Ang Sipyat

I was fortunate to have been part of the jury of the 6th Mindanao Film Fest. And together with film historian Teddy Co of the NCCA and local filmmaker Rudolph Alama, I watched, critiqued, and chose the best among the field of contenders. It was an enjoyable task, but very much taxing. I liked one of the films very much. It was, in fact, my personal favorite. (Obviously, I was outvoted. Hehe!) The film is Director Ronald Gary Bautista's Ang Sipyat which he made in collaboration with his brother and student Leo Jeorge Bautista under the production outfit Studio Beta. The film won Best in Sound in the 6th MFF and was a strong contender in most categories. Ang Sipyat (The Error) is the story of a famed thief who made the mistake of victimizing a girl. His victim, it turns out, has two siblings who are skilled in martial arts. The story seems simple enough. Shallow, in fact. But upon watching the film, as cliche as it sounds, there is more to it than the summary says. The story has a slight but not off putting twist. Can't tell you more coz it would spoil the fun of watching…