at 9 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater.

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Jerald Napoles, director Kerwin Go, and Dennis Trillo. Photo courtesy of Jerald Napoles

When Cinemalaya festival director Chris Millado announced it a couple of weeks ago, cocaine bricks found by fisherfolks, this time on the shores of several towns in southern Luzon and the Bicol region, were again in the news.

The most recent were the estimated seven bricks worth P35 million found in Mauban town in Quezon province and the one-kilo brick in San Jose town in Camarines Sur. The biggest haul was fished out of the waters off Gubat town in Sorsogon, about 12 boxes weighing 39 kilos and estimated to be worth P218.4 millions.

Based on these reports, the cocaine bricks were turned over to their respective police crime laboratories. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the main government arm handling the battle against illegal drugs, suspected that the Philippines is being used as transshipment point for cocaine bound for mainland China, Hong Kong and Australia.

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"Mina-Anud," which is topbilled by Dennis Trillo, Matteo Guidicelli, Jerald Napoles and veteran actor Lou Veloso, will be shown in commercial theaters starting August 21.

Yin and yang

"Ang role ko is one of the top surfers of Samar na very happy go lucky. BFF ako ni Dennis [Trillo]. Parang yin and yang kami," Napoles told ABS-CBN News in a recent FB messenger interview.

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He and Trillo play surfers whose lives are changed by the discovery of the bricks. On working with Trillo, he said, "Dennis is a timid but very talented actor. Matagal na kaming close kaya walang problems na maging best friends kami sa [movie.] He deserves more out-of-the-box roles like this."

Trillo is set to do a horror film with Star Cinema this year.

In the movies, Napoles has played romantic lead in the fantasy comedy "The Write Moment" as part of the 2017 QCinema International Film Festival. It had a commercial run and many fans consider it as Napoles' launch movie as a solo film actor. He is also one of the lead players in the immensely hilarious 2018 gangster comedy, "Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap."

We know Napoles as a theater actor whose expertise is comedy. Coincidentally related to water, Napoles is known among theater addicts for playing Tolits, the top "gondolier" in a flooded village called Villa Venizia. It is the setting of the hit musical "Rak of Aegis," now on its seventh season and still ongoing at the PETA-Phinma Theater until September 29.

Former workmates

"Mina-Anud" marks the full-length movie debut of director Go.

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"Si Direk Kerwin is fast and efficient since director siya sa advertising," Napoles said.

"Nakatrabaho ko siya dati pa sa (2012) Cinema One Originals, sa film ni Maribel Legarda na 'Melodrama Negra.' DoP (director of photography) siya dun," Napoles added. Legarda, incidentally, is director of "Rak of Aegis," Napoles still plays Tolits, usually on Sunday night, opposite his now real-life girlfriend Kim Molina, one of the actresses playing main character Aileen since 2014.

"Nakawento na niya (Go) sa 'kin during that time 'yung concept na 'to. So nagulat ako at sumaya nung natupad na after how many years," Napoles said.

"Nag-shoot kami sa Real and Infanta in Quezon (province) most of the time, although may mga B-rolls sa Samar, and Siargao, especially for Luke Landrigan's surf scenes," he added. Landrigan has a cameo role but in real life, he is one of the top surfers and surfing coaches in the Philippines.

Veloso, meanwhile, plays one of the fishermen who discover some of the cocaine bricks brought by the waves to the shores of their island village. Veloso's character is also the barangay captain of the village who eventually succumbs to the vice.

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Offbeat role

Guidicelli takes a plunge here in what could be his first anti-heartthrob, off-beat role.

"I play a celebrity, an actor pero adik sya na lasenggero," Guidicelli told ABS-CBN News in a recent interview, laughing at the thought of it.

He gave a brief description of the film and where he comes in. He said it is when the fishermen discovered the powdery substance sealed in brick-like plastic containers.

"In a beach party, 'yung mga locals, nagulat sila. Ano 'itong substance na ito. Ako bilang taga-Manila, nakita ko, hala drugs 'to, dinala ko sa Manila. Ginamit ko," he said, laughing again.

ABS-CBN News caught up with him in a recent Watson Philippines event, where he is part as the face of Nivea for Men products in the country.

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We all know that in real life, Guidicelli doesn't use illegal drugs as he is an advocate of a healthy lifestyle. It is also a known fact that he is a triathlete and has participated in various competitions here and abroad.

When we asked him why he agreed to play such an off-beat character, he said he was personally approached by Go, a fellow Cebuano, and producer Bianca Balbuena.

"Personally kinausap nila ako. And when I read the script, it was beautiful. Kerwin did a good job. I admire that guy, he is very passionate sa trabaho," he added. "Exciting 'yung film. Hilarious!"

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