About Us But Not About Us is a 2022 Philippine psychological drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Jun Robles Lana. The film stars Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas.[1]
| About Us But Not About Us | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jun Robles Lana |
| Written by | Jun Robles Lana |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Neil Daza |
| Edited by | Lawrence S. Ang |
| Music by | Teresa Barrozo |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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| Country | Philippines |
| Languages | English Filipino |
The film was first released in Estonia on November 23, 2022, as one of the official entries for the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it won the Best Film award.[1] It also received a Philippine premiere on April 8, 2023, as one of the entries for the 1st Summer Metro Manila Summer Film Festival, where it won 10 awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
Premise
editEric (Romnick Sarmenta) and his student, Lancelot (Elijah Canlas) converse with each other over a meal at a restaurant unveiling secrets.[2]
Cast
edit- Romnick Sarmenta as Ericson; A gay man who worked as a literature professor[3][2][4]
- Elijah Canlas portrays two roles which are:
- Lancelot: A student attending the University of the Philippines who has Ericson as his mentor. His character is helped by Ericson after the student was beaten up by his stepfather. Canlas described the character as a survivalist, who was also victimized by a pedophile priest at ten years old.[4]
- Marcus: Former husband of Ericson who committed suicide
Production
editAbout Us But Not About Us was produced under The IdeaFirst Company, Octoberian Films, and Quantum Films under the direction of Jun Lana.[5] Perci Intalan, Lana's ex-partner was the producer. Lana described the film as a "personal" project which he created during a "period of depression". Characterizing the film as "part fiction and part confessional", Lana disclosed writing for three straight days for the story of the film, drawing inspiration from his childhood trauma.[6]
The film's story is "conversational" featuring just two seated characters talking to each other in a single setting. A significant part of the story was in English.[3] About Us But Not About Us took five days to shoot, with a script reading taking place a day prior.[2]
It was shot entirely on location at the "L'Opera Ristorante" Italian Restaurant in Bonifacio Global City, Makati, Manila.
Release
editThe film premiered in Estonia at the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November 2022.[7][1] It screened in cinemas in the Philippines as one of the eight official entries of the 2023 Metro Manila Summer Film Festival which began on April 8, 2023.[5]
Reception
editCritical response
editAbout Us But Not About Us was recognized as the Best Film in the Critics' Pick competition of the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[1] Film critic Niki Nikitin, as an attendee of the Estonian film festival, praised the film as "masterfully orchestrated" despite having a small budget.[6] Indonesian film critic Bavner Donaldo praised this film for its stunning acting performances with an unexpected conclusion.[8]
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Metro Manila Summer Film Festival | April 11, 2023 | Best Picture | About Us But Not About Us | Won | [9] |
| Best Director | Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Romnick Sarmenta | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Best Production Design | About Us But Not About Us | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Neil Daza | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Lawrence Ang | Won | |||
| Best Sound | About Us But Not About Us | Won | |||
| Best Musical Score | About Us But Not About Us | Won | |||
| Best Float | About Us But Not About Us | Nominated | |||
| Special Jury Prize | Elijah Canlas | Won | |||
| 2024 Gawad Urian Award | June 8, 2024 | Gawad Urian for Best Picture | About Us But Not About Us | Nominated | [10] |
| Gawad Urian for Best Director | Jun Lana | Nominated | |||
| Gawad Urian for Best Screenplay | Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Gawad Urian for Best Actor | Romnick Sarmenta | Won | |||
| Gawad Urian for Best Editing | Lawrence Ang | Nominated | |||
| Gawad Urian for Best Sound | Armand De Guzman | Nominated | |||
| 7th Eddys | July 7, 2024 | Best Picture | About Us But Not About Us | Won | [11] |
| Best Director | Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Romnick Sarmenta | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Lawrence Ang | Won |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "'About Us But Not About Us' wins Best Film in Tallinn". ABS-CBN News. November 29, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c Cruz, Marinel (April 1, 2023). "Elijah Canlas takes steps to fulfill Hollywood dream". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Salterio, Leah C. (March 16, 2023). "Why Romnick Sarmenta accepted gay role in 'About Us But Not About Us'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Bautista, Mario (March 19, 2023). "Elijah plays one of his hardest roles - Journal News". Journal Online. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Requinitina, Robert (February 25, 2023). "Eight official entries of 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Gabinete, Jojo (November 5, 2022). "Jun Lana isiniwalat ang "dark past" sa About Us But Not About Us movie" [Jun Lana revealed "dark past" in About Us But Not About Us movie]. PEP.ph (in English and Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "'About Us But Not About Us' to premiere in Tallinn film fest". ABS-CBN News. November 28, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Donaldo, Bavner (October 23, 2023). "Review Film #753 - About Us But Not About Us (2022) • Cinejour". cinejour.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "FULL LIST: Winners, Summer MMFF 2023 Gabi ng Parangal". Rappler. April 11, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ Veronique Yap, Jade (June 8, 2024). "Here is the complete list of winners". GMA Network. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Fariñas, Ian (June 14, 2024). "SPEEd announces nominees for 7th EDDYS". Journal News. Retrieved June 14, 2024.