SINAG MAYNILA 2025 OPENS WITH LINO BROCKA'S RESTORED CLASSIC 'JAGUAR'

THE SEVENTH EDITION OF THE SINAG MAYNILA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is set to open today, Sept. 23, at Gateway Cinema 5 with the Asian premiere of the newly restored 4K version of Lino Brocka's 1979 neo-noir classic "Jaguar."

- NATHALIE TOMADA

This marks the Philippine homecoming of “Jaguar” following its international debut at the 16th Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France.

The restored print is the result of a collaboration between the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) Philippine Film Archive (PFA) and Cité de Mémoire.

Members of the original cast and crew are expected to attend the opening night, which includes a special talkback session following the screening.

In a statement to The STAR, festival founder Wilson Tieng stressed the importance of choosing the late National Artist's work as the opening film.

"'Jaguar's' selection as the opening film for Sinag Maynila 2025 highlights the importance of film preservation, connecting the past with the future of Philippine cinema," he said.

"As a producer of Filipino films for over 44 years and as a fan of Filipino cinema, it truly brings back many fond memories seeing classics back on the big screen."

Released over four decades ago, “Jaguar” made history as the first Filipino film to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980.

Inspired by a news story from Nick Joaquin’s novel Reportage on Crime, the screenplay was penned by Jose “Pete” Lacaba and National Artist Ricky Lee.

Phillip Salvador topills the film as Poldo, a security guard drawn into crime while protecting a wealthy playboy, with Amy Austria playing as his love interest.