EVERYBODY knows that if you love Filipino movies, you should get a Hooq subscription.
Hooq, which claims to be the largest video-on-demand service in Southeast Asia, has over 1,000 Filipino movies spanning almost five decades and over 4,000 hours of local television.
From studio hits to indies, Hooq has got the Pinoy movie fan covered.
I’m a Sharon Cuneta fan and To Love Again, her movie with the late Miguel Rodriguez, is one of the most difficult to find in any form. I’m very happy that it’s on Hooq.
Why am I talking about this? Hooq is a staunch and consistent supporter of the Philippine film industry and aspiring Filipino filmmakers. It was the exclusive presenter of the 42nd Metro Manila Film Festival last year and the festival’s New Wave category. Hooq has announced six titles for pilot development from its inaugural Hooq Filmmakers Guild 2017.
The Hooq Filmmakers Guild attracted almost 500 entries for original content from across the region. The submissions were varied and ranged from science fiction to supernatural and even historical dramas. The dominant genres submitted were drama, horror/supernatural and comedy, with science fiction and fantasy a close fourth.
“The number of submissions was far more than what any of us were expecting,” said judge Puttipong Promsaka Na Sakolnakorn, a popular actor from Thailand.
“The submissions took screen craft to another level. The level of detail and the amalgamation of brave ideas, Asian culture and stunning creativity brought out some of the most amazing submissions I have ever seen,” said Filipino director Erik Matti, who was also one of the judges.
Judging was based on the relevance and potential appeal to Asian audiences, demonstrable creativity in storytelling and a well-told Asian story with an original point of view.
The confirmed 2017 selections are Bhak (India), Suay (Thailand), Haunt Me (Singapore), How to Be a Good Girl (Singapore), Aliansi (Indonesia) and Heaven and Hell (Indonesia). The six were selected from some 500 submissions received by Hooq over a two-month period from all over Southeast Asia.
The six entries that have been earmarked for pilots span a range of genres.
India’s winning entry, Bhak, is a colorful dramedy that follows the adventures of two ambitious young filmmakers in the Bollywood film industry. Written by Arjun Chatterjee and Shreyom Ghosh from Big3 Media, it explores the themes of passion, betrayal and love.
Suay, a Thai crime thriller by Marcelo von Schwartz, follows the story of ladyboy go-go dancer Lola, who receives a dismembered ear belonging to her best friend and mentor, Carly. She is forced to draw upon her past identity as a tough male private detective and descend into the underbelly of Bangkok.
Supernatural drama Haunt Me, by Oman Dhas and Goh Ming Siu from Third Floor Pictures, follows the story of Kwong, a widower, who after his father’s death moves into his family ancestral home and discovers his family’s secret sacred destiny, which is guiding lost souls to the other side.
The other Singaporean entry, How to Be a Good Girl, comes from Abundant Productions and follows former socialite turned ex-convict Frances Lee, who is looking to reclaim her life after time behind bars.
The Indonesian winning entries reflect two ends of the genre sprectrum. Aliansi is an offbeat comedy by Muttaqiena Imaamaa. It follows the story of a down-and-out Jakarta-based creative executive, who gets a chance to start over when a mysterious millionaire approaches him to create advertising campaigns to convince the public that aliens are real.
Bobby Prabowo and Eric Tiwa’s Heaven and Hell takes the viewer into the world of the Eastern Indonesia mafia. When a gang war is about to break out in Darmaga Batu, his adoptive hometown, Chris contemplates leaving the violent world of crime, until he realizes that the only way he can protect his jailed father is by becoming the head of the crime world.
Hooq has also selected five more submissions for script development. The selections are Crazy in Love (Indonesia), Golden Star (Philippines), Merit Score (Thailand), ReLie (Thailand) and Trips (Singapore).
While these submissions are not ready to be developed into pilots, they hold enough merit and potential to become compelling stories that will appeal to audiences around Southeast Asia. Hooq is investing in the potential of these ideas by developing them into scripts.
“The Hooq Filmmakers Guild has really highlighted the immense talent out in Asia, and the selection process for the top six pilots announced earlier was not an easy task. The fact that we could pick out five more brilliant ideas on top of the six we already chose for pilot development means this region is a hot bed for creative talent. We’re excited and committed to developing these talents and helping them turn their vision into your next favorite series,” said Peter Bithos, CEO of Hooq.